Echo Echo Echo and then some

Advertising is funny on occasion. Watching the NCAA Women's final and the Lady Aggies doing their thing and had to laugh at the ad for Echo chainsaws. Guy going through TSA hell and getting punched in the nuts while his running chainsaw goes through the x-ray. While TSA's behavior is despicable, the ad is funny. It is doubly so since if you have ever been through SJC you may have seen the glass display case that they have in the walkway between the parking garage and the counter waiting area. It is filled with stuff people have tried to carry on to an aircraft through security there. THERE IS A CHAINSAW IN THE CASE! The first time I saw it I had to back up and spend a few minutes reading the explanation of what the case was before I believed it.

Speaking of advertising, I don't know who Chrysler has hired to do their advertising now but they need a raise. The entire ad campaign for the charger has been superb. The George Washington commercial really struck a chord. The latest for the Charger with the classic and modern versions together racing through the brush is catchy. Add to these the whole campaign with Emmenem and the new Chrysler 200 and they have a winning streak. Now, I have never really likes Emmenem but this tune is catchy and the whole in your face, this is who we are image for Detroit is a graphic demonstration of the attitude that IS America.

OK, while I'm going on about stuff, at the beginning of the game, it was interesting to notice that during the singing of the National Anthem, while a large portion of the crowd that was shown was standing silently, pretty much everyone they showed with gray hair was singing along. Is it just me?

No Post for You

Come back soon.
We've had lots of long days lately and it finally caught up with me yesterday. Mustered the energy to do taxes this morning and am now going back to bed.

Helo Central

Now that the Marines and Army are gone, there is room for all kinds of neat stuff out there on the ramp. We had a BlackHawk and Longbow Apache here earlier and now there is an Agusta SPA, a Bell 206 and a EuroCopter EC135 medivac out on the ramp. The EC was just taking off. Impressive control the pilot showed. I have a video but Blogger is balking. The pilot definitely has a hover button. Despite the 8-15MPH gusty winds we are currently experiencing, they held spot on while waiting their turn to take off. Rock steady then pushed into the wind and away they went.

Adios Marines

Since the F-18 left, the maint crew that flew out to work on it has been waiting for their ride home. The C-130 to take them and their gear home showed up today and same as when unloading, they needed our extended forks to load back up. Great group of guys. We got word that the F-18 landed safely back home so now it is just up to these guys to get home safe. We wished them well and they thanked all of us for the help and were off. The crew chief even gave a wave as they buttoned up.
One interesting thing of note, if you are a math, science, physics or photography geek. There is a phenomenon commonly referred to Wagon Wheel Effect. it refers to the difference in angular rotation of a spoked wheel and the shutter speed and frame rate (more frame rate but shutter speed figures into it) of the camera making the wheel appear to be turning slowly or backwards based on what the eye and mind pick up as the smallest movement. As the engines spool up and the blades start to spin you can see this effect on the video.

Safe Trip "Monkey"

As previously chronicled, the F-18 that was here is finally on it's way home. They just took off out of here and with any luck will not be back anytime soon. As nice of a place as this is I am sure they would like to be home.

Wind Tunnel to the Rescue

Remember the F-18 I posted about earlier? The C-130 that came in to rescue it? Well, they needed help getting the jackstands out of the back of the C-130 to get the F-18 off the ground so they could fix a problem with the front landing gear steering mechanism. The forklift at the airport wasn't man enough to handle the pallet in the aircraft so they came over to us for one of ours. This would be yours truly driving over to help along with a couple other folks from the wind tunnel. Funny thing is, the Air Force and Army are here too working on their aircraft. We were all waiting for the Navy and the Coast Guard to stop by with a busted aircraft and we would have everyone covered.

BATF&E&RBF Shotgun Shenanigans

Well, it looks like the BATF&E&RBF is acting on their shotgun "study" that they published back in January this year that I wrote about back then. Study is actually here. They are looking to ban importation of shotguns that they deem not for sporting purposes despite their popularity in the shooting SPORT of IPSC and other action shooting SPORTS. Likely this will be followed by a reclassification of these as destructive devices requiring a $200 tax stamp and BATF&E&RBF approval for ownership and any future transfer just like a machine gun.

So, now is the time to comment to shotgunstudy@atf.gov and let the BATF&E&RBF know that they need to stop this reclassification and accept the fact that IPSC and other action shooting SPORTS are in fact SPORTS and these shotguns are part of that. They need to stop trying to classify shotgun sports as only trap and skeet. Really, they need to drop the whole sporting purposes test but that is another battle for another day.

