AERO Nerd-vana

So I went on a little jaunt today to San Antonio Propeller. Had to drop off three sets of B-29 blades along with the hub and bearings and such that we use to make wind here at the tunnel.
Well boy do they have quite the assortment of kewl props there. All shapes and sizes were to be had in various states of repair.
The correct terminology for the prop blades above is OOPS! Really, they are not supposed to bend that way. The names have been blurred out to protect the guilty.
I probably could have spent a few hours there poking around in their piles of stuff but I wanted to get back home for the night and get the truck turned in.

From the Horrible, comes good

So, with the recent passing of my Mom, I have gotten motivated to continue a long overdue process. Years ago when my Dad passed away, I collected his Military records and other printed heirlooms and started scanning them. With the intended goal of getting everything scanned and DVD's made for all the kids in the family to share.This would be Dad being presented with his First Distinguished Flying Cross.

Anyway, the passing of Mom has motivated me to get back on track. After researching around I ordered a CanonScan 9000F and a couple software packages. You see, I also have boxes and boxes of slides from before Mom and Dad got married through his AF career to all the trailer trips we took as a family while I was growing up. Let's just say there are thousands of slides that need cleaning, scanning and then digital cleaning up. We shall see how this all works out. I may even share publicly some of the better scans. Like when I first discovered toilets that didn't have to be flushed.

Rare Occasion Indeed

It is a rare occasion when we can all get together anymore. It's sad that it only happens when bad things occur.

Mom

Marie Rose (Hujar) Kochan was led by the Angels to Paradise on November 27, 2011 at The Summit at Lakeway Healthcare Center. Marie was born on March 25, 1929 in Binghamton, NY then made her home and raised her family in Austin, TX for the last 52 years. Marie earned her teaching degree from Cortland College in Cortland, NY and taught kindergarten until she met and married the Air Force officer and pilot of her dreams, Chester T. Kochan, from Salamanca, NY.

Marie demonstrated how central her Catholic faith was to her life by participating in Saint Ignatius Parish and the Saint Edwards University Community. She remained an active member of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority. While proudly raising her family, Mom enjoyed leading several scout troops, volunteering as room mother, sewing clothes and costumes for her family, creating various knitting, crocheting, and tatting projects, cooking amazing meals (especially her famous lasagna), and baking heavenly desserts. In her spare time, Mom worked her way up to being a nationally recognized Tupperware Manager, earning televisions, diamonds, cruises, and cars. Mom and Dad also extended the family and opened their home to foreign visitors and students through the University of Texas International Hospitality Club and the Saint Edward’s University Foreign Exchange Student Program. She continued to volunteer her time and skills until her passing.

Marie was preceded in death by her parents and husband. Left to celebrate and remember her life are her brother, Thomas Hujar and her children and their spouses, Mary K. Kochan and Jim Milholland; Mark Kochan and Laura; HelenAnn Busa and Ron; Teresa LaGesse and Daniel; John Kochan and Kelli. Marie adored and delighted in her grandchildren, Bailey K. Cummings; Dawn, Delaney, and Michael Kochan; Veronica and Thomas Busa; Adam and Sarah LaGesse. Marie is additionally survived by four (4) great-grandchildren and numerous beloved family members up north.

Her children would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the loving staff at The Summit at Lakeway who embraced their mother like family. In lieu of flowers, for those who desire to make a memorial contribution, please donate to the Alzheimer’s Association.

A memorial mass will be held at 3pm on Friday, December 2, 2011, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel on St. Edward’s University campus, 3001 South Congress Avenue in Austin. Family visitation will begin at 6pm on Saturday, December 3, 2011, with the Rosary at 7pm at Harrell Funeral Home, 4435 Frontier Trail in South Austin. Marie’s final resting place will be next to her husband at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.

Marie Rose Hujar Kochan. 3/25/29-11/27/11

May you finally rest in peace. There are those of us who had the honor of calling you Mom! I miss you already yet am glad you are now at rest with Dad.

I still remember this picture and day it was taken. We were on our way back form a doctors appointment for me and the rabbit along with a guy in a station wagon were parked in the Dairy Queen parking lot on South Lamar. We stopped for ice cream and got pictures that he shot with his pinhole camera and then developed in the darkbox he had in the back of his wagon. I will always remember this and so much more. I Love You Mom!

HA

Sometimes, when you think life really sucks, God pops up to remind you that you don't know the meaning of the word suck!

Going Dim

Not quite going dark but for those dozen of you who are regulars here, things are complicated and busy right now so I am not going to be updating this blog very much if any at all. That's bad considering I haven't been updating much lately anyway.

Blog will still be here with all kinds of links to people who actually do write routinely and are much more interesting than I.

How HighTech can ya get?

This would be the dash and cockpit of a V-22 Osprey. All glass and digital until you park. Then you have to pull an old fashioned T handle. just fount it a bit funny I did.
They all fond up as well for space savings on board ship.We are graced with three of them for the flyover at the A&M football game tomorrow.

@$$#0!e$ in the .mil

Last night, the cities of Bryan and College Station Texas were woken by low flying heavy lift helicopters (Loaded) flying LOW around town for a couple hours at 2-4 AM. They then departed to the east still flying low enough to rattle houses and cause items to shake off of my night stand and the shelf under the TV set at our house.

Explanation on the news was "nothing to worry about, training exercise". Nothing further given.

There are areas specifically set aside for low level night flying training that do not involve flying loaded heavy helicopters over densely populated areas at night. This was not only inconsiderate, it was recklessly dangerous to operate these aircraft over populated areas where any mechanical malfunction would not be recoverable at the altitude they were operating. BTW I am a pilot, aero engineer and rotorhead. I like helicopters and love to see them flying and I definitely support our military. However, some really poor critical decision making skills were exercised and displayed last night.

Ahoy matey, there be dirt here!

So, this is what you get for three days on a backhoe/front end loader. Or more correctly, half of what you get. The other half is a stock tank in the north pasture that is now three times the depth that it was Saturday morning.

The backstop is 15 feet high by 25 yards wide, the side berms start at 15 feet at the inside corners and taper down to 8 feet high 25 yards out from the backstop. At the 15 foot top, the backstop is still 4 feet wide. Call it overkill but I would be happy to shoot a SLAP round out of a fifty cal and know nothing is coming out the other side.

Now I need ice and heat multiple times and some serious sleep. I ache.

New low for thieves

This trailer was stolen yesterday from NW Austin TX. If you see it or have seen it, call 911 IMMEDIATELY and maybe follow up with Austin PD. How low of a thief do you have to be to steal Search and Rescue gear from a SAR unit? Those people suck and need to be caught and the equipment rescued and returned to the SAR unit.

Bird of Prey

This little beastie dropped in for a bite of lunch today. Nice to see my tax dollars in action.


Heard it coming in and knew it was large rotorcraft. caught it just as it was setting down.

Be a good witness

With all the hoopla surrounding the SC sheriff telling women to arm themselves, I couldn't help but think,

When told to be a good witness, what better to identify your attacker by than the bullet holes you put into him?

In Honor of William the Coroner

A fitting tribute to Mr Sappy Cat Blogging himself. See my previous post.

Tis a sad day

I just wandered into the word that William the Coroner has passed.

The world is a lessor place now.