TTPDave Homewood,
I just re-read your post and you allude to the “fatcat” businessmen that held sway in the US…Put yourself back in our shoes in 1940…Here they go again, those Europeans starting yet another world war!!! after millions died in the first one!! why would any American feel compelled to send their son over to be killed? Don’t look at past events with the sensibilities of todays world. The US was the 17th ranked Army in the world in 1939!! Portugal had a larger Army!!! we were quite content and peaceful. Most Americans could have cared less about another European war.
Take a look at Europe today!! they are essentially arguing that they don’t need to get involved in the Middle East..its America’s war, why send our sons to die for a problem the US has? Its the same mind-set.
TTPDave, Anna,
Dave, take a moment to rethink your scenario. The reason Pearl Harbor was attcked was because the US was not sitting idly by while the Japanese were trying to expand in the Pacifac. Remember the US had already started to impose embargoes of Oil and other goods to Japan. Forcing the Japanese to attack in the Pacifac to secure their own oil production facilities. Second, Anna listen up..there is a reason why the US is called a superpower…Take a few moments of your time and start to research the amount of military hardware being produced by the US during the war. It is an INCREDIBLE number. Far outnumbering the COMBINED TOTALS OF ALL OUR ENEMIES BY A LARGE MARGIN!.There was not a nation on earth that could launch any long range attacks on the US so this immence military production would have continued unintertupted. We had one B-24 plant at Willow Run Michigan building B-24’s at a rate of one per HOUR/24 hours a day!!! we could have built 100 of those plants, and we had all the resources we needed right in our own nation ie Oil raw materials etc…and while its fun to engage in these scenarios so many people keep forgetting that for 4 years we had the worlds only NUKES as in NUCLEAR weapons..I don’t care how strong the Russians were, or the Japanese fighting ethic, the skies would have been filled with B-29’s dropping Nukes on every nation fighting us..What Russian/Japanese aircraft could have stopped that? Sure the Germans had the Me-262 but we had the F-80 by 1945 and would have built thousands, ditto for the English and their fine jets! I doubt the Japanese had anything even in the prototype stage that could pose a serious threat..Really take a moment to look at the US war production numbers for all weapons, and you’ll soon realize there was no way the Japanese or Germans could have won even if America had lost some more battles.
Take Care,
TTP
TTPI just read the article. It was true that the US forces had some restrictions placed upon them, and they probably had a large impact on the outcome of the exercise. But also I noted the US pilots heaped praise on the Indian AF and was impressed with their tactics and professionalism. Good Job IAF!…I’m sure both sides learned alot, had some fun, and fostered good will between both nations! So who really cares if a “winner” was selected….the real pros understand the utility of these exercises and the lessons learned from them, irregardless of outcomes.
TTP
TTPHistorically, the F-16 has to rank quite high. First fly-by-wire jet, and it represented a “sea change” in the way fighters were designed, ie lightweight and ultra-maneuverable. Also inexpensive, really started the whole lightweight fighter concept in the modern era. Not to mention an enviable combat record…Trying to figure out why the Mig 21 is on so many lists? I understand the Mig-15 but what was so revolutionary or historic about the 21 other than it was built in large numbers? same can be said for the Phantom, although an argument could be made for its multi-role capabilities.
TTPCanopy rail was a dead givaway, along with the twin set of engine instruments. At first I thought F-102/106 but they were single engine.
Good one!
TTP
TTPThe sad thing about this whole incident is that I don’t think Boeing needed to “jump through all these hoops” in order to win the KC-767 contract! The 767 lends itself easily to the role and is the right plane at the right time. I doubt if the USAF would buy any Airbus product especially in light of France and Germany’s stand vis-a-vis Iraq. A potential win-win for both the Air Force and Boeing, in that the AF gets new, more capable tankers and Boeing keeps the 767 line running for years to come! Bottom line its all about GREED! the good news is they got caught so the system isn’t all corrupt or broken!
TTP
TTPSnapper,
My Brother-in-law is Cuban, I grew up in New York City..trust me your smoking crack if you think that the Cubans were better off in the first 30 years!! open your eyes! Just like the North Koreans are better off the first years of Commie regimes!!!Second everything you list about the US, You can easily say the same for England over the last 300 years, and probably quite a bit worse…Bottom line is Saddam, Osama, Castro…they are the bad guys…try as you may,the US, Tony Blair are not the bad guys…look at the track record…stop trying to be witty and oh so superior and ask the people living under such rulers what they really think..My Brother-in law has horror stories about Castro and his ilk…Compare South Korea to The shambles that is North Korea today..Western Europe vs Eastern Europe.during the cold war. Do any Eastern Europeans long for the days of Marx, Lenin, and Che??? I think not!!
Take Care,
and read some books and talk to some real people as opposed to psuedo-intellectuals and you’ll begin to see the forest from the trees.
TTP
PS Never owned a gun, probably never will….but will defend the right to!
