chic[k]pilot

airshow!

2009-03-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the Luke Days Airshow this weekend with my T-6. Come on out and enjoy the Thunderbirds, the USAFA Wings of Blue, the F-22 demonstration team and an A-10 demonstration team. Should be a good time. See you out there!

what kind of gun are you?

2009-03-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

These are kind of silly but....

I am a: Glock Model 22 in 40 cal

What kind of handgun are YOU?

...hey, its what I want!

scary....

2009-03-13T07:00:00.001-07:00

Neptunus Lex highlights this article. Things in the Air Force are not looking that great as it is...

The word within the U.S. Department of Defense
is that the White House wants to collect six to eight "scalps" -- major program kills -- in this year's Quadrennial Defense Review.

Some of the cuts already are being considered as Defense Secretary
Robert Gates rewrites the 2010 budget. You can expect to hear a lot of rumors about which programs are being targeted between now and when the Pentagon releases details of its budget request in April. But while most of the military services are scrambling to protect programs, at least one is getting ready to offer up a signature weapons system. The U.S. Navy will propose removal of one aircraft carrier and air wing from its posture, dropping the number of carriers to the lowest number since 1942.

I wonder what it is the Air Force will have to give up? A friend thinks the F-35 is already too far along to stop production, which is good news. But aircraft are big ticket items. I can imagine the numbers of requested F-35's will most likely shrink.

What really scares me is what will happen to existing weapons systems. First there were problems with the F-15C, then it was the F-16s, followed by the A-10, and now the mighty C-130. What's next?

The United States has enjoyed air superiority since for the most part since WWII. If the current administration allows numbers in aircraft and personnel to dwindle even more, who can guarantee that we will continue to control the skies?

Go here for the state of aircraft around the Air Force, put together the president of the AF Association.

My colleagues and I joke about buying our own office supplies and toilet paper in the next fiscal year, but what will our Air Force look and act like with an aging fleet and pilots flying less training hours due to budget cutbacks? In my opinion, not good.

tax day protests

2009-03-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

So I'm diggin these Tea Party Protests. There will be a big push on April 15th, tax day of course! If there's one in Northern Mississippi, I'll be there.

I highly encourage anyone, no matter what you believe, to either show up with your own sign or watch the action, maybe have a lively discussion. I'll try to post video and photos after the fact.

You can go here for more info on the movement or planned protests in your state.

conservative dissidents?

2009-03-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Instapundit linked to this a few minutes ago, saying that those who once called dissent the "highest form of patriotism" and now labeling conservative protesters "domestic terror wannabees."

I guess its all in what you dissent against....

I've been wondering what would happen if conservatives started giving Mr. Ayers and his cohorts a taste of their own medicine?

Our intention is to engage the enemy, to wear away at him, to harass him, to isolate him, to expose every weakness, to pounce, to reveal his vulnerability.
Our intention is to encourage the people, to provoke leaps in confidence and consciousness, to stir the imagination, to popularize power, to agitate, to organize, to join in every way possible the people's day-to-day struggles.
Our intention is to forge an underground, a clandestine political organization engaged in every form of struggle, protected from the eyes and weapons of the state, a base against repression, to accumulate lessons, experience and constant practice, a base from which to attack.

Now I have my answer.

dubya vs. barry

2009-03-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

An interesting video. I think it says less about the Marines' feelings toward each man and more about each president's feelings concerning how he should be treated.

One wanted to be among those riflemen, the other, to shake hands with the brass. One among the people, one above. I'm sure you can imagine which illicits more respect from those men and women in uniform.

From Roger Kimball via Instapundit.

i wanna come too

2009-03-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

I'm looking through all the photos from the Tea Parties around the country. I am totally impressed and I wish I could have gone to one. Michelle Malkin has a good round up and Instapundit has a ton of links.

I was thinking about what I would put on a sign if I went. Searching for quotes on socialism, I found some hum-dingers. Some of my favorite people, Churchill, Reagan, were in the search. Some other guys that I hadn't thought of, Sowell and de Tocqueville, have some great quotes too.

Here's a Sowell one I liked, but it wouldn't really fit on a sign...

“The assumption that spending more of the taxpayer's money will make things better has survived all kinds of evidence that it has made things worse. The black family- which survived slavery, discrimination, poverty, wars and depressions- began to come apart as the federal government moved in with its well-financed programs to 'help.'”

