(h/t to Southern Air Pirate for the topic suggestion) 29 April 1975. South Vietnam is ceasing to exist as a geopolitical entity – Saigon is falling. Under leaden skies, the assembled ships and aircraft of TF 76, headed by carriers Hancock and Midway begin executing Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of US personnel along with Vietnamese…
Sixty-Six Years Ago… Guts, determination, innovation – courage were defined (and well before Joint was "cool") Conceived in the dark aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the raid had its genesis in the idea of CAPT Frank Lowe, USN who predicted that Army twin-engine bombers could be launched form a carrier under the right…
Every so often one of the good reasons for working in the Nation’s capitol rises above the endless traffic jams, navel-gazing politicians and regurgitation of the police blotter on the 6 o’clock news. Occasionally, you get to step outside your office and see a sight such as this… Oh and Mike — we still say…
 It is clear that the XFV-12A program will not enhance the image of naval aviation. Note that in this case the outcome was not only predictable, but was in fact predicted. As is so often the case, all of the principals in the decision have moved on in both OSD and the Navy. The task…
The conversation this past week has been centered on the Maritime Strategy – appropriate in light of the events of sixty-three years ago and the signatory role seapower and all three maritime services played then. While we have yet another post on the current strategy in the Alert 30 posture (day time jobs do have…
And now for something a little different. Nose – when I saw this the first time (it was passed along by an ex-Corsair/Crusader jock I work with) couldn’t help but think of you Enjoy your Friday all ! Oh yeah — Spitfires y’all — there be Spitfires in thar… —– —–
GPS, LORAN, radar, SATCOM and detailed, up-to-date charts. Today we take so many things for granted when it comes to navigating the far-flung corners of this sphere. ”Twasn’t always this way though and this week’s Flightdeck Friday is a remarkable story of a crew caught up in the opening days of a world…
Twin engines generating over 14,000 lb of total thrust powering the aircraft to a max speed of 710 mph at low altitudes and a service ceiling of 55,000 ft; provisions for a crew of two – one of whom was dedicated to work the powerful air intercept radar that was integrated into a weapons system…
(Breaking) UPDATED – Full Transcript Here. Tanker Contract Award Announcement Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb will announce the KC-X contract award winner at 5 p.m. EST, Feb. 29, in the DoD Briefing Studio, Pentagon 2E579. Assistant Secretary of the…
Next week – something old, something new, something borrowed and definitely blue… In the meantime we offer something with a lighter touch this week, a little old school and a tip of the fedora to the plastic jet set too. —- —- —- —- —-