Reinforcements Arrive

Well, reinforcements have arrived to rescue the F-18 I wrote about Monday. This C-130 arrived with maintenance crew and equipment to fix the F-18 and get it on it's way. Not sure why there is a Blackhawk on the ramp off to the south of these two though. It came in yesterday afternoon and is still sitting out there this morning along with a Biz jet with it's covers on. This would be unusual since that is the helipad area and not used for parking fixed wings.

And to clarify, the plane was ID's as definitely a D model from VMFA (AW)-121 out of Miramar, CA. By someone who would know. Thanks Colin and Fly Safe!

UPDATE: The crew is pounding away on the F-18 and there is a crew here from the Army now for the Blackhawk.

Personal Defense Class FTW

Yesterday Evening misbeHaven and I presented at an overview self defense class to a sorority here on campus. misbeHaven had been invited to present to them and drug me along as a prop. I know, me and 90 sorority girls in a room for the evening, it was tough work but someone had to do it. It was interesting to just sit back and watch the reactions as she spoke. There were a few times where it was real obvious that the light had gone on for some of these ladies. The surprise for me was when asking about how many of them had smoke alarms, had checked and or changed the batteries, had fire extinguishers and first aid kits and had gotten training in first aid and CPR. An overwhelming majority raised their hands. Restores my faith in future generations. These ladies took personal responsibility seriously and it showed. It was a genuine delight to have made the all too short presentation and I expect to see some of them in upcoming training classes.

Overall a big win all the way around.

Weekend aircraft sighting

So this lonely F/A-18 B+ or D model showed up this weekend and is still here. Don't know the story behind it if there are maintenance issues of what. Have to try and make time to check in with the guys over on the ramp and see what the skinny is.

Todays Guest

This would be a Grumman HU-16b Albatross. Of the 19 and 59 vintage. Almost as old as our facility and still running strong. I was outside in the shop and heard the unmistakable rumbling of the radials running up. Had to run to catch it as it was taking the active for take off. Slow, loud lumbering and still pretty cool to see flying.

Glow Ammo

This weekend was a long training class Saturday. We ran Basic Pistol 2, Defensive Pistol Skills 1 and Low Light Skills 1A. Hsoi posted on his FB page on it being a long day. What people may or may not understand is that we instructors were out there Early to get things setup then after the night shoot finishes at 10PM we still have to tear down and clean up. Makes for a long day.

Anyway, at the end of night shooting, I broke out a box of tracers I had loaded using Glow Ammo dots from Glow Ammo. I had gotten a sample from my neighbor and friend who runs Brass Valley Shooters range. I loaded up 50 rounds with my practice load for 9mm and had them waiting for this class. The idea is that you place this stickers that weigh about 1 grain on the base of your own bullet and reload with you standard mix so they shoot to the same point of aim as your regular load. They are also a non incendiary load so no danger of starting a grass fire from them. Also, they start to glow as soon as the charge in the case fires so you get a trace from the barrel all the way instead of needing some time or distance to get the trace charge lit and burning.

Impressions, I'll let Hsoi chime in as he got to see them as well but between the instructors we pretty much agreed that while you can see the trace yourself as the shooter, they are much better as seen from an observers position. Much better to diagnose where shots are going in the dark. They shot to the same place as standard loads and are just downright kinda fun to shoot. I will likely pick some more up to play with and use at some of the future night classes and may even let some of the students shoot some. I will reserve doing that a lot mainly because these are my handloads. They are not commercially loaded ammo. I do not load for anyone other than myself or my wife and I don't sell my ammo. I really don't want the liability of someone else using my ammo.

Overall, I would say I like the Glow Ammo and as a training aide found that it could in fact have a use in training.


FTC DISCLAIMER: I got the sample as a gift from a friend who has no financial interest in Glow Ammo and have received no compensation from Glow Ammo or anyone else for my time trouble or expense in testing.

Japan Quakes

Well, this has hit a little closer to home than I am comfortable with. A college room mate is working over there and he and his wife are there in the middle of it. He did post on FB that they made it through "the big one". However, there have been aftershocks in the 6+ range and that's nothing to sneeze at.

These Strange Days

So we are going through some pretty major upheaval at work. Have to see where it leads but things are interesting and may go good or bad depending on all people involved and their reactions. Have to see how things play out over the next few months.

May you live in interesting times. Damn I hate ancient Chinese proverbs/curses.

Todays visitors

So we had these visitors today to Easterwood Airport. I do not know what the "FAST Demonstration Team" is but there were two A-10's with pods on them that said just that on them. Anyone out there know about them? I was leaving work as they were spooling up so I stopped to take a couple pictures and shot some video of them taking off ever so slowly. I wish I could of caught them just after landing so I could have talked to the pilots and found out just who they were. But, Alas I have to work on occasion and today was one of those days.