Flightdeck Friday: The Last Great Battle in the Pacific – Okinawa

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…

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Flightdeck Friday: The Accidental (Circum)Navigator

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…

Flightdeck Friday – Fleet Air Arm Edition: The Sea Vixen

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…

Flightdeck Friday: KC-X Announcement Due Today

(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…

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Flightdeck Friday: Implementing the Maritime Strategy-Quantity vs Quality (II) CV OPS

So the discussion earlier this week revolved around quantity vs quality and used as an argument in favor of quality that the Navy in the 1920’s and 30’s chose to press technology (and hence chose quality) over quantity (maintaining a large force structure), developing the tools, tactics and laying the groundwork for success in the…

Flightdeck Friday: Boeing F4B-4

trans·for·ma·tion (trāns’fÉ™r-mā’shÉ™n): the act of changing in form or shape or appearance. 1928.  Boeing is rolling the dice and has invested its own money in developing two prototype aircraft it hopes to demonstrate to the Navy and later the Army as replacements for the F3B, currently serving with the Navy, and PW-9, serving with the…

Flightdeck Friday – Fleet Air Arm Edition: Hawker Sea Fury

9 August 1952 The flight of four Hawker Sea Furies were in a loose formation, scanning the terrain below hunting for targets of opportunity – opportunity in this case being trains carrying elements of the Chinese "peoples volunteer" army south to fight UN forces.  Battles were still fierce this late in 1952 – even as…

Flightdeck Friday – Fleet Air Arm Edition: Hawker Sea Fury (Preview)

Yep – the fabulous Hawker Sea Fury will be the next Flightdeck Friday subject — next week when we are back from TDY.  In the meantime, here’s a look at next week’s subject flying form with a previous Flightdeck Friday star.     More? OK — look below the fold…