Saturday Was Fun!

I used my considerable charms and skills of deduction and observation to locate the place where the aircraft to be used for the airshow at the Tri-City Water Follies were being kept when not in use.

Though not a huge number of aircraft, often fewer is better. It allows you more time to appreciate the ones you have. The B-25 was the only one really open for the public to look at. There were supposedly $5 tours, but the aircrew was absent when i was there, so no luck there.

Here are a few photos, though. Below are the F-16s, one of which made a demonstration for the public down by the river, and then flew wing on the P-51 named Val-Halla. From left to right: Soviet Yak-11, P-51, F-16s.

Below you see a better view of Val-Halla, which appears to be dressed in early 1950s colors. Probably as an Air Defence fighter, or as an ANG bird (Air National Guard). Given the buzz numbers, I think the former.

The B-25's bomb bay was open, so I stood there and took this photo looking aft through the plexiglass.

For more aircraft pictures, see my other site.

Hostile Action

As I walked up to this anti-aircraft battery, mobile and on a Hummer chassis. As I walked up it turned and aimed its ordnance at me. I was a bit put off, since I valued my life more than I valued the lives of other people around me. I moved. It moved. The guy on the inside was obviously enjoying himself. Then I thought to use the camera. Here is what I caught.

I like the reaction of the girl in the right hand side of the screen. She seems to look at me and then she looks and realizes the anti-aircraft battery is aiming at her. Isn't funny? The armament, as I recall, was eight Stinger AA (anti-aircraft) missiles and one 20 mm machine gun...20mm is just shy of an inch for those of you not so good with the metric system...that is, the bullets are about an inch in diameter. I think, given its abilities shown here, it is probably good at anti-personnell and anti-tank duties as well.

The next video is of the three C-17s that started the airshow. First they came through and drops some parcels cargo via parachute, then they came in to peel off for landing. The video is of the peel off...look at how they handle this airplane! The pilots almost treat it like a fighter. There is probably a reason for this...my guess is because it uses a stick instead of a wheel like other large aircraft. I want you to look at the size of this plane and then watch the video to see just how awesome this little feat of flying actually is. First the pictures

then the video:

Super Video

I enjoyed the air show the other day, but neglected to post any video. Here is one of the Super Hornet performing what looked to me the Cobra that the Soviet Su-27 Flanker is famous for. The ability to perform it suggests some excess thrust and a thrust to weight ration close to 1:1, but then I am only guessing. It is a quick change in velocity and altitude. It is handy in a combat situation, although, I would think it should be a plane vs. plane instead of having a few adversaries who might capitolize on your momentary lack of speed. Then again, the Super Hornet seems to have an abundance of power, so it would not take long to be up to speed again.

Well, I am out of time, or I would post another. I mowed yesterday. I know, nothing new, but what is is the fact that the fan belt come off the pully and as I sat there I could watch the temperature rise. I quickly took the mower and parked it. This morning I have to go back and fix it so I can finish my mowing. This has been an odd string of breakages. I guess this is just not my year.

When we got home last night we went to town for dinner and to stop at the book store. We bought more books than we will soon read, but that is ok. I like books. When I got home I decided to do some reading...and that explains why no second post yesterday. Cora would be pleased.

There Be Planes Here!!

So, I had a great time at the air show yesterday. It was my first up close look at the NEW C-17 Globemaster III. I also got to see the NEW F-22 Raptor. There were several aircraft there. I was ecstatic to be there and free to wander around them at my leisure.

We begin with the F-22 Raptor. It weighs about 80,000lbs at take off, but has something like 70,000lbs of thrust. It does not have to weigh that much and can end up with a thrust to weight ratio better than 1:1. With that much thrust it is capable o mach speed without afterburner.

This next on it a B-18A. It was used during WWII beginning as a bomber, but used later for training and patrol. It was a bomber based on the DC-3 design...the main resemblance is the wing.

And this next is of part of a B-25...I thought the polished aluminum was rather pretty.

