Christmas 2007

Well another Christmas has come and gone. Not sure how many of them I have left in my life but I hate seeing them go now more than when I was a kid. Now I know I'm on the downside of life so I cherish every one even more.

Started the day by sleeping in until 10:30 then got up and exchanged gifts with Lori and Hunter. I was amazed at how well Cheese could open gifts. He used both his paws and nose to tear open the gifts and then would parade around the living room with his prize.

The highlight of my gifts was the F-18A Hornet in Blue Angels colors (in the picture) that Lori got me. As you know I'm a nut for military aircraft and especially Navy aircraft. I wasted no time putting it together today and look forward to flying it. As I get more pictures I will share them with you here.

I got Lori several items she wanted including new cook ware. She's needed it for a while and it brought a smile to my face that she was so excited about it. While I would have chose other things, she really wanted it so I guess it's a great gift.

We went to mom and dads at 4 pm. Me and Lori along with Mike, Jackie, Collin and Todd were there. We had ham, cheese potatoes and sausage that Mike made. It was really good as usual.

After dinner we exchanged gifts and watched some TV. We went home around 7 pm and we watched some TV. Survivor man was running a marathon all day on Discovery so we watched that. Lori went to bed around 10 pm and I finished working on the plane.

Just wanted to let Toni, Carl and the kids know me and Lori thought of them all day and was wondering how their Christmas went. We also mentioned that we look forward to the next time we get together. So for now I just want to say that I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that you enjoy this holiday week. I'll post again later this week to wish everyone a happy new year.

Merry Christmas

As I sit here writing this, it's now 10:35 and we're an hour and twenty five minutes from Christmas Eve.

At 44 years old I still get excited about the Holiday as when I was 10. Though it's not about the gifts any more, but just the feeling of Christmas and those Christmas of my past.

Gone are the days of sleepless nights waiting for Santa to arrive. The anxiety of hoping Santa did not miss our house. The anticipation of being the first one up and looking down the hall to see the gifts beneath the tree. The running to wake up my bother, sisters and mom and dad.

How ever the memories are as vivid as though it was only yesterday. During the holiday season I revisit those memories often while staring at the Christmas tree late at night when I'm alone. I often wonder what it must have been like for Lori on Christmas morning. I imagine much the same as mine.

As we eat Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow I'll think of all the meals at that table from Christmas past. I'll also be thinking of my sister Toni and her husband Carl along with their four wonderful children. While my heart will be heavy that they can not be there, I rest easy knowing they are building a foundation of memories for their children that some day they can reflect upon with fond memories. I'll also remember how great it was seeing them this past week and being thankful that we got to spend some quality time with them this holiday season.

As you can see in the picture, I now have 100 lbs of cheese to treat to Christmas. He already knows there are presents for him and lays by the door where they are stashed. In much the same we were as kids at Christmas, Hunter is now. He already has opened his gifts from Uncle Carl, Aunt Toni and the kids. He has not missed a night playing with them yet.

So as you read this, I hope your having a wonderful Christmas. I'll be thinking of all this Christmas and I'm comforted knowing we are all healthy and happy this holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Managed to get out and fly today

Finally found a day where I could get out and fly. The temperature was cold but the wind was only at about 3 mph. So I figured I may not get another chance this year to fly, so to EC I went.

It did not start out good as while I was puting the battery in the Spitfire the radio started chirping indicating the batteries were low. I guess it was better then than in the air. So ground the Spitfire and bring out the Mustang.(pictured).

The Mustang took to the skies with no problems. It did seem a little more sluggish in the cold weather but still performed well. I drew quite the crowd while flying it. This seemed unusual as I fly there allot in the summer and draw little attention. My only guess is the Mustang is a real eye catcher and I never fly it there. I always fly the Mustang at LCCC.

One of the spectators was a guy named George. He flew a few times with me this summer and is still learning. His problem is he buys planes that really do not perform well. He also buys planes out of his skill level. He would always tell me they were for his grandson Tommy, but I only saw Tommy there once. My guess is grandpa like flying more than grandson. For what he's spent in planes and rebuilding them after crashes he could have a real nice trainer plane. But what do I know. Now he sees the Mustang and insist he has to have one. I explained it's probably one of the hardest planes to fly and recommended others. Well that flew right over his head so I'm sure I'll see a mustang in pieces up there this spring.

