Burn!!!!!

So, a while back a buddy of mine, Spear, and I got to talking about Bug out Bags and what would make good 24, 72 and longer bags.  His idea was to make the 24 hour one a molle vest. Which was an excellent idea by the way.  You'll probably never get separated from it, etc. etc. 

Anyway.  I found a great molle vest at a gun show and he said to pick one up for him.  So I did.  I thought it was important that he be able to identify himself too, so I got a chest patch for it.  Just like the police and other LEO's use.

A Banner Day

As some of you might know, and more of you may have guessed, flying charter is really just a sort of taxi service. 99.9% of the passengers are your basic mix of humanity.  No worse or better than everyone else out there.  No one really any more memorable than the last.

It's that 0.1% that make my day.

Today gave me one of those memorable personages.  No, it's wasn't a TV or movie star.  I haven't flown one yet who'd I'd consider of the caliber of Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart or Humphrey Bogart.  And these people who are famous for being famous just baffle me.  But they seem to be able to support those half hour "entertainment" shows, so who am I to understand it.

Today, I flew a man that personally had a hand in a large chunk of the major political decisions of the US from the 60's through to today. 

Today I flew a man that escaped Nazi Germany with his parents only to serve in the Army from the Battle of the Bulge through to hunting down Nazi's in post WW2 Germany.

Today I flew a man that opened up China, defined détente. and was a proponent of Realpolitik.

Today I flew the man that was the National Security Advisor under Nixon and the Chief of Staff under Nixon and Ford.

Yes, he's a controversial figure. Yes, many may disagree with his decisions and recommendations while in the White House. 

But you have to acknowledge that this man has had a major affect on countries and the lives of people all over the planet. Not many people, even those in DC currently, can say that.

Reminiscing over childhood.

I think I finally figured out why I like the show How It's Made so much.

Don't get me wrong, the show is about as exciting as watching paint dry.  No, scratch that. The show makes you wish you could be watching paint dry.

But, remember Mr. Roger's Neighborhood on PBS.



He used to show little vignette's of crayons or something going through the manufacturing process. 



So, How It's Made brings back memories of being curled up on the couch, in my pajamas, with a cup of hot cocoa, watching Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

Ahh, the salad days of college.

Pass it forward.

Saw this on Old_NFO's blog today and couldn't agree more with the sentiment.  While, yes we do have the right to free speech in this country.  It's not about you, it's about the millions of us who have served and the thousands and thousands who have paid the ultimate price for your right.  In short, its about the country we are proud to live in.

The National Anthem.

(exert below)


This should go up with Jennifer's Dance Monkey Dance.

“So, with all the kindness I can muster, I give this one piece of advice to the next pop star who is asked to sing the national anthem at a sporting event: save the vocal gymnastics and the physical gyrations for your concerts. Just sing this song the way you were taught to sing it in kindergarten — straight up, no styling. Sing it with the constant awareness that there are soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines watching you from bases and outposts all over the world. Don’t make them cringe with your self-centered ego gratification. Sing it as if you are standing before a row of 86-year-old WWII vets wearing their Purple Hearts, Silver Stars and flag pins on their cardigans and you want them to be proud of you for honoring them and the country they love — not because you want them to think you are a superstar musician. They could see that from the costumes, the makeup and the entourages. Sing “The Star Spangled Banner” with the courtesy and humility that tells the audience that it is about America , not you.”

Random Musing.

Everybody has mile posts in their life.  Moments when, for better or worse, their life is never quite the same again.  Times, when recalled, a person can point to and say, "This changed my life."

One of those important moments is when you realize you can buy and cook bacon anytime you want.

Piston AR Build Update.

Just some minor things to finally finish up the AR I previously posted about.

I added an ambidextrous safety to it. Just a no name brand.  But it fits well and operates like it should.

I installed the aluminum striker plate for the UBR stock, making that much heavier.  Like it wasn't already.  And why the striker plate.  Why not.  Again, this build was about "because I can" not for any real reasons.

I also finally got the front sling mount.. mounted.  And with the MS3 sling. I finally have a reliable way to go from single point sling to two point.

A few notes on its performance so far.  I've put a couple of thousand rounds through it, mostly brass but some lacquer coated steel stuff.  Haven't cleaned it yet. It's still functioning flawlessly.  The Trijicon ACOG has held its zero from the day I zeroed it in.  All in all, I'm really impressed with this rifle.  I think I'll keep it.

Just... Unbelievable.

It has really been 1000 days since "our" government has passed a budget. That's 3 years. Which is the biggest F. U. congress gets away with. Rather than having to shut down till a budget is passed, they get to automatically increase it without even a how do you do from the people they're taking the money from.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Life of a charter pilot...

(Yes, I know that title gets used a lot in my blog.)

My day.
Times in Eastern.

1:30 am.  Phone call from dispatch, possible ASAP pop up air ambulance trip.  Will know for sure by 3 am. Will call by then.  Just go back to sleep.

Yeah, right....

3:30-3:45 am.  Finally fall back asleep.  No phone call.

7:30  ASAP pop up trip, Home to Dayton, pick up, Peoria IL, drop. Come home. Promise you'll be back by 1:30.

Yeah, right.
Times in Central. from here on.

10:30  Land in Peoria, see passenger off.  Get call from dispatch.  Wait there to see if they can sell the airplane on a trip headed back towards home.  Will call one way or another in 2 hours.  This I foresaw.

Yeah, 2 hours, right.

2 pm. Call Dispatch, Ask why they haven't called.  Told to wait while they make a call to see what's going on.

2:30 Call Dispatch.  Told we could have launched for home "anytime".  Pay FBO for forehead shaped hole in wall.

106 knot tail wind, shaves 15 minutes off of flight.

Times back in Eastern.

4:15 pm.  Land back home.  tremors from caffeine make filling out logs... difficult...

5:15 Clear airport finally, Airplane cleaned, restocked, reset, Paperwork filled, filed and mutilated.

How was your day?

Train people! TRAIN!

This article was posted to GBC tonight:

Collier judge upholds 'Stand Your Ground' stabbing death defense in teen's bus stop bullying.

What I'm about to rant... about... has very little to do with the actual article and a whole lot to do with idiots that post in the comments.

One of the comments that shall remain nameless to protect his idiocy said, "See, that's the problem. Having never been in the situation of fighting for my life, I don't know how I'd react to that stress..."

THAT'S WHY WE FUCKING TRAIN, YOU MORON!

Listen, few of us have been in that situation.  That's why we "game" it out.  We think about that situation, map out strategies, actions, reactions, discuss the plans with the wife, girlfriend, Rover the dog, whoever.  Then we go to a quality range, either take a class, talk to, or hire a reputable instructor.  See what works, what's been done before, what they recommend. Then we go back re-imagine the scenario, remap the strategies, actions, reactions and plans and then re-discuss what we're gonna do and what we'd like anyone with us to do to either help or stay out of harms way during the situation.

And, for fucks sake, if you've gotten your concealed carry permit (if required by your state) or are carrying a weapon for self defense and you haven't thought about what to do in those situations. FUCKING STOP! FIGURE IT OUT! DON'T BE A MORON!

Moment of Zen

43,000 ft. over eastern Colorado looking at the sun setting behind the Rockies.