tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67491684006211540382012-01-08T11:53:40.418-08:00and Military and Aviation Related Topics.Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.comBlogger1441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-35258748505521846832011-12-28T14:56:00.000-08:002011-12-28T14:56:38.525-08:00

It happens everyday around the United States.  The men in charge of protecting this nation practice their profession.  Pilots need to keep proficient and be ready for the day they are needed.  Today, I just happened to have my camera and be in the right place at the right time. A Navy P-3C Orion, flying from Whidbey Island NAS, made some touch and goes this morning.  My daughter and I were

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-69601087801440055192011-12-07T00:44:00.000-08:002011-12-06T20:45:21.774-08:00

It has been 70 years ago, today, since the Japanese Empire sent naval units and aircraft to attack units of the United States Navy.  Though the Japanese planners had hoped to catch the US carriers in port, they instead succeeded in changing the way the US Navy fought its wars.  By placing the US Pacific Battle Line on the bottom, the Japanese opened up a chance for US planners to use an, up to

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-6383461125830585602011-11-02T06:33:00.000-07:002011-11-02T06:33:28.040-07:00

This is a short post about William Rankin, a WWII and Korean War pilot.  He made an unscheduled departure from his F-8 Crusader and spent the next forty or so minutes floating around in a thundercloud.  You might be interested in reading it, and if so, you are in luck!  Here is the link.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-48914174320865263802011-10-27T21:12:00.000-07:002011-10-27T21:12:51.976-07:00

This is from an email the Flying Heritage Museum sent me (not because I'm special, but because I signed up for their emails) and I am sharing it with you because I am fairly certain I am one of the few nerds that does that and also that you probably don't.The rare Ilyushin Il-2M “Shturmovik” attack plane recently completed in Russia is headed to the Flying Heritage Collection (FHC) in Everett,

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-80427399231893683172011-09-17T20:38:00.000-07:002011-09-17T20:38:01.479-07:00

Sad events occurred over the weekend.  A heavily modified P-51 was lost and a T-28 was also lost.  Both in air shows. The P-51 was a heavily modified racer with clipped wings and modified canopy.  He was in Reno and seems to have managed to avoid a greater number of people than the now confirmed nine people. The T-28 was lost in West Virginia.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-75518893689784928792011-09-03T07:42:00.000-07:002011-09-04T20:38:29.208-07:00

photo from here On December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States was attacked by forces of the Empire of Japan.  This action resulted in the sinking or disabling of much of the United States Navy's major fleet units.  This action also caused the United States to be catapulted into World War II.  This is a significant event. I always have found it more interesting to

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-19789204784208960492011-06-13T20:59:00.000-07:002011-06-13T21:01:58.954-07:00

Today, June 13, 2011, one of the few flight-worthy B-17s left in the world made an emergency landing in a field.  The engine was on fire and the fire spread leading to the total destruction of the air frame.  You can read more about the loss of the Liberty Belle here. This image was taken from the Beacon News site, please see their article in the link above for more information and photos.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-46317130145744627192011-06-05T17:08:00.000-07:002011-06-05T20:06:53.814-07:00

In 1959, the new submarine Triton was commissioned into the Navy.  This ship would become world famous quickly.  She was of a unique design and pushed the boundaries of submarine performance. Designed as a radar picket, she was intended to range ahead of the fleet watching for air attacks.  For this she needed high surface-speed and was given a knife-like bow.  She also had two reactors...the

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-82844390678467769432011-05-18T06:47:00.000-07:002011-05-18T06:52:09.831-07:00

Generally, I am the one visiting the aircraft, but just every once in awhile the aircraft visit me.  This is Boeing's newest iteration of the venerable 747.  This particular one is the freighter version that has been testing at Moses Lake.  Boeing has a significant presence at Grant County International Airport.  If you are interested in seeing more going's on at Boeing you can visit Matt Cawby's

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-63595059441328771482011-05-01T20:09:00.000-07:002011-05-01T20:09:54.496-07:00

This may not be closely related to Washington State, but it is related to hundreds and thousands of men and women in the service and even civilians.  Osama Bin Laden is dead.  I want to lift a glass to all the American and Allied men and women who have died in the past ten years attempting to track down Osama Bin Laden.  In addition I want to lift a glass to those who have perished in terrorist

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-1602508681418800042011-04-22T06:42:00.000-07:002011-04-22T06:42:21.904-07:00

The Flying Heritage Collection is growing!! http://kpae.blogspot.com/2011/04/flying-heritage-collections-fw-190.html

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-44101803320932792352011-04-19T07:58:00.000-07:002011-04-19T08:01:10.636-07:00

Courtesy of Charissa Perry  Busy weekend.  This shot of a V-22 was taken near Prosser, Washington yesterday, April 18.  No idea why  parts are apparently glowing apart from the light of the setting sun.  Apparently, last week, the V-22s came into Yakima International Airport and did some practice landings and a short demonstration for local residents.  I, unfortunately, was not in attendance.  

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-9282725952197886702011-04-13T21:17:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:19:45.434-07:00

My sister saw the Osprey today.  She got photos.  Later in the afternoon they (two) flew by our house.  I managed to get outside without killing myself, but they were past the point of prime picture taking. and this is what I got.  One thing I noticed was a unique rhythmic drone.  Everyone I spoke to also complained of just how loud they were and how the windows shook when the Osprey went over.  

