Arnold's Saucers

Today in 1947, Kenneth Arnold saw his famous "flying Saucers" flying near Mt. Rainier and then he spread his sighting with all available when he landed at the Yakima airport.

Image borrowed from http://altereddimensions.net/2012/kenneth-arnold-sighting-first-ufo-report

Four Veterans Visit

 The Collings Foundation sends some of its aircraft around the US each year.  Today four of their aircraft visited Yakima, Washington, having previously been to Pasco and Walla Walla.

 They were a B-17, a B-24, a B-25, and a P-51C!  I'd never before seen a P-51C model.

 These are just a few of the pics I shot today.  It was well worth the 12 dollar fee to tour the B-17 and the B-24.  There appeared to be no maximum number of times you could go inside.  You could also stick your head inside the B-25.

 While not the most beautifully restored aircraft, they are still lovely to behold, and the sound of thise old recips clobbering the sky with their air-paddles made beautiful counterpoint to the smooth purr of the P-51!

 Below the nose of the B-17.  So incredibly cramped!

 They will go on to Paine Field in Everett and other venues in the Pacific Northwest.  If you DO get a chance, go out and see them!  They may not be with us much longer.

Ranger Near LA.

Follow this link to some truly amazing footage of Ranger.  Footage.

Another Super Carrier Goes under the Scrapper's Torch.

USS Ranger, CV-61, began a long tow today, March 5th, 2015, almost 50 years since she was commissioned in 1957.  She'll be making the trek around the tip of South America and back up to Brownsville, where she will die quietly with her sisters.  (PSNS announced this via Facebook)

(U.S. Navy photo by Kevin Tosh/released) 150305-N-ZS322-004

Musashi Found!

The Imperial Japanese Navy fielded two "super battleships" during WWII.  One was the Yamato and the other was Musashi.  Musashi was sunk during the invaasion of the Philippines.  The Yamato was sunk during the landings on Okinawa.

Paul Allen, owner of the Seattle Seahawks AND, more importantly, owner of the Flying Heritage Collection, has funded an attempt to find the IJN Musashi...and apparently he was successful.  See the article here!

Nuclear Bomb Map

Ever wondered what kind of damage a nuclear bomb could do if it were dropped on a particular place?  Well, here's a simple and interesting way to calculate that:

Nuke Map

It's worth it!

Connie Ends Her Final Voyage in Brownsville.

MH-60 Squadrons

The MH-60 is a cool chopper.  If you're near one of these places you might see them!  Thanks to Lockheed Martin for the image!

CV-64, Constellation nears Her End

Forrestal and Saratoga  have both come to Brownsville, Texas for their final moments, and now Constellation joins them.  What a sad end to such brave ships.  Hopefully one of the other supercarriers will find a home as a museum ship to commemorate the deeds of the many men who served aboard them!  See the latest article here.