After he left I switched batteries in the remotes and took the Spitfire up. Most say that the Spitfire is the most beautiful fighter to ever grace the skies. I have to admit that it does look quite majestic flying around. While not as flashy and fast as the Mustang, the rounded wings and smooth lines really look impressive. So after about 12 minutes of flying and dreaming what it would have been like to have flown one in WWII, the battery was getting low so I brought it in for a perfect landing. I still want to fly it in the country one day so I can see what it may have looked like back then flying above the French country side. Oh well there's always next summer.

The roads are now packed with Christmas shoppers and driving is not fun to say the least. Every blue hair in Lorain county is at the malls backing into each other. Kids are running through them with pants down to their knees and soccer moms are driving their mini vans like they own the highway cutting everyone in sight off. Oh the joys of the season.

Through all that and work I still have the holiday spirit. I look forward to seeing Toni, Carl and the kids next week. For now it's time to go feed chocolate cheese and watch some history channel.

December 7, 1941 A Timeline Of Events

The following is a timeline of events which took place the morning of December 7, 1941. Please observe 1 minute of silence this Friday in remembrance of those who gave their lives that dreadful day.

03:42 Minesweeper CONDOR sights periscope off Honolulu Harbor ...notifies patrol destroyer WARD to investigate.

04:58 Minesweeper Crossbill and Condor enter Pearl Harbor... defective submarine net remains open.

06:00 - 200 miles south of Oahu carrier ENTERPRISE launches 18 aircraft to scout ahead...then to land at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor...ETA 0800.

06:30 Destroyer WARD again notified of submarine sighting this time by supply ship ANTARES off Pearl Harbor entrance...Navy patrol plane (PBY) dispatched to the scene.

06:45 WARD opens fire on target hitting conning tower...as she closes in drops depth charges..air attack by PBY follows.

06:53 WARD'S commander Captain Outerbridge sends message to Commandant 14th Naval District: "We have attacked, fired upon and dropped depth charges upon submarine operating in defensive sea area".

07:00 Commander Fuchida flying towards Oahu directs his pilots to home in on local radio station. 0702 Private's Lockhard and Elliott of Opana Radar Station pick up what appears to be a flight of unidentified aircraft bearing in 132 miles north of Oahu...discussion follows.

07:06 Private Elliott phones switchboard operator Joseph McDonald at Information Center, Ft. Shafter, telling of a large formation of aircraft approaching the Island.

07:15 Capt. Outerbridge's attack message, delayed in decoding is delivered to duty officer, 14th Naval District, and to Admiral Kimmel's duty officer...Japanese launch 2nd wave of 168 assault aircraft.

07:20 Joseph McDonald finding Lt. Tyler in Information Center, calls Opana and patches Lt. Tyler thru to Private Lockard who describes the large flight picked up on radar and is told, "Well don't worry about it." ( see Pvt.Joseph McDonald's account under the Survivor Remembrances "An Army Private is one of the 1st to know of the coming attack)"

07:33 Important message from Gen Marshall from Washington to Short received via RCA in Honolulu...cablegram has no indication of priority...messenger Tadao Fuchikami proceeds on normal route.

07:35 Reconnaissance plane from cruiser CHIKUMA reports main fleet in Pearl Harbor.

07:39 Opana Station loses aircraft on radar 20 miles off coast of Oahu due to "dead zone" caused by surrounding hills.

07:40 1st wave sights North Shore of Oahu...deployment for attack begins.

07:49 Commander Fuchida orders attack...all pilots to begin assault on military bases on Oahu.

07:53 Fuchida radios code to entire Japanese Navy "TORA TORA TORA" indicating success...maximum strategic surprise...Pearl Harbor caught unaware.

07:55 Island wide attack begins...Japanese dive bombers to strike airfields Kaneohe, Ford Island, Hickam, Bellows, Wheeler, Ewa...Aerial torpedo planes begin their run on ships in Pearl Harbor

08:00 B-17's from the mainland reach Oahu after 14 hour flight...Aircraft from carrier ENTERPRISE arrive Ford Island...both caught between enemy and friendly fire.

