Credo
"Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come Sail with me." -- John Paul Jones
"Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature" --George Bernard Shaw, "Caesar and Cleopatra"
"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."--Friedrich Nietzsche
"A kind Providence has placed in our breasts a hatred of the unjust and cruel, in order that we may preserve ourselves from cruelty and injustice. They who bear cruelty, are accomplices in it. The pretended gentleness which excludes that charitable rancour, produces an indifference which is half an approbation. They never will love where they ought to love, who do not hate where they ought to hate."--Edmund Burke
“You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”--General Sir Charles Napier
"Μολὼν λαβέ" -- Leonidas
"Blogito Ergo Sum" -- Neptunus Lex
A fellow AO buddy of mine got to take the stick and do this a few times back when we were in VF45 (may have flown a time or two with you, Lex, for all I know). For various reasons, I was unable to get backseat qualed in my time there. I’m bitter to this day….
Sadly, this is the best we have.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzhIEDnUCQ0
Of course, it’s because our barrel rolls and split-s maneuvers are classified.
Oh yeah, Baby – cloudbusting. Great fun making clouds disappear. Although at least once during the flight we would just HAVE to get just enough inside the cloud top that the Hoover’s rather large vertical tail would be the only thing showing and then …
“Da – dunh! Da – dunh! Da – dunh.!
Only over squadron common. Of course.
Lex – went back to the post and read the comments. You told Michelle you had “let it go” about flying as a mere civilian.
I’m guessing that barnstorming stuff you are doing is somehow – different?
Lex,
A long time ago I saw something that impressed and bewildered me at the same time. I wonder if you have the time to enlighten me.
I was on a beach on the Gulf of Mexico early 1970′s, when I heard a loud noise, looking west I saw a dot on the horizon. When it was close enough to make out what it was, I saw a F4 standing on its tail. It approached closer and closer, but did not appear to climb any higher. When it appeared that it might hit some of the high rises on the beach, it rocketed up out of sight.
Do you think this was someone cloud busting, or are the mechanics of flying such that one could come from across the horizon before actually climbing? Or maybe a little of both?
You told Michelle you had “let it go” about flying as a mere civilian.
Using the wrong airplane, I suspect. Most assuredly in the need for an RV-8.
http://tinyurl.com/5pzytc
Hadn’t read that post before.
Absolutely one of your best, Lex.
Brian
VMaximus,
Did it look something like this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zDtP6w02ep4
This is from the 2008 Thunderbirds acceptance show at Nellis AFB – I just happened to be fortunate enough to be TDY there that week.
The acceptance show it sort of their final exam – it’s a demonstration that they have learned their maneuvers well enough to go out on the airshow circuit. They passed.
SSG Jeff,
Sorry I am unable to answer you right away. youtube is blocked here at work, and I was unable to get to my computer last night. Will try tonight.