Sorry for the slack day, we’re all a-tumble setting up that cross-country flight with the Biscuit. Depart tomorrow afternoon for Monterey – can you believe they’re sold out of rental cars? – overnight, then off the next morning for Oakland, and a look at SFSU. Plans for Portland State have been placed on hold for the nonce, on account of the egregiously inflated costs for out of state tuition and so on.
Then, back on Wednesday, good lord willing and the weather holds.
So: Talk amongst yourselves.
You mean you want us to, like, actually post something on the Flight Deck?
I hope you and the Biscuit have a wonderful time!
Using teh Cessna 172? Fair skies and tailwinds both ways.
FbL,
Could you explain what the “Flight Deck” is? I ran across it before but didn;t know if it was part of this site or what?
*confused*
Josh,
TFD is a place where the readers can post. Think of it as a adjunct blog to this one.
Josh, up on the top bar of this page, there’s a link to The Flight Deck.
And Lex? This weekend would be a very good time to keep the perfect “no prang” record.
Ohhh NOooooo!!! What are we going to do without our daily “fix?” Lex is making us go cold turkey! NOOooooooo!!!!!
Best wishes for a smooth cross-country, Lex. I’m grounded this weekend with high winds in the Tucson area, but I’ll be thinking of you making your way up the sunny S.C. coast. Hope your daughter enjoys the trip.
Have a great time ferrying the Biscuit.
Meanwhile, spare a thought for someone who impacted your career, Dr. Earl H. Wood.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/us/27wood.html?_r=1&hpw
Ore Eee Gone charges illegal aliens in-state tuition.
Just a thought.
Safe travels and have a great time with the Biscuit.
All the best wishes for clear skies – for the plane and its occupants. Plenty of father/daughter bonding time to come.
Ohhhh dear. Now would be a good time to review the financials. Had 2 kids 4 years apart and from the time the first started until 2nd started the university doubled. Couldn’t find any other major societal aspect that doubled in 4 years, but heh, I had a stash of all those savings bonds! First job as a stash ensign – savings bond chairman. Whoda thought? Maybe BlameIt has an angle there.
Good luck, smooth air and greaser landings all around. Fly safe.
Have a nice flight, I hope your daughter finds sucess in finding a school.
SCOTTtheBADGER/
If you read this, to carry on from the other day, if you want to see the finest (Award winning) restoration of a Fletcher Class DD, the USS KIDD in B.R., LA. is the finest in the nation. Go to the web site for a view of it and the veteran’s center. I’ve been all thru it and they have EVERY section open and back to WWII standards–from the galley/kitchens, radio room, medical spaces–you name it complete with all the WWII era equipment, type-writers, etc. The twin-40mm mounts are completely operational and trainable in elev & azimuth. A great walk-thru!
A good friend of mine from my undergrad days at LSU, A 6′-10′ red-headed giant of an ex-BB Center, ex-ins agent Maury Drummond runs the Center and is one helluva nice guy. He’s a world-class modeler and the center has a nice collection of models–his and other’s–as well.
If you ever get down that way it’s a must-see for a Navy guy. I might even manage to get up from NO to buy ya a beverage or two. Hit the web site and take a gander.
I have been to the CASSIN YOUNG at Boston Navy Yard, where she is berthed next to CONSTITUTION. The ship herself is in pretty darn good shape, but the Park Service won’t let people go above the main deck, and only the aft berthing compartment is open belowdecks. The only weapons you can get at are a twin 20mm, that is on a twin mount that is welded in point and train, and Mount 55, and the day I was there, the interior lights were non fuctional. You would have thought that the Park Servise could have opened the sight window covers, and the Mount Captain hood.
I have a book on the KIDD, with photos taken at the museum, they seem to have done an amazing job, I would really like to visit her someday. maybe sometime in 2010. I know that SUMNERs and GEARINGs were better armed, and BENHAMs were the fastest, but FLETCHERs have one my heart, along with BUTLER class DEs.
You are lucky, Virgil to be so close to her, the nearest FLETCHER to be is probably THE SULLIVANS, in Buffalo. The only ex USN ship we have on display here in WI is USS COBIA, in Manitowoc, where they used to build GATO and BALAO class subs during WWII. I think it would be wonderful if the Big Badger Boat, USS WISCONSIN, were living in Milwaukee harbor, but alas, she is 887 feet long, and there are locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway that are only 800 feet long, so the 1000 foot Lakers are stuck in the Lakes, and WISCONSIN is locked out. I know we saved ALABAMA in Alabama, MASSACHUSETTS in Massachusetts, and SOUTH CAROLINA in South Carolina, but we have saved the entire IOWA class, so they could not have been ordinary ships.
WISCONSIN once set an All Fleet Fuel Economy Award, when she was able to maintain one barrel to the mile fuel consumption. 50 gallons is a lot, but you are using them to push something 887 feet long, 102 feet wide, and drawing 30 feet, and wieghing 54,000 tons loaded for bear through the water at 15 knots. Her Westinghouse turbines were actually manufactured under license by Allis Chalmers, so her heart literally came from Wisconsin. YAY SHIPS!
Thanks for the info guys, Now what does “no prang” mean?
Josh, It’s a hard landing that, at best, is embarrassing, at worst, leaves pieces on the runway.
It can also be a verb, as in, “to prang an aircraft”…
It also refers to the sound an aircraft makes when it comes into contact with an immovable object, such as the Earth.
respects,
Speaking of embarrassing hard landings, one of my old instructors said when I was in college ROTC (but not of me, thank God) “that wasn’t a landing, that was an ‘arrival.’ ” LOL
Fair winds and following seas, sir.
And good father/daughter bonding time, as well, I hope.
Godspeed.
The weather looks great up here for the rest of the week.
Hope you both have a great trip.
If they’re really out of cars at MRY, you might look at SNS. It’s only about 25 minutes by road to Monterey, passing by Laguna Seca raceway.
Ahh,
I may have pranged <–Past tense?? an airplane before… Never heard it called that before though. Thanks again.
I’ve always understood ‘prang’ to have originated and be used mainly in the UK.
Now that I can’t edit that, I’ll re-post that I’ve never damaged an airplane. (knock on wood), but the prang I was refering to were less than ideal landings when I first started flying. That’s my story, and all…
Now that’s funny. I may never have flown around in fighter planes but at least I can afford to send my children to whatever college/school they want to attend. The difference between a useful career and one aimed solely at your own pleasure
Harry says:
“The difference between a useful career and one aimed solely at your own pleasure.”
Explain please. I do hope that I am seriously misconstruing you, and that your statement doesn’t mean what I think it means..
Yes, Harry, please explain.
Safe and fun travels, Lex!
I’m a little anxious to see Harry’s explanation myself.
Dust/
If I were a betting man–and I am–I wouldn’t put much money on the probability of a re-join by friend Harry.
If you end up in Berkeley, Kip’s on Durant used to make a pretty good burger (it’s been awhile, it was the NROTC rendevouz for years, though).
The Last Chance Saloon in Oakland is pretty interesting, if for no other reason than Jack London hanging out there when he was a kid.
Unfortunately Trader Vic’s moved back across the Bay (I suspect Alameda and Treasure Island getting bracced had something to do with this), there was a time when they had some pretty astounding steaks there, not to mention Fog Cutters.
Have a good trip.
Roger, VX. Most likely a bottom feeder.
One wonders what Harry considers a useful career. And I can’t seem to recall our host saying he couldn’t pay for school. He just says it involves some sacrifice. You know, a tradeoff?
PRANG also = Puerto Rico Air National Guard.
Hmmm,I wonder?