What would you put on a sign? Any good ones you have seen?

the future of flight

2009-01-25T10:44:00.000-08:00

With a bad economy, the airline industry always teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, and gas prices threatening to rise to astronomical levels, flying looks like a risky business to get into. Add the fact that flying can be less than enjoyable at times (ok, most of the time), and we can all agree that there is a lot of room for improvement in commercial flying.

Instapundit posted this article from Wired about Finnair's vision for the future of flight. While there are some interesting concepts, I think some of the them are definitely flights of fancy.

Should everyone have their own aircraft?
In the last three years of being an instructor pilot in the Air Force, I can say that not everyone is meant to be a pilot. We have enough trouble teaching students that already have experience flying. Think of all the bad drivers you know and then give them a third dimension in which to control their vehicle, while they are required to talk on a radio and look inside at some sort of control panel to monitor airspeed, direction, maybe a GPS. In 2008 there were 147 aircraft accidents and 876 deaths. Can you imagine what that number would be if that jerk who just cut you off while talking on his cell phone was allowed to fly? While the dream of every one having a "family jet" a la the Jetsons is great, it is totally unrealistic and, I would argue, very unsafe.

Will flights be more enjoyable?
Finnair envisions flying cruise ships where "personal flight attendants, pre-flight yoga lounges, sleeping pods and meals featuring something called 'eco-food'" are available. They even describe aircraft that are practically flying cities, complete with beauty parlors and a gym. Now don't get me wrong, this sounds great, but this isn't that much different than what's available to the ultra rich these days anyway. And how many flights are long enough to allow people to enjoy these perks if they are available? International flights definitely, but if air travel gets faster, as it inevitably will, most flights will take less time anyway. While I do often wish I could get up and take a walk about half way into a two hour flight, I don't think going for a run is really in the cards. Air travel isn't about the journey, its about the destination.

So call me a skeptic, but I'll believe this stuff when it when I see it. Air travel will just suck less in 2093.

looking to save some money?

2009-01-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

Then don't waste your food. Whether its that banana with the brown spots or the last bit of cereal in the bottom of the box, Americans throw away an average of a pound of edible food a day. I would be interesting to see what the study considered edible, but I believe that number. I'm defiantly guilty of letting food go to waste.

Linked from Mark's Daily Apple.

need a job?

2009-01-22T17:59:00.000-08:00

The Air Force is looking apparently. Like this should be a surprise. This was on the Air Force Times website. This will probably be the first and only time I actually visit it.

Retirees, reservists to be tapped for empty jobs

By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jan 21, 2009 18:41:39 EST

The Air Force is turning to retirees and reservists to fill 1,600 empty flying and staff positions — a strategy that could eventually have 58-year-old lieutenant colonels flying alongside officers half their age.
If you are a retired rated officer or a rated officer on traditional reserve status, the Air Force wants you back on active-duty status to fly or serve in staff positions for up to four years.
For retired officers, the program is open to aviators who retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel or below and will not be older than 60 when their service starts.
For former rated officers O-5 and below who left before they were eligible to retire, the program is open to aviators on individual ready reserve status or serving as traditional members of the Reserve or Air National Guard.
Successful applicants are expected to pass the Air Force fitness test for their age group.
Application information should be posted later this week on the Air Force Personnel Center’s Web site.

While the article makes it seem like 58-year-olds are going to be flying fighters, the it is much more likely that they will get these retired or separated former-AF pilots to fly UAVs. They are still considered "flying" positions, and are one of the only jobs in the AF that is not properly manned. This will probably be good news for anyone eligible that has recently lost a job in the current stellar economy.

And I do not like the AF Times because the one time I actually spent money to buy it, the publication called the F-117 and the F-15 the "Fighting Falcon." Not exactly great fact-checking there...

now you know, the rest of the story....

2009-01-22T16:17:00.000-08:00

A story send to me by my father.

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice
came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was
almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the
call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the
new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was
only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find
out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card
and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only
to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left
the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she
accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again,
outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a
baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted
his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived
at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The
baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well,
let's take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not
taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet
her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis
thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a
paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't
come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman
with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband
and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary - - - he had a
different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the
movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he
needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and
brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda
knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life
with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children.
Since then they have added two more kids.

So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl? Well,
Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed
as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his
Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a
surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He has also been the NLF's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.

I am originally from Phoenix, so naturally, I'm hoping the underdog Cards continue their streak.