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-80137731716969817962011-04-13T07:12:00.000-07:002011-04-13T07:12:00.946-07:00

According to a relatively reliable source (and by that, I mean a relative: My sister) there are V-22 Ospreys flying in South Central Washington (Prosser area)!  If anyone has any corroborating information, along with where they are operating from, and where they are going, I would appreciate ANY news!  I will attempt to post photos as soon as I get some!  An Osprey is the ambitious mating of a

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-21878608845649844882011-04-12T19:11:00.000-07:002011-04-12T19:11:13.989-07:00

Unfortunately, the Shuttle will NOT be coming to Washington State.  The decision was made and the four shuttles will go, one each, to the Udvar-Hay part of the Smithsonian, The Intrepid Air and Space Museum in New York, Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and, the most disappointing to me, the California Science Center in Los Angeles.  Actually, two of those are disappointing. The Intrepid is an

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-14079158168767138592011-04-12T06:37:00.000-07:002011-04-12T06:37:31.963-07:00

Nasa decides where to display the Space Shuttles, as they retire, TODAY!  So, this afternoon we will know if Seattle's Boeing Museum of Flight gets one! We can only hope!  See here: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_M11-076_KSC30th.html

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-16769852998707049342011-03-22T06:50:00.000-07:002011-03-22T06:50:31.712-07:00

The US Army's newest light utility helicopter has made it to the Yakima Training Center.  It's been there the last couple months, but being the new father of a toddler, it takes me longer to catch up on changes.  It is here to replace the base's aging UH-1s.  The UH-72A Lakota is produced here in the US by Eurocopter (EADS North America). I saw this one fly over last week and wrongly assumed it

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-44657340519457692442011-03-15T19:05:00.000-07:002011-03-15T19:06:07.062-07:00

The EA-18G Growler is the replacement for the EA-6 Prowler.  Both birds are electronic warfare aircraft.  The Prowlers had been used for several decades and frequently flew over our house, near Yakima.  The Prowlers have been retired and the replacement, the EA-18G Growlers, have taken over.  Today was the first time I had seen one of these making a touch and go, or, at least simulated touch and

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-17021724357505110192011-03-12T18:47:00.000-08:002011-03-12T19:51:53.628-08:00

In the spring of 1954, the US was standing in the shadow of an uneasy truce with North Korea.  Stalin had recently passed away to be replaced by the first in a number of communist leaders, none of whom were particularly fond of the United States or capitalist pigs!  The Cold War was going on in earnest.  On the bright side, the US had just had the opportunity to test new war fighting gear in

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-87042372884035401582011-02-23T07:59:00.000-08:002011-02-23T07:59:40.939-08:00

Yes, you heard right.  I was doing a little research yesterday and discovered that sometime in December McChord Air Museum became open to the public.  All you need is your driver's license, and proof of insurance and your vehicle registration to get a visitor's pass.  It's free!  This is the first time since shortly after 9/11 that McChord Air Museum has been open to the public (that I know of).

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-70987458659092425082011-02-15T21:49:00.000-08:002011-02-15T21:49:55.293-08:00

The HMS Caroline is the last remaining ship from the Battle of Jutland still afloat.  The Royal Navy intends to decommission and scrap her. I, too, am troubled by this turn of events.  Writing a congressman will not work, but perhaps, if you are so inclined, you could find a way to drop the Royal Navy or the Ministry of Defense a note telling them that the Yanks would love for them to keep this

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-87733790040187636502011-02-08T19:06:00.000-08:002011-02-08T19:06:15.660-08:00

Washington State has several interesting and worth-while visiting museums.  They all seem to be on the West side of the Cascades.  Museum of Flight, Olympic Flight Museum, Flying Heritage Museum, and the new Historic Flight Foundation.  It's this last one that has a new addition to its collection. Drum roll please.... A MiG-29!  Mr. Cawby runs the KPAE Paint Field blog and monitors the goings

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-89736922482119787982011-02-07T20:59:00.000-08:002011-02-07T21:02:47.074-08:00

Navy Bids Farewell To Trailblazing USS Los Angeles The nuclear attack submarine, USS Los Angeles (SSN-688), lead ship of the largest nuclear submarine class ever, was decommissioned on February 4th in Bremerton, Washington.  Follow the link for the full story.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-41971021674927071142011-01-04T12:55:00.000-08:002011-01-04T12:55:55.968-08:00

When I was a kid I dug through my Dad's 45 rpm collection.  He had a decent collection, but two that stood out to me were the "Balad of the Green Beret" and "Johnny Willow."  The former I have seen various places, the latter, until today, I have only found in its original format, by Fred Darian.  The Johnny Willow I sing is different from this 1943 version that Darian sings.  The one I know is by

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-28173737490561224242010-12-28T17:06:00.000-08:002010-12-28T17:06:16.497-08:00

In the days after World War Two, the Armed Forces of the United States strove to figure out how to use their new steeds.  What to do with jets?  Sure, they were fast, but they did not have long legs.  The P-51 could run for several hours on a load of fuel.  The early jets drank fuel at an astonishing rate!  Flights in the early fighter jets didn’t often last more than an hour or so, especially in

