Typhoid

got some back-channel info. coming back on a mission they had an oil leak in one engine and shut it down. But they couldn't feather the engine. That would put them in a difficult control situation with no divert. Hence the controlled bailout. Odd they would only have 4 on the mission. I have not heard of the 4th being found yet. My prayers are with him but this long looks grim.

probably a floating mine. Posssibly an old one that broke loose and drifted with the current. just my speculation.

I seem to have lost the text display that tells what you've selected as well as the text display of the radio calls. Anyone else have that problem? fix?

Welcome back to The World, shipmate.

very nice!

might end up being a "Remember the Maine" (internal explosion). SK is downplaying the likelyhood of an attack. As they dive on the wreck, the nature of the explosion will become more evident.

Happy Birthday!!!!

I've been able to skip previews and go straight to the movie - and scene selections. is this something new? (I haven't bought any new dvd's in awhile but I do rent them on a regular basis) I don't have a blu-ray set up so maybe this is something in the blu-ray marketing.

brings back memories........... (or nightmares!)

Good deal! If I recall, there is nothing that a C-5 can carry that a C-17 can't. So just a matter of scheduling enough C-17 sorties, that can actually fly, than a C-5, that can't.......

that's true - but its done very nicely. I like the technique of them going back and forth to each platform as that one puts out a call.

did you add the terrain?

RODLMAO I'm surprised anyone fell for it.

horse droppings, my friends. Northrup (what country is that company from again?) and EADS had a mix of European and American work, as did Boeing. on the last go around of this, an analysis I saw on the two proposals showed that the content of European and American work was about equal. The Airbus proposal had some good stuff in it, and some not so good stuff in it. The Boeing proposal had some good stuff in it, and some not so good stuff in it. Airbus won last time. The protest was keyed on irregularities in the RFP and source selection process. Those complaints were validated (as in found to be true). The new RFP got critical comments from BOTH teams complaining that the new RFP favored the other. You can hardly make the case that this demonstrates the fall of capitalism - that is quite a stretch. When I read the last proposals, I thought Airbus had won fair and square, until I saw what was in the protest. The source selection process changed the criteria after the bids were in. That was a foul, plain and simple. This time, the RFP was clearer on the operational criteria. I am surprised that Northrup-EADS chose not to play. But their declining to play is hardly proof of the fall of capitalism nor evidence of corruption of the source selection team or political influence. Such allegations are - distasteful.

That is pretty cool.

pretty impressive technology. How'd you like to fly against that?

who, or what, is Cesar Milan's The Dog Whisperer? I have noted, from time to time, that some (small percentage) of the people who post on blogs or forums or such, hiding behind screen names and cutesy icons will go off the deep end of deranged lunacy on the drop of hat. on the local paper, I often post on a couple of issues. There are people who have sworn to incarcerate me in a concentration camp and hook me up to an electro-shock therapy machine until I "think right". I find that the moderated forums are great places to hang out (like here) and the other ones will just get your blood pumping....... I did get myself into trouble in a somewhat similar fashion - not on a blog but in person a couple of times. 1. among a bunch of women in the office who were talking about cats, I said I liked them too. Since I was not known as a cat person a few of them expressed surprise. When I commented that they were much more challenging than paper targets, things got "tense"...... 2. a lady at the company put out an email asking if anyone would like to give a couple of rabbits a good home. I "replied all" and asked if anyone had any good rabbit recipes. In about 2 hours, 212 recipes had been emailed in and the lady said that I was a "bad person".....

just political posturing in advance of oil lease negotiations.

nope. On that network, I was receive only. That was one of three comm channels coming in to me at the time. My only "transmit" was to the VADM commanding 6th Fleet who was standing next to me. The "Alpha Bravo" that you hear was from my equivelant for the RADM commanding the carrier group who was the Officer in Tactical Command.

I vaguely recall hearing those comms................

Very nice shots!!

Since the Santa Nativity Aviation was blocked - its time to wake up Ceasar on the mid-watch! ---------------------------------------------- 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the skies, Missile defenses were up, with electronic eyes. MDA staffers were nestled in ready-room beds, As successful IFTs danced in their heads. Every GBI in its hole, each PAC-3 in its tube, Was doubly-redundant, linked to the Blue Cube, And UEWR and COBRA DANE gave coverage so dense That nothing that flew could slip through our defense! When out of the klaxon arose such a clatter I dashed to the screen to see what was the matter; I increased the gain and then, quick as a flash, Fine-adjusted the filters to damp out the hash. And there found the source of the warning we'd heeded: An incoming blip, by eight escorts preceded. "Alert status red!" went the word down the wire, As we gave every system the codes that meant "FIRE!" On Aegis! Up Patriot, use GMD, and the full 04 Block, And scramble our fighters--let's send the whole flock! Launch decoys and missiles, use chaff by the yard! Get the ABL up! Call out the National Guard! They turned toward the target, moved toward it, converged. Till the tracks on the radar all finally merged, And the sky was lit up with a demonic light, As the foe met his fate in that high arctic night. So we sent out some recon to look for debris, Yet all that they found, using SATCOM and C2BMC, Were some toys, a red hat, a charred left leather boot, Broken sleigh bells, white hair, and a deer's parachute! Now it isn't quite Christmas, with Saint Nick shot down. There are unhappy kids in each village and town. For the Spirit of Christmas can't hope to evade All the web of defenses we've carefully made. But a crash program's on: Working hard, night and day, All the elves are constructing a radar-proof sleigh. So let's wait for next Christmas, in cheer and in health, For the future has hope: Santa's coming by stealth!!! NOTE: Many years ago, in some radar Ops room far away, an "Air Defense" version of "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" was penned by an air defender whose name has been lost to history. This is the somewhat modified poem to a Missile Defense version (with apologies to Clement Moore).