You may have noticed a new blogger on the scene 'round these parts.
His name is Juvat, he used to be a Phantom Phlyer and then an Eagle Driver back in the day. He kept telling all these excellent snippets of flying stories in the comments but I wanted more.
So I
Now you might have noticed a change on the sidebar (over yonder on the right) with regards to "The Staff" graphic. It changed from this...
...to this...
As I like playing around with Microsoft Paint, that change was inevitable and fairly easy to implement. Now the blog header will also be changing sometime in the near future. It's not that I'm tired of the one I've got now, but I do like a change now and again.
Besides which, Juvat needs to be acknowledged up there as well.
Now the opening graphic to this post has some meaning, let me 'splain it to you.
Okay, at the top left is a nice painting of an F-4C flown by Robin Olds' rides. The F-4C is one of the aircraft I used to maintain, way back in the day (the other was the F-4D, the differences discernible only by the real cognoscenti).
The next aircraft was Tuna's last ride on active duty, the S-3 Viking, the mighty War Hoover. When Tuna and his fellow crew dogs weren't hunting submarines they were, they were...
Umm...
Ah, probably in the Ready Room studying their NATOPS* manuals!
Last, but certainly not least is Juvat's last ride on active duty, the magnificent F-15 Eagle. Perhaps the best air superiority fighter on the planet in the hands of someone like Juvat. When Juvat was not flying, he was no doubt studying his Dash-1**, or shooting his watch.
Or, or...
Some other steely-eyed fighter pilot type stuff.
Note that all three of the bloggers in this space are retired military. Well, Tuna would argue that Juvat and I were in the Air Force, therefore not so military. We just smile and wave. Probably with our hands in our pockets as well. It's an Air Force thing, you wouldn't understand.
So why does the Master Sergeant take precedence in that graphic. Seems wrong or perhaps out of order doesn't it?
Well, it's my blog, innit?
If something sucks, blame me. Tuna and Juvat are innocent and pure as the driven snow.
Wait a minute, they're aviation types.
No way they're innocent. No way.
What's that?
Why yes, this whole post is a bit of a digression innit?
But I didn't want you all to get nervous at the ch-ch-changes occurring to the blog.
What? You were expecting David Bowie?
Um. No. Not today.
*NATOPS = Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization
*Dash-1 = 1F-15C-1, the Flight Manual for the F-15C. USAF version of the NATOPS.
Thanks Sarge for the kind words.
ReplyDelete:-)
DeleteProbably with our hands in our pockets as well. It's an Air Force thing, you wouldn't understand.
ReplyDeleteAnd unbloused trousers.
Actually we started blousing our trousers in the mid-80s with the advent of the Air Force wearing BDUs.
DeleteStill kept our hands warm the old-fashioned way.
I guess this dates me, but I still have to remind myself that to the average Air Force type, BDU does not mean a blue 30 lb practice bomb. When the AF started wearing them, we had a Personnel type (actually my wife's boss) come to an aircrew meeting and his topic of discussion was "The wear of BDUs". I saw that on the agenda and first thought was "Why do we care about the wear and tear on practice bombs?" We were all a flight suit mob and it wasn't until I went to "ARRRMY Training, Sir!" that I became familiar with BDUs. In fact, part of the Familiarization Course (Army Kindergarten) was how to roll the sleeves and blouse the pants. AHH the things we did, just to play nice.
DeleteOMG, that's right - blue bombs. When I worked flightline BDU meant one thing. Later when I became a bit whacking wienie and was nowhere near the flightline, BDU meant something else altogether.
DeleteOf course, now the Air Force wears ABUs - Airmen Battle Uniform. So I guess that renaming was done so aircrew wouldn't have to worry about wear and tear on blue bombs.
Seem to recall one of our Platoon Sargents gently explaining to a FNG that we didn't wear Air Force mittens. Possible push ups were part of the course of instruction, in the snow, barehanded.
DeleteSounds like an appropriate punishment to me!
Delete(Heh. Air Force mittens. I like that.)
It's an excellent addition, I say. It actually begs the question of how much age and experience you can shoehorn into one blog. Why if he didn't have his own blog, you could add Old NFO too and between the four of you, you could undoubtedly wax first-hand philosophic on every aviation subject and personality clean back to the Brothers Wright! ;-)
ReplyDeleteHhmm, good point.
DeleteI needed the extra guys Murph, I don't have cool dog stories.
D'ya think Old NFO might join us? I mean if something were to happen to his blog. Not that I'm saying that something might happen to Old NFO's blog. It's all theoretical and such at this point. (Is it true he went to school with Orville?)
Class ahead of Orville, or so I heard.
DeleteHeh. I see what you did there.
DeleteGonna be interesting... :-) And something happens to mine, I might have to have a few 'friends' reach out... :-D
ReplyDeleteNo way would anything happen to your place.
DeleteI enjoy visiting too much! ;-)
Wow!
ReplyDeleteThis post loaded way faster than normal. It was swift and clean and it smelled good as it went by.
I think you'd have liked the words I just deleted. On the other hand, mostly I err when I think that. I shall look forward to the posts of Juvat. As an F4 pilot, he bears considerable watching.
Hhmm, now I wish you hadn't deleted them.
DeleteI always keep a weather eye on F-4 pilots. Remember, I used to work with them.
As far as I'm concerned the Master Sergeant should take precedence in the graphic. Everyone knows that the officers are there to make us look good but it's the NCO's that make sure that parts are all in the right place and torqued down properly. As my first trainer used to tell me repeatedly at Phu Cat (he was a Cajun from the Louisiana swamps and called himself 'jus an ole coon-ass from the bogwaters') "The officers are here to look pretty and take all the glory but someone has to push the wind through the trombone!" Besides, it's your blog so you can make up any rules you want! ;-)
ReplyDeleteConcur Russ. If my officers complain, I'll say it was your idea. Hahaha!
Delete