101 in 1001

2009-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

So I have become a big fat of CrossFit and Mark's Daily Apple, among a few other fitness and nutrition sites. Crossfit tends to kick your butt in 20 minutes or less and Mark promotes Primal Living, basically eating and exercising like a caveman. What better way to live for a pilot! We are practically cavemen anyway... but thankfully with less hair. I'm sure I will do plenty of posting with links from CrossFit and Mark, but I did come across something interesting Mark posted recently.

Everyone tends to do New Year's resolutions that many never keep. Now that we are most of the way through January, I'm sure if you made a resolution or goal for the year, you might already have disappointed yourself or found excuses to not do what you set out to on January one. I know I have. But over at Day Zero, they take a longer view of things. Their aim is that you try to achieve 101 goals in 1001 days. That's about 2.75 years. That's pretty lofty, but I like it much better than just the traditional New Year resolution. It adds not only short term goals, but some medium term goals as well.

I'm not going to post my entire list, but here are a few highlights:
4. Read 50 books
7. Watch 100 documentaries
11. Donate 101 items
15. Do 100 push-ups a day for 50 days straight
35. Send a card to someone once a month
54. Coach a kid's soccer team
59. Watch all three Godfather movies in one sitting
73. Go to a beer festival
87. Go to my 10 year high school reunion
99. Work up to deadlifting twice my body weight

If you looks at all the lists people have posted at Day Zero, many have either quit posting or stopped working on their goals all together. But I also think it would be an interesting experiment to just make the list and see what you actually did in over jsut under three years without actually working through the list. I think people would be surprised how much they get accomplished.

Ok... here we go again...

2009-01-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

So I'm starting this over again! There have been a lot of changes in my life since July, and I'm still extremely busy, but I constantly read things I want to post. The itch is getting to me, so back to it I am. I'm going to be taking a month or two off from my Master's degree boondoggle (I'm half way done, YAY!) travel some to bonny ol' England and have my own personal pub crawl in Dublin in the near future. I should have some fun stories to share along with the occasional news/commentary/punditry. Hope I didn't lose all of you. Pass it along if you know someone who used to read this quaint little blog. I'll be happy to have you all back.

Cheers,
cp

it's a girl one!

2008-06-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

I know my posts have been few and far between the last... year, and I have no good excuses. I'm blond and distracted by shiny things. Anyway, if you live in North Carolina, this weekend is the Cherry Point Air Show. I'll be there with my trusty Texan, along with more interesting acts like the Blue Angels (that I'm pretty stoked to see), the Harrier demo team, and lots of cool static displays. So if you live not-too-far-away from Cherry Point MCAS, take the family on a great opportunity to see the aircraft and people that your tax dollars help support. And please try to hold back your laughter if you witness questions like, "So, are you the flight attendant?"

one year older

2008-04-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, I share a birthday with the oldest known person. Honestly, I don't know if I would want to live that long...

Maybe it was a lifetime of chores on the family farm that accounts for Edna Parker's long life. Or maybe just good genes explain why the world's oldest known person will turn 115 on Sunday, defying staggering odds.

Scientists who study longevity hope Parker and others who live to 110 or beyond — they're called supercentenarians — can help solve the mystery of extreme longevity.

"We don't know why she's lived so long," said Don Parker, her 59-year-old grandson. "But she's never been a worrier and she's always been a thin person, so maybe that has something to do with it."

On Friday, Edna Parker laughed and smiled as relatives and guests released 115 balloons into sunny skies outside her nursing home. Dressed in pearls, a blue and white polka dot dress and new white shoes, she clutched a red rose during the festivities.

woman to recieve silver star

2008-03-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

This chick is awesome.

2nd woman since WWII to receive Silver Star

By Fisnik Abrashi - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Mar 11, 2008 10:49:58 EDT

CAMP SALERNO, Afghanistan — A 19-year-old medic from Texas will become the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second woman since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest medal for valor.

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown saved the lives of fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees in the eastern Paktia province in April 2007, the military said.

After the explosion, which wounded five soldiers in her unit, Brown ran through insurgent gunfire and used her body to shield wounded comrades as mortars fell less than 100 yards away, the military said.

“I did not really think about anything except for getting the guys to a safer location and getting them taken care of and getting them out of there,” Brown told The Associated Press on Saturday at a U.S. base in the eastern province of Khost.

Brown, of Lake Jackson, Texas, is scheduled to receive the Silver Star later this month. She was part of a four-vehicle convoy patrolling near Jani Kheil in the eastern province of Paktia on April 25, 2007, when a bomb struck one of the Humvees.

