Official Aviation Thread...

[BlackbirdM3]

Don't forget the refuel on the return leg you need to slow down and descend to an Air-Refuel block altitude. Get the pleasure of being on A/R's about once a week now, it funny how some pilots are so miserable at and others are masters. Used to fly with an older O-6 that could do it one handed while smoking a cigarette.

Yes, that is why I said 2000 mph rather than 2200. Knowing exactly how many hours were spent refueling is hard to guess. I think the refuel took about 15 min, then they were back up to cruise speed in short order.

The decent from 60K feet to 25K feet took about 5 minutes. From 200 miles out, they started their decell from M3.2, at that speed you are going 33 miles per minute. At 150 miles out, they were still at 75K feet at about m2.8, 100 miles out, m2.25 at 65K feet, 80s miles out they were still above mach 2 and 60K feet.

Richard Graham's book "Flying the SR-71 Blackbird" is a pretty cool read. He goes through every step from getting dressed to climbing out of the plane after the mission.

Will

[jpod999]

I'm bored at work again and looking at the Amazon side of Peru. Any idea what the three planes sitting in Pucallpa are?

https://www.google.com/maps/place/8%C2%B023'22.1%22S+74%C2%B034'34.6%22W/@-8.389461,-74.5784657,916m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d-8.389461!4d-74.576277

[slothonaleash]

^^Two DC3's and a DC6?

[jpod999]

They must have been there forever!

[BlackbirdM3]

Yes, two DC3s and possibly a DC6, perhaps a DC7. The large helicopter is interesting as well. Perhaps a Sikorsky S56

Will

[BlackbirdM3]

A few pics from the Travis AFB airshow.









I would have rather been at the Chino airshow. It was a much better show.

Will

[ThatM20Guy]

Almost ready to solo for the first time...but I'm leaving for England tomorrow...ugh. Should solo a week after I get back from England though so I'm super excited. Have 20hrs on the book so far and am hoping to fly around 4 hours a week this summer.


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[ThatM20Guy]

Almost ready to solo for the first time...but I'm leaving for England tomorrow...ugh. Should solo a week after I get back from England though so I'm super excited. Have 20hrs on the book so far and am hoping to fly around 4 hours a week this summer.


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[flyboyx]

The most efficient and and least expensive way is to blast through it as quickly as possible. At the early stages of training, skills atrophy after a week or so of not being in the plane.

Hell, after a couple weeks of vacation, I'm usually a bonehead for the first leg or two.

[ThatM20Guy]

The most efficient and and least expensive way is to blast through it as quickly as possible. At the early stages of training, skills atrophy after a week or so of not being in the plane.



Hell, after a couple weeks of vacation, I'm usually a bonehead for the first leg or two.

Oh yeah if I don't fly for like two weeks you can definitely tell from the landings. Altitude and airspeed management are totally wack on the base and final and crosswind corrections are f'ed up. I normal can save the landing right before but the setup is pretty scratchy


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[ThatM20Guy]

Well I am hopefully going to solo next weekend...hopefully! Right around the 20-25 hr mark and just finished the groundschool part of it so all that is left is the flying. Super excited!

[flyboyx]

if you are having trouble with something, shoot me a pm. i can probably give you some advice to help you out.

[ThatM20Guy]

if you are having trouble with something, shoot me a pm. i can probably give you some advice to help you out.

Thanks man!

Couldn't solo this morning because the winds picked up from 010 10kt to 020 14ktG22 in the 20 min it takes for me to drive out to the airport. Pretty bummed but rescheduled for very early Sunday morn so I'll let you guys know how that goes!


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[flyboyx]

damn. it will take forever at that rate...... i've been there. sucks!!!!! just keep on keeping on.

i'll be thinking about you fuckers on my overnight in san diego this week when i am chilling at a gastropub in the gas lamp.(light?)

[LateFan]

We just roasted ourselves at our airport touring a B-25, a B-24, a B-17, and a P-51. Heat stroke warnings and we’re on a black taxiway.

The Mustang has an elongated bubble - converted in 1951 to a dual control trainer. They took passengers up for $3000/hour. We demurred. But we got to see it from 50’ away, firing up, pivoting around one wheel, taxiing, and taking off on a little taxiway in no time. Completely impressive. We’ve only seen them at 5000 feet or in a museum. They were concerned about overheating (it's almost 100 today) so they gave it light throttle until about 8000', then it ran pefectly. I was totally impressed with how well tuned it was and how easily it started up each time.

I recognized a friend who has since moved back home to the east coast. He was a pilot while I knew him here (had a 172). Just visiting, with his kids. I was about to ask, Who drops $3000 for a ride in an airplane?…when he said, Wow, that was great, that’s something I’ve always wanted to do!!

They flew all the way down the Bitterroot valley, and the pilot (who is 21) let him fly level from the back, then some big banked turns. He then said, Well you seem pretty comfortable, want to do a roll? Yike!

The B-24 took a load of paying passengers (now that's a starting sequence, turning over all the engines by hand), sat at the end of the runway for 20 minutes, and taxied back and unloaded. Then guys with a ladder climbed up and took an engine panel off and scratched their heads. Probably a big insurance risk to take it up with passengers if not 100%.