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-36922321092124249482010-11-23T21:56:00.000-08:002010-11-23T21:56:31.225-08:00

Here is the back story to the Geiger Tiger's video I posted several weeks ago.  It is interesting to see the video and then read the back story.  If you did not watch the videos, see them here.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-4252319032039004972010-11-14T20:25:00.000-08:002010-11-14T20:25:02.308-08:00

I am requesting, if you live in Washington, that you comment on this post with any and all aviation related items that are not any longer associated with aviation.  For instance, I posted, about a month ago, about the J-57 engine can that was being used as a water tank.  There are other instances, however, of such things as drop-tanks being used as signs.  In Oregon, there is a B-17 that is

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-15159299176300941642010-10-31T08:29:00.000-07:002010-10-31T08:29:39.418-07:00

The 498th Fighter Interceptor Squadron operated out of Spokane's Geiger Field.  These are two parts to a tongue-in-cheek documentary of their participation in a gunnery competition (William Tell maybe?)of some kind at Yuma, Arizona.  It does not show much in the way of Geiger Field, but it is worthwhile in it's 1950's humor and view into the lighter side of Air Defense Command personnel. Also,

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-16237335755808860152010-10-17T15:01:00.001-07:002010-11-23T21:57:43.493-08:00

On the morning of November 10, 1943, Second Lieutenant Richard G. Simpson, of the 331st fighter squadron at Ellensburg Army Air Field, readied himself for a local flight to practice high altitude acrobatics.  While he was filing his paperwork and getting ready for his flight, Second Lieutenant M. F. McFarland brought his P-38H in for landing.  McFarland handed the aircraft over to Staff Sergeant

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-31462041396380449632010-09-19T09:22:00.001-07:002010-09-19T10:08:35.243-07:00

You never know where you’re going to find aviation history.  Sometimes it is sitting out for all the world to see, but no one sees it because it is just so obvious.  Take this for instance.  This is out in the hills south of Satus, Washington.  I happened to be out for a drive and had decided to turn around and go back.  I glanced at this twice.  At one point my glance wandered across the “J57”

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-91618896214975420522010-09-07T19:38:00.001-07:002010-12-19T08:29:38.645-08:00

Do you remember reading about the Spanish-American War?  Remember the Maine?  Well, the USS Maine is gone.  Sunk.  But, Admiral Dewey’s ship remains.  FOR NOW.  The USS Olympia is in dire straits.  Launched in 1892, she is the oldest floating steel warship.  She is the ONLY surviving ship that fought in the Spanish-American War!!  This old warship is in need of repairs and a dry-docking,

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-33316262074065006392010-08-29T11:06:00.001-07:002010-08-29T11:06:07.132-07:00

As we found in March of this year, wrecks are still being discovered from World War II.  In March, a Curtiss Helldiver wreck was rediscovered near Tillamook, Oregon. It was in pieces. Well, another Helldiver has been discovered, this one in considerably better condition.  This one was discovered in March 2009 in the Otay Reservoir in California.  It was a Helldiver that suffered an engine failure

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-80301691296701768952010-08-25T20:57:00.001-07:002010-08-25T20:57:21.409-07:00

Living, as I do, close to the Yakima Training Center(YTC), I sometimes hear things.  Less often, I see things.  In the past, I have seen F-15s and A-10s on rare occasions.  I never had the ability to record those sightings.  Now, I have a much better camera. A few days ago I heard the rising and falling thunder that indicated an aircraft or two above the YTC.  I stepped out a few times, but

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-57158648725104499082010-07-31T22:59:00.001-07:002010-07-31T22:59:51.855-07:00

The Northwest has become quite the meca for winged flight.  That is to say, flight museums.  I mean, sure, we have Boeing, and even a few other manufacturers, but museums is where you get the aircraft of the ages!  I live in Central Washington and even Yakima, Washington has its own air museum.  The McAllister Museum of Aviation has been celebrating the life and times of Charlie McAllister for

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-5112671240164670872010-07-28T21:07:00.001-07:002010-10-25T08:53:22.813-07:00

This just happened within the past hour or so.  A C-17, apparently practicing for an Air Show this weekend, has crashed near Elmondorf, Alaska.  There is no word as to where the Globemaster III was based or who its crew was.  Reportedly, there were four air crew.  This story is still developing and I will add to it as I find out more.  See here. Given the location, McChord seems to be the most

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-59061077769235220532010-07-16T21:19:00.000-07:002010-07-16T21:22:24.091-07:00

Seventy-five years ago today, Man entered the Atomic Age.  Man did this with the plutonium created in the reactors at the Hanford Engineering Works in Washington State. In the early morning of July 16, 1945 (About half after 5AM), the experimental implosion device was tested near Alamogordo, New Mexico.  It created a HUGE explosion.  You can read more about it here and here.   This is when

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-40433784151227851812010-07-14T05:54:00.000-07:002010-07-14T05:54:01.529-07:00

I discovered this on Information Dissemination.  This is a movie of all the atomic/thermonuclear tests that went on during the Cold War and into the 1990s.  It is a fascinating way to understand just how many tests/explosions were detonated.  Please have a look, it is worth the time. Here are a few things that are of interest to me: 1. The obvious alliance between Britain and the US...check