“We stopped the convoy. I opened up my door and grabbed my aid bag,” Brown said.

She started running toward the burning vehicle as insurgents opened fire. All five wounded soldiers had scrambled out.

“I assessed the patients to see how bad they were. We tried to move them to a safer location because we were still receiving incoming fire,” Brown said.

Pentagon policy prohibits women from serving in frontline combat roles — in the infantry, armor or artillery, for example. But the nature of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, with no real front lines, has seen women soldiers take part in close-quarters combat more than previous conflicts.

Four Army nurses in World War II were the first women to receive the Silver Star, though three nurses serving in World War I were awarded the medal posthumously last year, according to the Army’s Web site.

Brown, of the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, said ammunition going off inside the burning Humvee was sending shrapnel in all directions. She said they were sitting in a dangerous spot.

“So we dragged them for 100 or 200 meters, got them away from the Humvee a little bit,” she said. “I was in a kind of a robot-mode, did not think about much but getting the guys taken care of.”

For Brown, who knew all five wounded soldiers, it became a race to get them all to a safer location. Eventually, they moved the wounded some 500 yards away, treated them on site before putting them on a helicopter for evacuation.

“I did not really have time to be scared,” Brown said. “Running back to the vehicle, I was nervous [since] I did not know how badly the guys were injured. That was scary.”

The military said Brown’s “bravery, unselfish actions and medical aid rendered under fire saved the lives of her comrades and represents the finest traditions of heroism in combat.”

Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, of Nashville, Tenn., received the Silver Star in 2005 for gallantry during an insurgent ambush on a convoy in Iraq. Two men from her unit, the 617th Military Police Company of Richmond, Ky., also received the Silver Star for their roles in the same action.

H/T to cabaker27 over at my favorite chick site. Original source here.

berkeley and the maries: a daily show perspective

2008-03-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

I am a big Daily Show fan. They don't discriminate who they make fun of, and they had the boss from the USAF Thunderbirds on once. This is almost 5 minutes, but worth every second.

anathallo at mohawk

2008-03-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

There are just so many bands to see during SXSW, you really have to be picky about what you choose. Since this is my first time attending, I'm totally paranoid that I'm going to be stuck out in a line while my favorite band is playing. But most bands play short sets during the day at different bars that are sponsored by various companies. Anathallo only played four songs (they are a bit longer than your average song) but it was well worth it for me to make the hike over to Mohawk.

I was excited to find out that Anathallo is better live than they are emitting from my horrible computer speakers. Their music is at times intricate, others simple. At least five members of the band take part in the harmonies with the lead singer and I'm pretty sure everyone but the drummer played more than one instrument, so you know those kids have talent. As they played with such passion and a couple of the guys danced around the stage I felt like I was watching a religious rite rather than a music concert. As I listened, some parts of the music would be at home in a Dr. Seuss musical while others moved more dramatically. It was a great set. Glad I made it out to listen to a band I have been listening to for awhile.

Here's their myspace if you'd like to give them a listen.
And I got the tip to listen to them from Just Pete at the Bored-Again Christian. He has great taste in tunes.

chic[k]pilot at sxsw

2008-03-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Austin is one of my favorite towns. My grandparents live here, it has so much character, the Texas hill country is beautiful, there is just so much to do. Every year Austin hosts a movie and music festival known as South by Southwest (for those of you who do not keep up with that kind of stuff). Now Austin may be known for its more, shall we say free spirited attitude, so you will think a military chick like me would want to steer clear of all that stuff. But you'd be wrong. I'm totally into new kinds of music of all types. And who doesn't love good live music? We don't get much of that in MS...

Today is the first day of the music festival. I'll be keeping up with the bands I see with photos and maybe some of my own impromptu reviews. I'll also be taking pictures of the strange, weird, and just plain crazy things/people/situations I might find. So if anything, the weekend should be interesting. Hopefully you'll get a few laughs and some new music to try. Until then, I'm off to enjoy some free parties and rockin tunes.

More info here and here if you're curious like a cat.

Just remember the reason your out there rockin' and just how lucky us spoiled Americans really are:

does anyone need a speech writer?

2008-01-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

The writers from the Colbert Report are offering, seeing as they do not have a job right now.

saturday crumbs

2008-01-26T15:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know of many people who need bodyguards to protect them from Christian extremists.

Via Hot Air by way of LGF.