08:02 Machine guns on battleship NEVADA open fire on torpedo planes approaching her port beam...two planes hit...however one missile tears huge hole in ship's port bow.

08:05 Repair ship VESTAL moored outboard of battleship ARIZONA opens fire...Admiral Kimmel arrives CINCPAC headquarters..Battleship CALIFORNIA receives second torpedo "portside at frame 110"... prompt action directed by Ensign Edgar M. Fain prevents ship from capsizing...High level bombers begin their run "on both bows" of battleship row.

08:08 KGMB radio interrupts music calling for: "All Army, Navy, and Marine personnel to report to duty"... High level bombers unleash armour piercing, delayed action bombs from altitude of 10,000 feet scoring hits on battleships.

08:10 Forward magazines on battleship ARIZONA suddenly ignite resulting in a tremendous explosion and huge fireball sinking the battleship within nine minutes...concussion of explosion blows men off repair ship VESTAL.

08:12 General Short advises entire Pacific Fleet and Washington, "Hostilities with Japan commenced with air raid on Pearl Harbor"

08:15 KGMB interrupts music with 2nd call ordering all military personnel to report for duty.

08:17 USS HELM first of several destroyers to clear Pearl Harbor spots a midget submarine struggling to enter harbor...shots fired misses target...sub frees itself from reef and submerges.

08:25 Using a Browning Automatic Rifle Lt. Stephen Saltzman and Sgt. Lowell Klatt shot down enemy plane making strafing run on Schofield Barracks.

08:26 Honolulu Fire Department responds to call for assistance from Hickam Field...3 firemen killed...6 wounded.

08:30 3rd call out for military via local radio stations.

08:35 Tanker NEOSHO half loaded with high octane aviation fuel moves clear of Battleship Row and oil tanks on Ford Island... Damage reported in city...Police warn civilians to leave streets and return to their homes.

08:39 Seaplane tender CURTISS sights midget sub in harbor and commences to fire..Destroyer MONAGHAN heads for intruder at ramming speed.

08:40 Submarine surfaces after sustaining damage...MONAGHAN hits sub and drops depth charges as she passes...1st explanation over local radio stations. "A sporadic air attack...rising sun sighted on wing tips".

08:50 Lt. Commander Shimazaki orders deployment of 2nd wave over military bases on Oahu.

08:54 Attack run begins...54 high-level bombers hit Naval air stations, 78 dive bombers hit ships in Pearl, 36 fighters circle over harbor to maintain air control.

09:00 Crew of the Dutch liner JAGERSFONTEIN opens up with her guns, the first Allies to join the fight...Radios throughout the island crack out urgent messages "Get off roads and stay off.. Don't block traffic...Stay at home...This is the real McCoy".

09:30 Tremendous explosions rocks destroyer SHAW sending debris everywhere... bomb falls near Governor's home.

10:00 First wave arrives back on carriers, 190 miles north of Oahu.

10:05 Governor Poindexter calls local papers announcing state of emergency for entire territory of Hawaii

10:30 Mayor's Major Disaster Council meets at city hall...Reports from local hospitals pour in listing civilian casualties.

11:00 Commander Fuchida circles over Pearl Harbor...assesses damage then returns to carrier task force...All schools on Oahu ordered to close.

11:15 State of emergency announced over radio by Governor Poindexter.

11:42 As per orders by Army local stations go off the air...General short confers with Governor regarding martial law.

11:46 First report of many false sightings of enemy troops landing on Oahu.

12:10 American planes fly north in search for enemy with negative results.

12:30 Honolulu police raid Japanese embassy...find them burning documents...Blackout to begin at night ordered by Army.

12:40 Governor confers with President Roosevelt regarding martial law...both agree it necessary that the military take over the civilian government.

13:00 Commander Fuchida lands on board carrier AKAGI...discussion follows with Admiral Nagumo and staff concerning feasibility of launching 3rd wave.

13:30 Signal flags on carrier AKAGI orders Japanese task force to withdraw... Territorial director of civil defense orders blackout every night until further notice.

14:58 Tadao Fuchikami delivers message from Washington...message decoded and given to General Short regarding ultimatum from Japan to be given at 1300 Washington time..."Just what significance the hour set may have we do not know, but be on the alert accordingly".