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-55556829739170045042010-06-12T22:39:00.000-07:002010-06-12T22:39:33.127-07:00

In 1948 the military was discussing how to test some rockets.  They wanted to use the Zillah Bombing Range for it.   They did not end up using the Zillah Range, but I now have located a small map that shows its approximate location.  I have just purchased a book that is only tenuously related.  But I think you will be interested. I recently stopped by Costco with the intent of getting groceries,

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-72007862815901453962010-06-09T22:18:00.000-07:002010-06-09T22:20:09.329-07:00

I stumbled across this site that I thought you might find interesting.  Some of my friends from college are enjoying it right now, too!  Here is the address:  http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?level0=100

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-44162414423137032732010-06-08T23:19:00.000-07:002010-06-09T06:49:03.660-07:00

I grew up in the Yakima Valley, in Central Washington State.  As a kid I recall sonic booms being a common phenomenon.  It was not out of the ordinary, as I grew up, to hear them.  I never paid much attention to them until our new next door neighbor moved in, in 1984.  He had just retired from the Air Force, where he worked on the SR-71 Blackbird.  He explained that the SR-71 had a characteristic

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-90910965847786284802010-06-04T08:07:00.000-07:002010-06-04T08:07:55.103-07:00

Yes, it is the anniversary of the Battle of Midway.  This media animation/narrative on the US Navy site is an interesting way to review the events.  You might not want to take it at face value, however, for it failed to mention the role of radio intercepts and code-breaking.  Also, the IJN carrier Kaga is labeled KAGO on the map.  Other than that, it is still a fun ten minute or so narrative.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-41967611249316771402010-05-29T08:10:00.000-07:002010-05-29T08:10:57.374-07:00

The X-51A, an unmanned test aircraft using scramjet technology hit Mach 6 (six times the speed of sound) and stayed there for 200 seconds on May 26, 2010!  That is a far cry from what the X-15 managed forty years ago!  The X-51 stayed above Mach 6 for an astonishing 200 seconds...Which means it traveled over 220 miles in that time! The experiment was carried out from a B-52 bomber rigged for

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-63981245131071963002010-04-25T10:24:00.000-07:002010-04-25T10:26:25.302-07:00

A fellow wreck chasing enthusiast and I visited the site of #44-23914 just over a year ago.  I was amazed at how  much, and yet, how little, remained.  The forces that are at play in an aircraft crash are phenomenal!  The majority of the pieces we saw bespoke a horrible and violent end.  There were pieces of aluminum that had been fold like an accordion.  Others were simply misshapen to the

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-85791842881978117702010-04-22T07:45:00.000-07:002010-04-24T08:31:32.736-07:00

 Hanford, as a few of you may know was a little town of people that the US Government told to move so they could create the Hanford Engineering Works.  The US Government even moved the dead.  The graves were dug up and they were moved to the Prosser Cemetery.  This was part of the Manhattan Project of WWII, to produce Plutonium for the atomic bomb. My wife and I went on a tour of Hanford

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-27575562965447199382010-04-19T08:16:00.000-07:002010-05-10T21:11:08.758-07:00

After some effort and several phone calls and a few e-mails, I may be getting a chance to visit the crash site of #57-912!  I will post more details as I get them. UPDATE (5-10-10):  I hope to visit the Firing Center this weekend and see not only the crash site of F-104C #57-912, but also RA-24B #42-54295.  Unfortunately, it seems 912 is in the main impact zone...I will only be able to view it

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-14254241849511777152010-04-11T23:21:00.000-07:002010-04-11T23:21:47.124-07:00

During the Cold War, Nuclear weapons proliferated.  Now, our government is still striving to reduce the number of Nuclear Weapons.  That is not within the aspect of this site.  However, given our CLOSE ties to Hanford, Washington, the following Youtube video IS. Note that the Mark 3 weapon was the "Fatman" bomb, used in Japan. This neat little Youtube video gives an instructional look at our

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-55328419439123410242010-03-26T05:48:00.000-07:002010-03-28T11:39:49.888-07:00

Thanks to Pat Guthrie for spotting this one! A World War II Navy aircraft was discovered by loggers on private land near Tillamook, Oregon on March 18, 2010.  The aircraft was a Curtis SB2C Helldiver.  Officials are still looking into it.  The pentagon has been notified.  There is little information on it at this point.  I intend to look through what I can find to see where this Helldiver came

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-80132573176464521872010-03-17T07:25:00.000-07:002010-03-17T07:25:53.511-07:00

The F-22 may be on its way out after the production run of 187 aircraft ends in 2012, but the Air Force is considering keeping to tooling for a potential second run in a few years.  Seems like a terrible loss to aviation.  The article is here.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-31142439498146948002010-03-05T05:54:00.000-08:002010-03-07T20:37:35.727-08:00

In the opening days of the Korean War, the United States sent the venerable B-29 to bomb targets in North Korea during the day.  The B-29 was not the biggest stick in our tool box, but the powers that were decided it was big enough.  It was armed with up to ten .50 caliber machine guns as defense against fighters.  It should have been enough against a small country like Korea, which had been

