how to

Not that I needed instructions or anything, but I'm always open to learning new things.


H/T to my best friend, Sammy

heh

Via Blackfive

eye candy

No, sorry, not me in a bikini. But I do have some sweet video of the Raptor.

The Raptor is one bad jet, but I'm not gonna lie, I do not really want to fly something so new that I'm always worried about pushing the limits. And when you can shoot down any aircraft before you even show up on their radar screen, what's the fun in that?
H/T Jake Silver.

here's a toast

We lost a great man...

General Olds, rated a triple ace for having shot down a total of 16 enemy aircraft during World War II and the Vietnam War, served his country in assignments to England, Germany, Libya, Thailand and the United States, in positions of squadron, base, group and wing commander, and assignments to Headquarters U.S. Air Force and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"Triple-ace Robin Olds' legendary leadership and heroic service to the cause of freedom have been an inspiration to our nation and our Air Force," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley. "He is one of our 'great captains' and a pioneer of air power.
***
Throughout his career, he was a staunch advocate for better fighters, better pilot training and new tactics, culminating in the war-winning air-to-air tactics and doctrine of surgical precision bombing we use today. Brigadier General Olds' courageous life stands as a timeless example of the power of faith and the strength of the human spirit.

Source

Second rounds on me. H/T Lex

And as we fly among them there we're sure to hear their plea,
"Take care my friend, watch your six, and do one more roll for me."

f-15 and f-16 mid-air

F-15 Fighter Jet Crashes After Mid-Air Collision With Another Military Jet in Alaska

Monday , June 11, 2007


ANCHORAGE, Alaska —
An F-15 fighter jet crashed Monday after colliding in mid-air with another military jet during a training exercise, Air Force officials said. The other jet landed safely, and one was seriously injured.

The pilot of the F-15C ejected safely and was taken a military hospital, said Airman Jennifer Anton, a spokeswoman at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks. The pilot did not have serious injuries, she said.

The pilot of the other jet, an F-16C that landed safely, was uninjured, she said.

It was not immediately clear why the two jets collided at 11:23 a.m. local time during a training exercise about 90 miles east of Fairbanks in Alaska's interior, Anton said. A board of Air Force officers will investigate.

The crash happened at the Pacific Alaska Range Complex, a 60,000-acre training ground.

The $27 million F-15C that crashed was from Langley Air Force Base, Va., and the F-16C was from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

The Alaska Air National Guard took the F-15C pilot to Bassett Army Hospital at Fort Wainwright, also near Fairbanks, said McHugh Pierre, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

The training exercise includes more than 1,400 military members from the U.S., Singapore and Australia. The simulated combat exercise is scheduled to run through June 15, according to Eielson's Web site.

Source Fox News.

I'm fairly certain that this happened during Cope Thunder. Correct me if I'm wrong boys...

A Pacific Air Forces-sponsored exercise initiated in 1976, Cope Thunder was devised as a way to give aircrews their first taste of warfare and quickly grew into PACAF’s "premier simulated combat airpower employment exercise." Prior to Operation Desert Storm, less than one-fifth of the U.S. Air Force’s primary fighter pilots had seen actual combat. While the percentage of combat-experienced pilots has increased in recent years, a high percentage of pilots haven’t been thrust into combat. Analysis indicates most combat losses occurrred during an aircrew’s first eight to 10 missions. Therefore, the goal of Cope Thunder is to provide each aircrew with these first vital missions, increasing their chances of survival in combat environments.
***
Cope Thunder is a realistic, 10-day air combat training exercise held up to four times a year. Each Cope Thunder exercise is a multi-service, multi-platform coordinated, combat operations exercise and corresponds to the designed operational capability of participating units. In other words, exercises often involve several units whose military mission may differ significantly from that of other participating units. Cope Thunder planners take those factors into consideration when designing exercises so participants get the maximum training possible without being placed at an unfair advantage during simulated combat scenarios.

We're glad you're safe brothers.... I might catch some flack for this, but we have a dangerous job, and fighter pilots have to push the limits. Sometimes pushing those limits means putting yourself in danger, even when you're not in that wartime situation, to make yourself a better pilot.

I'll keep everyone posted on developments.

wow

The laugh track couldn't get many laughs in as Dennis Miller goes off on Sen. Harry Reid.

H/T Hot Air

ouch

This is just totally embarrassing. If you notice this cadet participating on Wheel of Fortune has a wreath of leaves on her uniform. That denotes that she was outstanding in military activities. Cadets that do well in academics get a star. She does not have a star.

sweet birdstrike video

This almost looks fake, but the slow motion at the end convinced me.