This is the C-5 Galaxy. The largest American transport. It has two levels. The lower level I have seen, but I have never been in a C-5 cockpit...until now. I hope the woman in the picture is not too offended by this uncomplimentary picture, but, that IS what she chose to wear. My intention was to capture the location of the cockpit (forgive any pun you may pick up there), it is to the upper left of the photo.

Once on the ladder you could look at the cargo deck...

Here is what the front end of the C-5 looks like.

And here is what I look like in the co-pilot's seat. Pretty cool, huh? I know, you are saying, ahh crap, another picture of Jim and a stupid airplane cockpit. Well, too bad, there are a few to come.

This is me standing on the top steps just having come out of the C-5...note the view behind me.

These are the two F-18 SUPERHORNETs. Note the square intakes...it is an UP-Engined F-18, more powerful.

The B-2 Spirit made a pass or two.

I thought this was an SH-60, but it turned out to be an MH-60, which is the newest version and it is an anti-sub chopper. I asked the pilot if there was much call for that anymore. He said it depended on the adversary. He also noted that diesel subs are more difficult to detect because they don't have that wonderful heat source that nukes do. You can see him digging back into his lunch, which I had interrupted with a few questions, but he was most gracious.

Another change to a perrenial favorite is the C-130J Hercules. Note these propellors, with six blades!

The older models only had 4!!!!

Here is the C-17!

This happened several times, note the accent angle!

USAF AIR EXPO

Just a short post tonight. I was up early and left for MCCHORD and made it by 9:45, but was not parked until after 10:15. The show began at 11am and I spent most of the day climbing through aircraft and getting pictures. I managed to get some short videos, too. I had an excellent day and even managed to make it to the family get-together. We made it back in separate cars. I made it here a few minutes before 9pm. I will have a well illustrated post tomorrow and probably for days to come.

Air Expo!!

So, I was looking at the site for the McChord Air Expo and I found out that they are going to have a B-2 Spirit bomber doing some sort of AWESOME (my word) demonstration. The B-2 is a relative (Grandchild?) of the YB-49 and XB-35 flying wings that were tested in the 1940s and early 1950s, only to be scrapped by a short sighted administration (my opinion. Its funny how my history oriented opinion and my air plane oriented opinion sometimes differ. I shall not go into it here). I have a piece of one of the YB-49s…one of my valued possessions (I have a few of those). It was recovered from the crash site near Edwards AFB in California. I am looking forward to seeing the B-2. There were only a very few built, not much more than 20 of them. I will be seeing a very special aircraft. Cora does not seem to agree with my priorities, but I think she understands that if I am going to be a freak about something, it’s better this than something else.

Also, they plan on having the Tora, Tora, Tora performers from the CAF. Used to be the Confederate Air Force, but now it is the Commemorative Air Force, apparently due to the connotations of the word confederate. It has been three years since I was last at an air show. I took my Dad on Father’s Day of 2005. We had a good time. He and my Mom are planning on being gone, prior arrangements, which I am sure my dad now wishes he had made for another weekend.

There will be a CV-22 Osprey, an F-22 Raptor, and several other new aircraft on display!!! I am SO lucky!

We are watching After the Catch. Phil is a sick man…I hope he does what the Doctors tell him to do…he apparently only has 2 months to live if he does not change his ways.

Oh, and my Dad e-mailed me tonight. The first REAL e-mail since last year sometime. Satan knocked on the door, just then, asking for a jacket since their HVAC was on the fritz, apparently the AC is on HIGH and there is frost damage to the molten lakes of sulfur. He then kindly asked for my soul, to which I replied, "You're a bit late, ten minutes ago I would have sold my soul just for a short e-mail from my father, but I just got a long one." As I was telling him this a feathered warthog flew by. The neighbor started doing cartwheels on the lawn and the sun set and rose again...weird.

Well, I have to go, since Cora caught me posting…again. See, Cora can't even appreciate the CORRECT end of an air plane...