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-34875811981340044892010-02-06T18:43:00.000-08:002010-02-06T23:05:37.616-08:00

This is 67-0013, she resides at Pima Air and Space Museum.  She retired with 38,225 flight hours.  Photo taken Spring of 2008. During my childhood, in the 1980s, to see a Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, all you had to do was wait until about 5:15PM, then look up.  Our house was directly under their training path.  A-6 Intruders also used the same path at times, too.  The C-141s originated from McChord

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-23556575531920904412010-01-28T06:13:00.000-08:002010-01-28T06:50:36.842-08:00

Twenty-four years ago, I sat in my sixth grade classroom. We were not in class very long before Mr. McKay wheeled in a TV and we began watching the truly memorable event on the news (This was long before our school had CNN). What we saw were the early moments of a NASA shuttle launch, something we had all grown used to. In fact my first grade teacher had made sure that we watched the first

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-1371044773029286832010-01-08T05:55:00.000-08:002010-01-08T05:56:21.524-08:00

Posts will resume in a week or two.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-85032292293416106512009-12-26T21:15:00.000-08:002009-12-26T21:59:01.850-08:00

An "Alien Missile" has found it's way to earth and the Soviets have diverted it across the North Pole. It has behind it a 1,000,000 degree heat blast. How do we stop it before it incinerates the world? This movie, while less than wonderful in plot, is a wonderful view into the world view of America circa 1957/8. It also shows what a Project Pluto type missile might do, albeit, with heat

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-34618041846785200992009-12-22T19:57:00.000-08:002009-12-23T07:33:51.802-08:00

It has been awhile since I last posted, but suffice it to say that the holidays have seen me more busy than usual. To break the silence, I would like to point you to the General Dynamics site. Yes, the same company that built the F-16 Fighting Falcon. They also deal in ships (Same way as Lockheed/Martin and Northrop/Grumman). I am sorry to say this has little to do with Washington State, but

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-26969305306008752352009-12-11T21:32:00.000-08:002009-12-13T18:58:01.642-08:00

(Photo of #59-022, from Marty Isham Collection via http://www.f-106deltadart.com [I shamelessly heisted it, but you should definitely stop by this site, since they are the penultimate experts on all things F-106!])The F-106 was a wonderful craft. It could dog-fight. It could go supersonic and reach incredible altitudes. It was equipped with the amazing MA-1 fire control system, which, hooked

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-86379073333446400932009-12-07T21:32:00.000-08:002009-12-07T21:34:40.710-08:00

2400 men.We should never forget.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-86419986109904036842009-11-29T18:28:00.000-08:002009-11-29T18:31:31.273-08:00

Some people have bad luck; we called them unlucky. Some vehicles have bad luck; we call them lemons, especially when dealing with cars. What do you call an aircraft with bad luck, though? P-38H #42-66767 might fall into the category of an unlucky airplane. What about a group of machines built at about the same time? #42-66767’s siblings might also fall into this category, but more on them

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-24217974692485996382009-11-15T05:10:00.000-08:002009-11-15T05:10:00.357-08:00

Developed during the closing days of WWI, the fifty caliber did not enter service until 1921. The Browning Mk. 2 heavy machine gun uses this round. Originally in water-cooled variants, the Mk. 2 was also used in air-cooled versions later. In fact the Mk. 2 is still in service today. By WWII, it was used by land, sea, and air units. The specimen seen here was found on the Zillah Gunnery

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-47669122842953485022009-11-13T19:35:00.000-08:002009-11-14T07:59:24.873-08:00

On September 14, 1944, 2nd Lt. Glenn Ingersoll took off from Moses Lake Army Air Field as the number three ship in a four ship Oxygen Training mission above 20,000 feet. A short time later, his body was resting with the smoldering pieces of the P-38 he rode to his death about five miles West of Warden, Washington. That morning, P-38L #44-24350 would have been fueled and readied for its coming

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-19174984220085888812009-11-05T18:30:00.000-08:002009-11-22T09:32:40.018-08:00

In the aftermath of WWII, Americans wanted their troops home. NOW. Once hot to fight and win a war on two fronts, public fervor cooled significantly once the cries for peace arose in the West and the East. Gone was the cool, level-headed father-figure of Roosevelt, here was the country-bumpkin dropped-into-the-frying-pan Harry S. Truman. He faced unheard of trials in the days after being

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-56482575819393680622009-10-04T16:39:00.000-07:002009-11-21T10:10:11.598-08:00

During the Cold War, as I've written, there were, in a few places in Washington, Air Bases with interceptor squadrons assigned. A standard thing to do in the military is to train until an action becomes automatic. These interceptor squadrons were here for a few reasons. One was the presence of several War-Making industries (i.e., Hanford, Boeing, a few large naval bases, and any number of raw

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-11390651779356161242009-09-19T22:04:00.001-07:002009-09-20T09:42:33.201-07:00

The State of Washington has a long history tied to aircraft. In WWI, Washington spruce wood was used in many an airplane. In WWII, Washington had the cheap power needed to process and smelt aluminum. The Boeing company began its life here. During WWII numerous local airfields were home to Army Air Corps training bases. Washington is/was also home to Microsoft...Paul Allen, one of the duo who

