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Caspian Sea area crude oil perhaps?
The BTC pipeline will pump 1 million barrels a day...in contrast, the Trans-Alaska pipeline averages 717,000 barrels a day.
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| DAYS UNTIL THE OCTOBER 18-22, 2009 61-DELTA SAN ANTONIO REUNION !
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Now that we're all pretty much out of the flying game (as an occupation), you might be waxing nostalgic about the "good old days". Your nostalgia can be assuaged with a personalized model of your favorite flying machine.
Click on the photo of the T-37B Tweet to look at the website of the Hangar Model Company. They've probably got a great model of "your" bird (military, commercial, private, or civilian) just waiting to be created and on your desk.
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SPEAKING OF THE TWEET
Tweet complete: T-37(B) retires after 39 years of serviceBy Senior Airman John Parie 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. -- After 39 years of service (at Columbus AFB) as the gateway to the sky for more than 10,000 Columbus AFB-based Air Force aviators, the T-37B Tweet formally retired Thursday from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training. Columbus AFB was the last SUPT base flying the T-37. Vance AFB, Okla., and Laughlin AFB, Texas, phased out the T-37 from their pilot training programs in 2007. The T-37 will continue to be used at Sheppard AFB, Texas, in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program. (seen in the flightline pictured here)
"If you are a flier or a maintainer of any airplane there is an emotional attachment," said Maj. Gen. Irving L. Halter, 19th Air Force commander. "The T-37 is a part of the fabric of Air Force aviation as well as American aviation." The first T-37 arrived at Columbus AFB in 1969 in preparation for the base's realignment from Strategic Air Command to Air Training Command in 1970. In 1970, Columbus AFB undertook the undergraduate pilot training mission, utilizing the T-37 for its primary training, and the T-38 talon for advanced training. T-37 tail number 68-8068 arrived at Columbus AFB from the Cessna factory in Wichita, Kan., Sept. 25, 1969, with a grand total of 9.1 flight hours to its credit. Thirty-nine years later, on March 31, 68-8068 was flown for the last student training sortie in the T-37 at Columbus AFB. Instructor pilot, Maj. Robert McGrath, and student pilot, Capt. Jay Labrum, flew the aircraft's 10,351st sortie. The trainer jet ended its service to Columbus with 16,637.6 flying hours. With the completion of his training sortie, Captain Labrum was the last SUPT student to utter the time honored words of "Tweet Complete," signifying his completion of Phase II of the Air Force SUPT program and the T-37B Tweet. "The T-37 has been a symbol of Air Force pilot training for half a century," said Lt. Col. David Johnson, 37th Flying Training Squadron commander. "While getting newer aircraft is always a good thing, the Tweet was a living, breathing piece of pilot training heritage being used on a daily basis to train our young men and women." The retirement ceremony culminated with a four-ship T-37 fly over by members of the 37th Flying Training Squadron. "Goodbye, old girl -- we are going to miss you," General Halter said, as he concluded his speech. "You have done much for this nation and have made dreams come true."
As we who flew the T-37A "Tweet" in Primary can attest, the T-37 bloodline goes way back to 1954 (XT-37) - 1955 (T-37A). We know that because we strapped one of the underpowered 444 "A" models to our backside many hours!
Any trainer that can be used for over 50 years has earned it's place in the "Aircraft Hall of Fame".
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THANKS TO DALE HUFFMAN WHO BROUGHT THIS ARTICLE ON THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM TO OUR ATTENTION.
It's entitled "We Wanted Wings"...although a large (over 6 MB) USAF AETC document in ".pdf" format, it is well worth your time if you were a cadet.
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HERE'S A GREAT WAY TO SAY THANKS IN SUPPORT OF OUR FIGHTING FORCES AROUND THE WORLD!
...and it's free!
Take just a moment to visit the "Let's Say Thanks" Website
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Thanks to Ted Tweet we have the following reunion photo memories available:
Twelve (12) pictures from the 1977 NEW ORLEANS Reunion have been uploaded.
Additionally, The first twelve (12) pictures from the 1979 BOSTON Reunion have been uploaded.
Also, Twelve (12) pictures from the 1975 SAN ANTONIO Reunion have been scanned and uploaded.
the "old pilot in command"...courtesy TexasTrz...thanks to those sending digital photos (over 165 and counting, so far) from Milwaukee ! |
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The significance of the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is overlooked by some when contemplating key aircraft, milestones in Airpower, and the war fighting ability of the USAF.
Click here to look at a very well written article detailing just how important this aircraft was in the Vietnam Conflict. Today, 40 years later, the USAF decision to procure this designed-to-purpose tanker, along with some very interesting variants, is even more important when our airpower must be global, and multi-theatered, in scope.
Just how great an aircraft is the 135 ?... Think about it...fighting wars with a 50+ year old aircraft...Isn't that something akin to fighting the Vietnam Air War... ...with Spads! We must add the KC-135 and all its' variants to the "Aircraft Hall of Fame".
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READ A GOOD BOOK LATELY? Recently 61-Delta classmembers have suggested books worth reading.
I'm recommending the last book on the list. "Gusher of Lies", The dangerous delusions of "Energy Independence".
[Knowing what we know about JR's flying exploits, if anything can raise the hair on the back of his neck, it must be one hairy tale!]JR continued: "I was at the local Daedalian meeting that Don gave a presentation of the
story before his book was published. When his book came out I bought a copy
for 25 dollars. I was curious the other day to see if "Arc Light One" could
be bought on Amazon with a five star rating. It was listed, but the price
floored me. They wanted 77 dollars. I contacted Don to see what the deal
was as I wanted to submit his story to be put on our reading list. At that
price I would be laughed out of town. He said the publisher has gone a bit
crazy, but some are selling at that price. Don said he has left over copies
that he sells for $19.95 plus a nickle to sign and $5 shipping and handling
($25 total) if any of the troops were interested."
Rankings for these books are reviews found at Amazon.Com: 1. ARC LIGHT ONE 2. IN LOVE AND WAR 3. INTO THE MOUTH OF THE CAT 4. DERELICTION OF DUTY 5. BURY US UPSIDE DOWN 6. AMERICAN PATRIOT 7. AN ENORMOUS CRIME 8. BOYD 9. THE RESCUE OF STREETCAR 304 10. THE MIND OF WAR 11. A SWIFT, ELUSIVE SWORD 12. NEITHER SHALL THE SWORD {not yet rated} [2006] by Chet Richards 13. CERTAIN TO WIN and a couple I would add about the war on terror: 14. ENDGAME 15. SHADOW WAR 16. GUSHER OF LIES Written a good book lately ? "We Were Crewdogs III - Peace Was Our Profession"...A New Book in the Making by Tommy Towery...Editor/Publisher...Scheduled for printing in November 2007...Now Accepting New Authors!...Do you have one or more good bar stories,or... "there I was at 40,000 feet" tales, but not enough stories, skill, or time to write your own book? Then this is the opportunity you've been waiting for. Who will be writing the book?...The book will be written by many different contributors. If you're interested contact Tommy at his website: Good Reading and writing!...as for arithmetic...all you need to know is:
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[unknown], by Don Harten
[1985] by Malcolm McConnell
[1997] by H.R.McMaster [superbly researched, about Johnson, McNamara and the Joint Chiefs...]
[2004] by Richard Miniter [The untold story of American wins in the war on terror]