16:25 Governor signs Proclamation...martial law put into effect.

This week Rember Pearl Harbor

Just a reminder to take a minute this Friday to stop and remember those who lost their lives on December 7, 1941.

I'll try to do a post later in the week with my thoughts on that trajic day. Having served in the US Navy, I really have a place in my heart for those men.

I finished my six day 68 hour marathon at work yesterday. I can finally relax for three days and start enjoying the holiday season. The weather today definitely helps with the mood. Tonight Lori and I along with Hunter went for our second trip of the year to the Christmas walk. It was actually really nice. The wind was still blowing at 25 mph and the temperatures cold, but we were the only ones there. So we walked through once turned around and walked it in reverse order. Hunter was actually very well behaved and not acting like the village idiot as he usually does.

Spent some time this afternoon watching and feeding the birds in the back yard. All was well and beautiful until one of the local cooper hawks flew in and ate one of my nuthatches. Now I understand that it is nature, but the hawks have formed a street gang around here. I'm always looking for them to be wearing little blue or red head bands and flashing gang symbols from the tree tops. Perhaps if it continues to get worse, I'll enter the predator roll and start returning fire with the BB gun, just to let them know big brother is on neighborhood watch.

Besides winter kicking into full gear nothing really new is going on. I started a new blog on birds last night but forget the name. LOL. I did send the address to Toni and I'll post it here soon. Hope everyone is in the holiday spirit and good health.

All Is Well In The Flying World

The wind was cranking here in NE Ohio today. I spent most of the day cleaning leafs out of the yard. I got lucky this year and the tree gave up all her leafs in high winds and rains earlier this week. Usually the tree holds onto its leafs like they are gold. That or as I said before it loves seeing how many times I'll rake them.

Right before the sun went down I decided to head to EC and see if the Stryker would fly. The winds were at 6mph which is not a problem. The problem was they were gusting to 16 mph. The recommended wind speed for flying most park flyer airplanes is 7 mph max. Well rules are for everyone else, not me. LOL. So off to EC I went. When I got there the wind was seeming even stronger than I remember. Oh well no guts no glory. Put the battery in the plane and threw it into about 10 mph head wind. It took to the sky as if it was calm, well until it got to altitude. The wind was really screaming up there. So after a couple of barrel rolls and loops I brought it down to a low level and did high speed runs around the field. After about 8 minutes at full throttle the battery was waving the white flag and slowed down. So two more passes around the field and a long landing into the wind it was back on the ground safely. I'm either getting really good at flying or really lucky.

I used the photo of the F-14 because I found it online. The funny thing is the picture was labeled as taken in 1987. If that's true it means I painted it. The story behind it is this. All the F-14's were painted in battle ship grey at the time. The reason for this was it blended better with the water thus making them harder to see by enemy aircraft.

The Navy came out with a policy that every squadron was allowed to paint 1 aircraft in squadron show colors. I was in corrosion control at the time. (painting airplanes) They came to me and asked if I could recreate the paint scheme from just looking at older pictures. Of course I said I could. So they gave me several old pictures and I started the project. Three weeks later I had recreated it. Everyone and their brother was taking pictures of it. The commanding officer at the time (who hated me) looked at it and smiled. He then turned to me and said "I don't like it, repaint it the old colors." I told him not in this life time and he said I did not have a choice. The plane sat like that for about a month and he finally had someone else repaint it. It's nice seeing it again. Later after they were pulled off the Ranger and replaced with the F-18 they repainted them all that color before being decommissioned. I think if you click on the picture you can see the full sized photo. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it.

The New And Improved Stryker F-27B

Well if you look at the picture of the Stryker on the left you'll notice some things have changed from the first one. YES it's new. Why you ask? Well that's easy. On Monday I flew the stryker and it flew great, except I had limited control. Not that I could not control it, but that I could not be Chuck Yeager and fly it inverted or do barrel rolls with it. Soooooo home I go to figure the problem out. I come up with the untested and bright idea to reverse some wiring then reverse the settings on my radio. After this wonderful idea all seemed well except the wind was picking up and rain was on it's way. Sooooooo back to LCCC I go. I launch the plane into the wind it accelerates to about 50 mph and as I'm climbing out a cross wind pushes it a little left. No problem. I give it some stick to the right.....it barrels rolls left and does an inverted power dive into the ground. OOOPPPSSS. Well now it's time to go to the Hobby store and pick up a new body. I get it and come home to investigate what went wrong. Come to find out my hair brained idea of switching the wires was not a good idea. While in my 20 second check I did manage to notice that the elevators worked correctly, I also failed to notice the ailerons were still reversed. This resulted in when I was turning right, I was actually turning left. At that speed and altitude I never stood a chance. So I rebuilt it and all is well now.

