the horse's mouth

The Great Part Of Being A Naval Aviator.

Flying.
Lucky dog!

Technorati Tags: aviation, military aviation, aviation video

The Bad Part Of Being A Naval Aviator.

Getting shot down.

Technorati Tags: aviation, military aviation, aviation video

Fly Over Friday.

The typical weather pattern for San Francisco during the summer. FOG!
If you are coming here, be sure to pack a sweater.

Technorati Tags: san francisco, golden gate bridge, aviation photo, aviation

Fly Over Friday.

Soaring over Oahu.



Mike.....Helms-A-Lee!



You too can learn how to soar or just go for a ride the
next time you are on Oahu. Check out the Honolulu
Soaring Club for more information.

Technorati Tags: soaring, sailplanes, gliders, aviation, fly over friday

Hey Mike, Why Are Gliders Called Sailplanes?

Soaring over the blue Pacific off of Oahu.

Helms-a-lee!

Technorati Tags: aviation, sailplanes

Flying On Friday.

Canyon surfing with a Stol Ch 701.
Pretty cool flying from a home built ultra-light experimental
kit airplane.

Technorati Tags: aviation, flying, flight, stol ch 701, ultra-light aircraft

Duck Dodgers In The 21st Century!

Sir Richard is out to conquer space and he wants you to buy a ticket!

PRESS RELEASE
Virgin Galactic herald's 'The Year of the Spaceship with the unveiling of
the designs of SpaceShipTwo and White Knight Two.

Virgin Galactic today unveiled the design of its new, environmentally benign,
space launch system based on the X Prize winning technology of
SpaceShipOne, which successfully flew into space for the third time in
October 2004 and won the $10m Ansari X Prize. The construction of the
White Knight Two (WK2) mothership, or carrier aircraft, is now very close to
completion at Scaled Composites in Mojave, CA and is expected to begin flight
testing in the summer of 2008. It is the world's largest, all carbon composite
aircraft; it has a unique high altitude lift capacity, capable of launching
SpaceShipTwo and its eight astronauts into sub-orbital space flight.
Read on.

SpaceShipTwo being carried up to a high altitude by WhiteKinightTwo.
Look Tilly, even Sir Richard likes multi-hulls (fuselages)!



SpaceShipTwo in sub-orbit.
"Oh stewardess, can I get a Vodka Tonic?"

Links: Virgin Galactic | SpaceRef.com

Tags: space flight, astronautics, aeronautics, aviation, virgin galactic

Powered by Qumana

In Honor Of The Blue Angels - A View From The Cockpit.

We're sitting here on the roof deck drinking cocktails as the Blue Angels fly by.
Spectacular!

Tags: aviation, flight, flying, video

Powered by Qumana

They're Back!

The Navy is back in town for Fleet Week. Every year people from around the Bay Area flock to the bay to watch the parade of ships and to see the air show which stars the Blue Angels.
Sorry, Thunderbirds are no go.




While many of my fellow sailors bobbed up and down on their boats in the bay, I pulled out the deck chair, drank an adult beverage and watched the shindig from the comfort of my roof deck.




The Blue Angels flew somersaults over my building, which caused some of my lefty tenants to go into convulsions and fall face down on to the ground wreathing in pain.
Do I smell sulphur in the room? Those jets represent the forces of global imperialism lead by the evil dictator Bush, and to top it off they are not carbon free.



Pardon the noise, that's the sound of freedom.
Thanks, I was trying to take a nap.

Powered by Qumana

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is not an abstraction for me. It is a real day to pay homage to those who have died in service to our nation.

Aircraft BUNO: 154596 (QA 6) departed NAS Cubi Point, Philippines at 0709 local time for an eleven (11) hour surveillance flight. Aircraft integrity and negative torque system checks were completed and aircraft continued to climb on course.  At 0714, altitude approximately 6,000 feet. A loud bang was heard accompanied by severe vibration throughout the airframe. The off duty Flight Engineer informed the Flight Station that the NR4 prop had departed the engine. Fire warning sounded on NR4 engine. NR4 engine was secured TAW Natops and the HRD discharged. Visual indications were that the fire was not out and the alternate HRD was selected and discharged. At that time, the NR3 engine was observed at 110 percent rpm, turbine inlet temperature of 1202 degrees centigrade, and the associated power lever was traveling violently fore and aft through the alpha range. Fire warning sounded on NR3 engine and the engine was secured with the E-Handle. The airframe vibration diminished, NR3 engine was observed to be torching and windmilling at low rpm. However, the fire warning went out. The aircraft then rolled to the right approximately 60 degrees right wing down and 10 degrees to 15 degrees nose down. Power was reduced on engines 1 and 2 to regain control of the aircraft. The pilot leveled at 2500 ft, declared an emergency, and was given vectors to NAS Cubi Point, Philippines dumping of fuel was initiated and aircraft was descended to 100ft in preparation for immediate ditching. Approximately 15 to 30 seconds after the landing gear was lowered, the aircraft began to roll to the right, full left aieleron and rudder were applied with no apparent results. Aircraft BUNO 154596 impacted the water 15 degrees right wing down, 3 to 5 degres nose low 1400 yards from runway 07 at 0724 local 27JUN79. 5 aircrewmen were killed...." 

Time may pass but I will never forget you guys. May God watch over you forever.
Remember our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and their sacrafice when you eat that hamburger this weekend.

Tags: Memorial Day, VP-22, U.S. Navy, Naval Aviation

Powered by Qumana