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-46171226438302469202009-09-13T19:55:00.000-07:002009-09-13T20:19:09.433-07:00

Last Flight of the C-133 Cargomaster from INVERSION on Vimeo.So, I was not privy to the last flight of a C-133 at the time. I have since spent too much time in mourning of that lost chance to see a C-133 in flight. It flew from Alaska to McChord AFB to Travis AFB. I would have seen her at McChord...but I did not. She is now set to become a display in remembrance of the many, many crewmen that

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-34047721227511255702009-09-01T21:45:00.000-07:002009-09-01T21:49:17.151-07:00

September 2, 1945. War ends. Deck of the USS Missouri. I have been there and seen the spot. I can only imagine the way it was 64 years ago...here is a picture, shamelessly stolen:

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-18514900762838780702009-08-22T20:51:00.000-07:002009-08-22T20:53:21.109-07:00

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-16336732998511360942009-08-22T19:12:00.000-07:002009-08-22T20:51:10.288-07:00

We had some thunderstorms the other day. There were a few lightning strikes. Eastern Washington being a desert, these resulted in fires. I took a drive and took some pictures while investigating the smoke. Apparently fires started in 5 locales, all about 25-30 miles east of us. By Friday afternoon the firefighters had put out two.One said they had had two choppers dumping water, but a third

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-27474236305179337822009-08-14T20:48:00.000-07:002009-08-14T21:01:10.150-07:00

A couple months ago, I acquired this newspaper. most fascinating, isn't it?Sixty-four years ago, this is what was in our local newspaper. Note the sinking of the Indinapolis was no small story. Still, in the lower part of the page is a story that is of interest to me and you and anyone else tht reads this site. See, to the lower left? Where it says "Navy Flier Dies In Valley Crash?"Now, I am

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-89339073680422247622009-08-06T12:34:00.000-07:002009-08-06T12:37:01.749-07:00

64 years. Enough said.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-72375593873425527492009-08-05T19:35:00.000-07:002009-08-05T20:10:26.726-07:00

This afternoon, after work, I cleaned myself up and tok the cameras and went to see a B-17 that is at the airport right now. This B-17G has been touring the West for at least two decades. I remember being a kid in the 1980s and standing underneath this behemoth of the air. Four R-1820s proppel her through the air, one of which dripped some oil on me (not the first time, I had a B-24J ruin one

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-17707298701735133142009-08-03T17:42:00.000-07:002010-02-06T15:37:52.510-08:00

Navy Captain Michael Scott Speicher is home. Shot down during combat, Captain Speicher's remains have been identified. He was among the first wave of the Desert Storm Air War, shot down on January 17, 1991. You can find the article here: http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=47359 It is good that we never give up the search. So many never came home. Which brings me to the P-39

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-80390623843318856542009-08-01T08:45:00.000-07:002010-08-01T08:16:24.302-07:00

**UPDATE** August 1, 2010:  I have a correction to make.  I was recently informed that this is an M-103 Heavy Tank.  The M-103 carried a 120mm gun.  The turret is correspondingly larger to deal with the extra size of the gun.  The M-60 carried a 90mm main gun.  You can get some more info here, here, and here.  Many thanks to Mr. Rains for calling this error to my attention!  **UPDATE**

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-20274849431038592362009-07-26T07:35:00.001-07:002009-07-26T07:57:04.856-07:00

The B-25 Pacific Prowler was on hand for the Tri-City Water Follies this year. I had the good fortune to be able to walk out and look at her. This B-25J has had a long and varied career. From being used to drop bombs to filming Disney movies, she is now on the airshow circuit. I saw her last year at the McChord Airshow, which incidentally, does not seem to be happening again, despiote last

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-36199234755081136472009-07-20T05:36:00.000-07:002009-07-20T05:37:58.238-07:00

40 years!

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-85071126269941680652009-07-17T07:23:00.000-07:002009-07-17T07:36:48.387-07:00

Forty years ago, three men were on their voyage to the Moon. They travelled as far as men ever have been from their planet. The Saturn V was huge! Their journey began on July 16, 1969, when they blasted off and into history. On July 20, two of these men landed upon the Moon and left several experiments and took samples. Take a few minutes this week and think about what these men did. But,

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-87188910759435386692009-06-19T21:57:00.000-07:002009-06-19T21:56:39.613-07:00

Over the past few months I have been in contact with a gentleman who participted in the salvage of an H-21 helicopter near Stehekin, Washington, in 1960. He has kindly written and researched an article, which, I am sad to say, puts my poor offerings to shame. His Name is Gene Whitmer. He has even been kind enough to supply photos to go with the story! Thank you Gene! Any comments and questions

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-19269637952503595972009-06-19T20:04:00.000-07:002009-06-19T20:27:08.506-07:00

This morning I was outside and saw a C-23 Sherpa fly over. It was agonizingly slow. Painted gray. According to my sources, it is based on the Short 330. It is a light transport. It is lacking in the looks category, but appears to fill the needs of the military. Last summer a friend of mine reported seeing on in the Toppenish area. Also, this afternoon, an EA-6 Prowler flew over at about 10,000

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-37499033399210281132009-06-16T17:44:00.001-07:002009-06-16T18:04:09.469-07:00

On June 3, 2009, Vice Admiral James Calvert passed away. He was a WWII submariner. Have a look at this article on the Navy site.I am a fan of submarines and submariners. I am pleased to note that Washington State has a deep (forgive the pun) tie to submarine history. Bangor, Washington is THE West Coast base for SSBNs (Also known as boomers or the Navy's leg of the Nuclear Triad or missile subs).