And I am a big fan of Laura Ingram by the way. She should get her own tv show.
***
Want to feel uncomfortable? Check out the five worst online dating videos. As a single woman, I almost can't watch. Well, at least they are kind of famous now. Money quote: "No one’s saying that some people don’t deserve love. But for some people you just get the feeling that given the opportunity they might squeeze love a little too tight and kill it."
***
The NYT endorses John McCain just as the Senator from my home state hires Juan Hernandez, an open-borders advocate. A few comments on statements from the NYT editorial:

We have shuddered at Mr. McCain’s occasional, tactical pander to the right because he has demonstrated that he has the character to stand on principle.

So the fact that someone stands on the ideals of the right means they have no principles? I guess only when they go against what the NYT editors think is the truth.

He was an early advocate for battling global warming and risked his presidential bid to uphold fundamental American values in the immigration debate.

Don't get me started on global warming (hey - I recycle and have a programmable thermostat), but when did we all decide on what we believed about the immigration debate? Amnesty did not work in 1986 and it will be even worse now. If we let anyone into the United States, then how can we prevent criminals or terrorists from crossing the border? Michelle Malkin follows the Hernandez story and makes my point.

i'm back

2008-01-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry if anyone assumed the worst. Just got into a new job, slightly bored with surfing for stories, and grad school has been kicking my butt. I apologize. I hope everyone didn't leave me permanently. My mother complained also. I think she missed having some connection to me when I fail to call frequently (*zing*).

Here's what's been happening in my world recently:
Now I give student check rides, no longer just your run-of-the-mill instructor.
Had to deal with a tornado not too far away.
Yes, that's a school bus on the roof, and that was not the hardest hit area.

I guess that's it for now. Stay tuned for more.

hunting falcon?

2007-07-26T03:19:00.000-07:00

That is one bad bird.

check six

2007-07-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

I know you have heard the Chuck Norris sayings, so here's some of the aviation inspired ones. There are more, these are just my favorites.

Chuck Norris doesn't request clearances, he states intentions.

Chuck Norris never gets vectors to final . . . final gets vectored to
Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris is the only person ever to land on runway 37.

Hijackers squawk 7400 when Chuck Norris is on board

If you ever lose sight of Chuck Norris, check your six o'clock.

When Chuck Norris taxies onto the runway, incoming traffic is told to
hold short

Chuck Norris never "loses" altitude, he simply gets rid of it when he no
longer has any use for it.

Chuck Norris has never landed with a crosswind. The wind would never
dare get cross with Chuck Norris.

When Chuck Norris flies, the altimeter setting is 00.00. Chuck Norris is
never under pressure.

When the BASH condition is Red, planes don't fly. When the BASH
condition is Norris, birds don't fly.

Chuck Norris has never had a midair collision, He has shot down any
plane that has gotten within 10 miles

When told to break at the numbers, Chuck Norris politely reminded the
controller that Chuck Norris cannot be broken and proceeded with the
straight in.

Right of Way rules do not apply when Chuck Norris is flying. If you are
flying toward Chuck Norris, you are wrong.

Chuck Norris doesn't shoot approaches...he kills them.

Chuck Norris is never off of glideslope, the glideslope is off of Chuck
Norris

Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier with his Bell X-1 Jet. Chuck Norris
broke the sound barrier with his fist.

Chuck Norris doesn't manage operational risk...he seeks it.

An ejection seat is not safe until Chuck Norris gets out of it.

Chuck Norris doesn't need crew rest...he never sleeps.

Chuck Norris was once denied a clearance...once

Minimum Safe Altitudes do not apply when Chuck Norris is airborne, if
you are in the air when Chuck Norris is flying you are never safe.

Chuck Norris is never given the instructions "when able" . Chuck Norris
is never unable to do anything.

Favorable winds are always in the same direction as Chuck Norris' flight
path

Chuck Norris has never had to adapt his eyes to the dark. His infrared
vision is working perfectly fine.

T-45 Anti Icing Capabilities: Pitot Heat, 5th Stage Bleed Air, Chuck
Norris

A permanent TFR surrounds Chuck Norris...no one is safe.

Chuck Norris cannot be tracked on radar, if he appears, it is too late;
you are already dead.

A good flight for Chuck Norris is a bad flight for you.

Leading cause of disorientation for pilots: Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris once moved a stationary front.

Chuck Norris is the only person to graduate SERE School via
correspondence.

Chuck Norris isn't holding, he is circling above his victims.

The weather outlook for the area around Chuck Norris: 100% Chance of
Pain

note to self...

2007-07-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

Don't taxi too close behind a B-1