Dan Wilson

As for if there was anything the Crew could have or should have done, no there is nothing. Outside of inflight, once it lands and is handed over to mx that's the end of their responsibility, even though on the road when we have had really high or gusty winds we have kept power on the plane with the suction boosts pumps on to keep the flight controls from slamming all over the place. The built in gust dampening only last a little while in winds. Parked with winds of 20 to 30 it is quite possible to see damage, with winds that high you can always get unreported gusts much higher than that. I have seen planes in winds of that speed range that was slamming the controls back and forth so hard it would definitely risk your manhood to try and get into the pilots seats so a damaged rudder would be possible; though it seems like the damage you found is pretty damn extensive, it could be possible that there was some existing damage and this wx event just damaged the rudder further to what you have now found?

It was a s*it storm of mismanagement!! There were numerous complaints about this pilot to both the DO and Commander who promptly blew them off (until after the crash when they got their butts lit on fire). Several people complained about this pilot during practice for this CAPEX, Mostly about being too aggressive on the descent for the LAPES, to which mister cheese-dick pilot stated that he intended to push it even farther, which he did and we all know the result. But that is just what I got from the accident report, reality may be different and we would have to hear from someone who was actually there to know for sure. I never trust the AIB results 100%, too many times the reports are just wrong, there is a whole list of things I could go on about specifically on the AIB for the Gunship that went down off Kenya. But from the film, they were dead as soon as the pilot pushed over, that was waaaaaay too much and there was really no way to recover even before he went down 50 foot. Soon after that I was in the 37th in W Germany when I got my LAPES training, it consisted of "your flying LAPES tomorrow, make sure you read chapter 29 (or was is 27) of your 55-130" and that was how I learned LAPES . LAPES was really fun once you learned how to do it. I actually have or had the accident report for this crash, but my scan on the computer got dumped in the last couple of decades and the hard copy is god only knows, my stuff is strewn between FL and IN right now and most of it boxed up. If I find it I will let you know unless someone else has it and can supply it for you. Tony Holmes was the FE on that crash, he must have really had a jinx on his head, several years later he was on the bird that blew the whole top of the fuselage off (from about 245 to the front of the wing beam) over the Atlantic. From what I hear he wisely decided to turn in his wings after that, guess he didn't want to trust his luck any farther.

Hey, quit blocking my airflow :)

My god, all I can say is I hope I survive it, it can be twenty degrees in the house and the ol lady is turning on the AC because she's hot - holy crap, its worse than survival school and I went through that is February!!

SYMPTOM: Feet cold and wet. FAULT: Glass being held at incorrect angle. ACTION: Rotate glass so that open end points toward ceiling. SYMPTOM: Feet warm and wet. FAULT: Improper bladder control. ACTION: Stand next to nearest dog, complain about house training. SYMPTOM: Beer unusually pale and tasteless. FAULT: Glass empty. ACTION: Get someone to buy you another beer. SYMPTOM: Opposite wall covered with fluorescent lights. FAULT: You have fallen over backward. ACTION: Have yourself leashed to bar. SYMPTOM: Mouth contains cigarette butts. FAULT: You have fallen forward. ACTION: See above. SYMPTOM: Beer tasteless, front of your shirt is wet. FAULT: Mouth not open, or glass applied to wrong part of face. ACTION: Retire to restroom, practice in mirror. SYMPTOM: Floor blurred. FAULT: You are looking through bottom of empty glass. ACTION: Get someone to buy you another beer. SYMPTOM: Floor moving. FAULT: You are being carried out. ACTION: Find out if you are being taken to another bar. SYMPTOM: Room seems unusually dark. FAULT: Bar has closed. ACTION: Confirm home address with bartender. SYMPTOM: Taxi suddenly takes on colorful aspect and textures. FAULT: Beer consumption has exceeded personal limitations. ACTION: Cover mouth. SYMPTOM: Everyone looks up to you and smiles. FAULT: You are dancing on the table. ACTION: Fall on somebody cushy-looking. SYMPTOM: Beer is crystal-clear. FAULT: It's water. Somebody is trying to sober you up. ACTION: Punch him. SYMPTOM: Hands hurt, nose hurts, mind unusually clear. FAULT: You have been in a fight. ACTION: Apologize to everyone you see, just in case it was them. SYMPTOM: Don't recognize anyone, don't recognize the room you're in. FAULT: You've wandered into the wrong party. ACTION: See if they have free beer. SYMPTOM: Your singing sounds distorted. FAULT: The beer is too weak. ACTION: Have more beer until your voice improves. SYMPTOM: Don't remember the words to the song. FAULT: Beer is just right. ACTION: Play air guitar.