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-5069659167975146932009-06-11T19:57:00.001-07:002009-06-11T20:52:07.587-07:00

(My Dad)I set out this morning to bag a wreck site. The place was only 50 miles away. I took my father, who had the day off. Our targets were two. Our primary was P-38H #42-66778, with a secondary being B-17F #42-29500.Let me start by saying my TWO WHEEL DRIVE Tacoma has never let me down. Let me then add, the "roads," as the map referred to them, we travelled were probably better traversed with

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-23783764172252944182009-06-06T22:57:00.000-07:002009-06-06T22:59:22.093-07:00

Remember the fallen. They did what it took to take a hostile beach. June 6th, 1944.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-82631022916978212062009-05-20T17:03:00.001-07:002009-05-20T22:15:07.957-07:00

Yesterday, that is. Yesterday, May 19, 2009, saw the Navy's newest carrier, the George H.W. Bush land its first fixed wing aircraft aboard!! I could quote the news story, but you should really have a look at the real thing here.Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic 82 years ago today, landing in France at sometime after 10PM on May 21, 1927. Hows that for history?OTHER NEWS: I recently found a place

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-40031166013541868702009-05-10T10:05:00.000-07:002010-04-09T23:24:21.396-07:00

(the F-104D at McClellan Aviation Museum, now Aerospace Museum of California) On May 10, 1963, (46 years ago today) Captain Victor J. O'Bryan strapped on an F-104C Starfighter for a Napalm and Strafe mission at the Yakima Firing Center. O'Bryan was part of a vast aerial armada that had been moved to the central part of Washington State for Exercise Coulee Crest. This exercise was designed to

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-38626226137093139522009-05-02T08:22:00.000-07:002009-11-21T10:27:18.386-08:00

Contiuning with the F-106 theme, I have here one that went down much closer to my home than the others. Still, as with the other F-106 reports, it leaves much to be desired. This report has only 2 pages plus a map and a photo.On Tuesday, March 19, 1963, (at about 1712Z or zulu, which would be 9:12am local, because PST is Zulu -8) an F-106 on a local training mission came down about 5 miles south

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-7908171181784115922009-04-26T08:29:00.000-07:002009-11-21T10:27:48.270-08:00

I recently obtained a few F-106 accident reports from the early 1960s. These F-106s were assigned to the Spokane International Airport. During the Cold War, and today, really, fighter squadrons were and are stationed around the United States with the intention that they would be able to intercept incoming bombers or other threats. The F-106s (retired in 1988) were assigned to the ADC, or Air

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-20563393811521895072009-04-17T02:37:00.000-07:002009-11-22T09:43:12.037-08:00

During the Cold War, the men of the Strategic Air Command manned two of the three parts of the Nuclear Triad (SAC Bombers and ICBM Crews). Aircraft and crews spent a certain amount of time on Alert, that is, waiting for the klaxon to sound so they could run to their aircraft and go drop warshots on the Soviet Union. After their stint on alert, they would have some time off for crew rest, then

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-34939605213514447102009-04-12T10:30:00.000-07:002009-04-12T10:47:02.874-07:00

To one and all! If you enjoy seeing rare aircraft, and the chance to see INSIDE them, this is your chance!! It's at Castle Air Museum, in Atwater, California. I was able to attend this in event 2004, and loved it! So, if you are in the area, or have a few days off and are interested, this is your chance! Cora in the KC-97.Me, comng out of the RB-36H.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-56280618400659557332009-04-05T09:59:00.000-07:002009-04-05T10:08:50.229-07:00

I follow a blog that is written by an air traffic controller. He introduced me to this site. It is called Flight Aware. You can track flights (with a slight time lag) across the USA. You can track according to operator, aircraft type, and destination/daparture point. It will show you the invisible side of air operations in the USA. Now, you can look up in the air and have a better idea of where

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-87765365485114829572009-04-04T09:42:00.000-07:002009-04-04T10:50:46.626-07:00

Here is a partial list of Cold War Fighter Intercepter Squadrons in Washington State. I found that there is no specific site that has all of these together, so, for your viewing pleasure, I present this list of Fighter Intercepter Squadrons that once served at Washington bases. (This is in no way a complete list, I will be adding to it as I get more information. If you have some to add, please

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-42742722576044331152009-03-29T09:30:00.000-07:002009-03-31T20:35:58.006-07:00

If you are interested in seeing any part of the National Air and Space Museum online...don't bother going to the official site. You will probably have better luck searching for tourist photos. Here is the world's finest aircraft collection and their IT and Website sucks. I wanted to see how the Boeing 307 Stratoliner was displayed this morning. I knew it had suffered fuel starvation and landed in

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-79110928235022287722009-03-22T21:32:00.000-07:002009-03-22T22:39:03.222-07:00