TTPGrey Arae,
Sorry not to live up to your high standards of decorum. Fact is, these Muslim groups are the worlds biggest troublemakers. There are something like 39 conflicts occuring in the world today, 35 of them Muslim extremlst based (UN Report). I agree that all terror groups, to include the KKK, IRA, al-queda should be eliminated and persons associating with them should face sanctions. Remember on Sept 10th 2001 the US wasn’t doing anything to anybody…We haven’t invaded Cuba, despite Castro, we didn’t invade Iran, or attack North Korea…for the most part the US can co-exist with these rouge nations, only until Sept 11th have we had to take a pro-active stance.
Just imagine if the US, Britain, France Germany, Russia, China, Japan, Austrailia, Germany, and all other great nations sent a strong and unified message, backed by FORCE to these extremists that WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!! Instead many just bash the US or Tony Blair….funny..Bin Laden may enjoy more popularity than Bush or Blair in some circles. Like the same dopes that walk around with Che Guverra T-shirts cause they think its cool…ask the millions of Cubans living on the brink of starvation and poverty what a great concept He represents.
Take Care,
TTP
TTPDanairboy,
Your right, American’s wern’t very tactful or subtle at Normandy, Anzio, Bastogne, Iwo Jima, etc…Seem to remember that nobody was complaining then! Forgot the cold war as well.
Fact is, Cat Stevens is known as a contributer to some questionable Muslim groups with ties to terorism. Did you ever think that by putting the “hammer” down on such a public figure, We send a message to others that the US means business. I’m sure this episode has engendered some negative press, especially in the Muslim world, and we all know how important it is to try and appease the Muslim world…like the Brave Spanish voters.
TTP
TTPArthur,
The Boom can pump up to 6600lbs/min in my world (C-17) from a 135, KC-10’s are a little slower, if the fighters fuel system can’t handle the pressure of that flow rate, its a simple matter of shutting off any numbers of boost pumps on the Tanker’s system. Before the AR occurs the boomer sets his system up for each particular aircraft he’s refueling, to include pre-set boom limits. So, for example, the boomer will set an 20 degree up limit before an automatic disconnect occurs for a C-17, but an F-16 may only have a 22 degree limit. Again this is a very simple procedure to accomplish. I don’t have any idea what the flow rates are for probe and drogue systems, but I’d venture to bet that a Boom system can refuel any number of fighters faster than a drogue, even with multiple recievers. Its no big deal to manuever a jet behind the tanker after your wingmen recieved their on-loads..probably wouldn’t take more than a minute for an experienced pilot…maybe even less….
Your pretty knowledgable…I’d be pretty curious about offload rates on the probe and drogue?
Take Care,
TTP
TTPWhiskey Delta,
I’m at McGuire in the Reserves..I fly for a big Brown company in civilian life…Jumpseat alot on Continental out of EWR maybe I’ll meet you there one day,
TTP
TTPWhiskey Delta,
The C-17 has two sticks and 2 HUDs…No need for a yoke, and it never had a yoke, always sticks…Its a fly by wire plane..as far as bases go there are several. Charleston was the first back in 1992..since then McChord AFB in Washinton, McGuire will be getting our first jet next week, the Guard has them here in Jackson Mississippi, the RAF flies 4 of them in England…and soon March AFB in California..also the main training base in Altus OK….Its an awesome plane..just Imagine 500,000lbs lands on a 3500 ft runway!!
Take Care,
TTP
Hand, the McGuire jets have a blue tail flash with a small P-38 lightning on it to honor Tommy McGuire a WWII pilot with 38 kills who was from New Jersey.
Have fun in California
TTPHand 87-5
Heres some answers to your questions, First the “C” does stand for Cargo, “KC” may stand for Kerosene/Cargo? I’m currently in C-17 training as we speak! the commercial version of the C-17 was an attempt to keep production lines rolling after the initial USAF order for 120 C-17’s were built. Originally the USAF wanted to buy 220, but Clinton axed that idea. The plan was that private freight companies order C-17’s and the US Govt would award them contracts for hauling freight and troops so as to help them defray the huge purchase costs (over 200 million) Of course nobody bought any, but since then the British have leased 4 and may buy more, and more importantly the USAF has ordered anadditional 60 jets, and hopes to buy a total of 220…So the production lines are running very smoothly and my squadron is slated to recieve our first C-17 direct from the factory at Long Beach, next week!
If I remember correctly, you flew 727’s, So Do I in my civilian life…this thing is no 727!!! It literally flies an approach like a Navy jet landing on an aircraft carrier….You fly Angle of attack..never look at your airspeed, and climb or descend on glidepath using only power!!! a different way to fly,but it allows it to land at over 500,000lbs on a 3500ft runway with room to spare!
Take Care,
TTP
TTPArthur,
Timely and accurate reply! Tha last time I refueled behind a “straight pipe” 135 was the early 90’s. We still have a Guard unit at McGuire AFB with the TF-33’s( KC-135E) as well as the last few 141’s left here. Next month we are officially flying out the last Starlifters to the “boneyard” and the next day were flying in our first C-17! I’m leaving in a week for -17 school…
Take Care,
TTP
TTP
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