Not that I want to defend any of the moron VA admin welfare cases but they are normally pretty swamped denying claims and with the war on they are probably really overwhelmed. BUT on that point, since its been six months since you filed your claim and have heard nothing, call the clowns and see what your can find out where your claim status is at, and if you get the run around or feel like your getting jerked off by them DO NOT BE AFRAID to file a congressional. In my process with the VA, between my retirement in 04 and last year I filed SEVEN congressional's and it really works well normally. Believe me, they do not mind. All the congressmen have staff, and there are certain members of the staff that that is their only job, to follow and settle OUR VA complaints . Also, NEVER EVER send anything to the VA without sending it Sig Service, i.e. registered and return receipt - it really blows the wind out of their sails when you can state the date time and clown that accepted your package.

Na, like crap only worse.

My question is did you get to "tune up" that thar Ma Deuce during those two days?

The birds painted with the stripes/sections of international orange were for rescue and/or flight test if I remember rightly

Yes, Dave Davenport!! Thats the guy I was thinking of, Thanks Casey for the brain prod

Are you talking about Dave mmmmmm, dont remember the last name hence the mmmmmmmm, good herky cartoons

Yeah, that there thingy what you said!!

Thanks Guys, Yeah I grew up in the same "manly" time when we didn't need no stinkin masks, let alone an outerspace tyvek suit - we died like men and we liked it that way!! (uh maybe thats why I am the mess I am today, ya think LOL)

Thanks Gizzard!! Yep, its pretty nasty - and having a hell of a time breathing since I started this stuff, hope its all worthwhile in the end. But like I always say "I'm Not Dead Yet" {grin}

HimmelGott!! That almost looks like a 6 bore, I'll let someone else dislocate their shoulder on that one LOL Biggest thing I have is the SMLE #1 Mk3 that I converting to 45-70; should be big enough for around here. Thanks, I saved that one :)

For the correct term, its the UARRSI birds have Duel Float control shutoff valves as opposed to the standard tank. As for interchange with normal tanks, they just have to change the internal pluming. The purpose of the dual float control is that it allows the tank to take fuel almost regardless of aircraft attitude, i.e. a nose up or nose down situation which would cause a normal shutoff valve to close; it still shuts off but the second valve should be in the airspace and still allow refueling. There is a physical location separation between the two valves.

In normal ops you should Not see the Press Low Light by dropping gear or actuating flight controls. Natops, if you book read like mine did, the reference to low pressure light coming on with gear actuation is actually in the EP section and its under the pump out procedures where it says you might see this when operating with a single utility pump. Sorry I cant quote anything, its been about a decade since I had the -1 in my hands.

Thats probably the best credible sport vid I have seen to date, thanks Casey

I was really waiting for the ramp and door to open and the truck to go bye bye, but even still its pretty funny and very well made

Thanks Guys I just got another chest x-ray at the VA and all I could say was "man that's ugly looking", pretty bad.

I'm trying to figure out how to get a (god I hate this word) blog set up on my server covering the house, will put the link up when (and if) I get it done.

Well guys, anybody that knows me, knows that I am the last person on earth to harp about PPE, BUT----- If your working on an old house, pulling down the plaster, removing the insulation, digging out rats nests,dead birds, dead bats etc..... WEAR YOUR MASK Right now I am down to about 40% lung capacity due to stuff mentioned above. Seems like I came down with Histoplasmosis about a year ago, which untreated is fatal,and I have had it undiagnosed for the last year. Just now starting a 12 month course of meds (nasty ones too) to try to get rid of this crap so well see where this leads. This is the primary reason I have been missing the last couple of months. Now I make sure to wear my PPE when I am working on the place, even if it does feel cumbersome and dorky

So Ken, how is your VA process coming out? It took me three years to get my rating finally straightened out, believe me the admin idiots for the VA are just that. If you have any problems with your rating when you get it I can help you out with filling out the 21-4138 (statement in support of claim). The first time I filed I let the American Legion guys help me, but the subsequent 20 or 30 filings I just did myself so I am pretty familiar with the process. Here's wishing you good luck with your rating decision, hopefully your admin moron is a little sharper than the ones I dealt with in FL (like the time I got a rating increase of 20% and they TOOK that rating out of my pay like it was downgraded!!!!! It took me four months to get my money back)

Here we go again if this goes through, I remember when they did that gaggle f*ck retirement plane for anyone in the 81 to whatever group, thank god my time started in 79 and I got the good ol retirement system most of you guys know. I feel sorry for the 80's crowd, I am not sure what their retirement plan is now but I bet its less than mine. Also thanks to mr. klintoon, I get my social security disability taxed as well, they take a pretty big chunk on top of the premiums for medicare! Then lets not talk about the taxes here in my new state of Indiana, land of the taxed.

I wouldn't mind seeing seeing those pics myself