In the mid-1950s, the USAF was experimenting with the concept of using large bombers to ferry RF-84K Thunderstreaks extreme distances; distances that a normal F-84 would not be able to cross on its own. From these large bombers the RF-84s were intended to launch and cross into enemy territory to take pictures and then they would return to their mother ship and then home. These large bombers were

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-45579297164723480982009-03-21T19:55:00.000-07:002009-03-21T21:11:38.998-07:00

A friend of mine who lives in the lower valley brought this to me. It is a Radiosonde. It is a balloon borne weather instrumet. The balloon began its flight in Salem Oregon and ended up in the Lower Yakim Valley. That is a distance of about 160 miles. The weather bureau says these balloons can reach 35,000 feet. They deploy a parachute when the balloon bursts. This one took a bit of a

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-35211189086498299332009-03-20T20:26:00.001-07:002009-03-21T08:25:54.280-07:00

OK, so Cora figured out a cool way to Google and showed me...which isn't saying much, since I apparently Google from the stone age. So, I tried a Google I have tried many times before. I Googled "C-133" then clicked on "more" and "blogs." Guess what I found! A very cool Blog that showed me that I should have been Googling "C-133" more these last 8 months (I did a lot of it before our AZ trip, but

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-18434859881824002112009-03-14T18:47:00.000-07:002009-03-17T07:54:41.249-07:00

Today, I met up with Gene Gould and we both located the wreck of P-38L #44-23914.Now, I have been reading about Aircraft Archeology for about two years. I have read first hand accounts by various authors who live in California and Arizona and Oklahoma. These guys are professionals, several have been doing this for decades. They have found hundreds of wrecks. They say on their sites that it is not

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-89392446062620130712009-03-12T18:45:00.000-07:002009-11-21T10:30:06.379-08:00

Norm Gilman designed an engine for the Allison division of General Motors. It powered several US fighters in World War Two. It had twelve cylinders. These twelve cylinders had a dispalcement of 1,710 cubic inches. To compare that to the car I drove in high school, my Plymouth Valiant's 6 cylinder displaced 225 cubic inches. Of course, most cars these days are measured in liters. The V-1710-33

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-46242228592467116362009-03-03T20:52:00.000-08:002009-11-21T10:30:58.961-08:00

The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an early jet fighter. It came between the famous Lockheed F-80 and the awesome F-86 Saber. Originally designated the P-84, it's designation changed in 1948 from P for Pursuit to F for Fighter at the same time all Army Air Fields became Air Force Bases. This was shortly after the Air Force was created as it's own branch of the armed forces in 1947.The F-84's engine

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-35098386208534796962009-03-01T10:41:00.001-08:002009-03-05T08:58:00.328-08:00

Bremerton, Washington has a relationship with the US Navy that is about 100 yers old. It seems only right that a place with ties so deep should also be home to a spectacular museum ship. The Navy Museum, however, is a let down compared to its previous glory, so don't bother with that. Laid down in 1957 and launched on August 3, 1959, USS Turner Joy was the last ship of the Forrest Sherman class

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-40362866897387013222009-02-14T20:55:00.000-08:002009-11-21T10:31:30.084-08:00

As I have mentioned before, Ephrata, Washington was home to the Ephrata Army Air Field. Numerous aircraft types were stationed there during World War II. I have already written about a couple B-17s from there. Ephrata was also home to a few fighter training squadrons. Many P-38s and P-39s flew from there.On the morning of August 5, 1944, a flight of five P-39s, Flight 16, took off for some

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-26756781552321242692009-02-07T09:37:00.000-08:002009-02-07T09:45:39.073-08:00

So, someone is going to lose out on promotions....I only post this because the Port Royal(CG-73) is a sister ship of the one I had such a difficult time identifying at Bremerton. And because...well, avy ships don't ground often so when they do it's news. There have been some notable ones, too. For instance the USS Missouri in the 1950s(?). I got this story from Charter News.Navy warship runs

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-68671767732686963252009-02-03T22:01:00.000-08:002009-02-03T22:16:36.764-08:00

Admiral Keating was an excellent speaker. The funny thing is, I found his picture in the Kitty Hawk Cruisebook that I bought on E-Bay last year.It turns out there were over 2000 people at the decommissioning ceremony! I found that out at the Kitty Hawk site.Here is the Kitty Hawk site.

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-7029395385133963742009-02-02T17:07:00.000-08:002009-02-04T18:33:15.878-08:00

So, over the weekend, I went to Bremerton and visited the Puget Sound Naval Ship Yard. Whilst there, we attended the decommissioning ceremony of the Kitty Hawk. I also took a few pictures of ships tht were also there. There is no where ner as many ships there as there were 10 years ago, but the ones that are there are bigger.Four super carriers and an *EDIT* Oliver Hazard Perry class ship. I

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6749168400621154038.post-86583461583767104992009-02-01T16:14:00.000-08:002009-02-01T18:16:11.085-08:00

On the mornig of January 31, 2009, I stood on the pier and looked at the beautiful Miss Kitty and bid her good bye. She was set for decommissioning. Dolled up in colorful ribbons and bows. Her best jewelery shining.She awaited a throng of people. All come to bid her fairwell. She never looked better.We had never met before, though I had met one of her sisters. I must say, I was proud to make her

Jimh.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11213746170195293485noreply@blogger.com0