Air-Minded: A Matter of Some Gravity
Here’s a way to think about pulling Gs and why it hurts: if you weigh 200 pounds, at 9 Gs you’ll weigh 1,800. Consider that for a moment. Ready for your centrifuge ride?
Air-Minded: Manly Men Fly Fighters
I wrote this post in December 2009. The events I described occurred some 30 years earlier. Things that once seemed as if they’d never change did change … for the better, I have to admit. My wife and I went to her salon and got pedicures. I haven’t quite digested the experience, or decided if […]
Air-Minded: On a Boom and a Prayer
Fighters don’t carry a lot of fuel, and what they carry they burn at a great rate.
Air-Minded: Air Museum Update
I’m in … I’ll do my best to make it work, but will it still be fun? That remains to be seen. It’s a good thing I love old planes and learning new things, is all I have to say for now.
Air-Minded: True Story, Fake Video
This is an older post, originally posted in March 2008, updated to correct some details I got wrong the first time around. —Paul A friend sent me a link to this History Channel video, which has been circulating on the internet for several years: He wanted to know if the video was for real … […]
Air-Minded: Tactical Callsigns
This one’s from the Air-Minded archive, originally published in December 2004. When I flew fighters, my tactical callsign was Skid. How did I get a name like that? Simple: I blew a tire. But enough about my sex life! Callsigns, as often as not, are based on screw-ups, minor mishaps, and embarrassing personal traits. I […]
Air-Minded: Magnesium Overcast Revisited
A few years ago I wrote a short post about the B-36 Peacemaker bomber. Here’s an excerpt: … even though I was around during the B-36 bomber’s heyday I never saw one in flight. It’s not something you’d forget: it would have been akin to seeing the Hindenburg or a tidal wave. They say the ground shook […]
Air-Minded: Cancel Order! (Updated)
I corrected a couple of minor errors in the original post. I have since learned more about early presidential aircraft, and will share that knowledge in a separate post, coming soon. —Paul When I read the president-elect’s now-famous tweet a few days ago, my thoughts turned to two presidential fleet aircraft I show visitors at the Pima Air […]