For some reason the new one (same parts out of the wrecked one other than the body) now has enough control throw to make the plane do things not for the weak of heart. I also decided to go with a plane black and white paint theme. Funny thing is that when I was done I realized I may have just recreated the space shuttle. Not exactly the look I was going for but hey I have to admit it SHO AM A FINE LOOKING PLANE.

So, it's untested as of yet but hope to fix that this weekend. I'll post and let you know how it goes. Hopefully I won't be reporting another shuttle disaster.

Flying Grounded Due To Weather

The wind and rain came in early today and never let up. From the looks of the forecast it's going to be the same thing all week. The fall to winter transition is definitely in effect. The one lone bright spot today was the Browns lost to the Steelers. While I no longer watch African kickball (The NFL) or the African Ballet (NBA) I still love listening to people in Cleveland complain when they lose. It's a sad state of affairs when the mood of someone for a week is determined by whether or not their "tribe" wins.

I decided to share this video I found on youtube. It's a remote controlled F-14 that will go 280 mph. Perhaps if I sold everything I own then took 2 loans I could afford one. Some people have way to much money. Also notice the paint scheme. It's modeled after VF-1 wolfpack, the squadron I was in. I emailed the gentleman who made it (but never got a reply) to see if he was ever in VF-1 or knew someone who was. It is an awesome plane though.

A Perfect Day For Flying

The winds were not to bad today so I decided to test fly the F-27B Stryker (yesterdays picture) along with my P-47D Thunderbolt. (pictured on the left)

I never flew either plane but was confident in my ability to do it. Doubt always creeps in when you start thinking what mechanical failure can possibly go wrong? Well today the flying gods were smiling and all went well.

I first put the F-27 in the air. It took a low pitch at launch, but then recovered and took to the sky like a bird. I found the plane to be extremely fast but it looked awesome racing through the sky. I need to make a minor adjustment so the plane can barrel roll more smoothly, but other than that she's a keeper.

Next I decided to press my luck and see what would happen with the P-47. This time instead of a hand launch I would try a rolling take off seeing it had landing gear. The bad thing about taking off like this is if the plane is not trimmed correctly you have little time to recover after lift off. All the worrying was for not. The plane lifted to the sky as if it had done it a thousand times. After some trim adjustments once at altitude the plane flew really smooth. So what's left? Well I had to try and land it in a parking lot with out hitting the light poles. Again the flying gods were smiling. I made the perfect approach between the lights and it touched down perfectly. So it was a great day flying. I even put the Mustang in the air for two flights and managed to fly it for a while inverted. So it really was a great day.

When I got home I got a call that my T-28 Trojan was in. It's a Navy trainer from the 50's. It's also my largest airplane. I went and picked it up and put it together. I still need some electronics for it that will have to wait a couple pay checks, but it will be worth the wait. I'll post a picture of it on the right side of the blog. I'll close today's post by saying...."I think I'm ready to go fly combat missions in Iraq and I'll bring my own plane" lol.

I finally finished building the jet in the picture. It's a Stryker F-27B. Tomorrow (winds permitting) I'll try and send it up into the air and see how she performs. Keep your fingers crossed. I'm completely confident I can fly it, just depends on how good of a job I did building it. I'll let you know in my next post.

The weather this week has been typical of early winter/later fall. Rain mixed with snow and occasionally just snow. This evening we got some rain with thunder and lightening mixed in. Tomorrow is looking nice but it turns ugly again Sunday and Monday.

The only other plans this weekend is some house cleaning and perhaps maybe going out tomorrow evening and try some walleye fishing from the pier in Huron.

Work was the same as usual. Just doing the same job except more of it and for less pay. Nice to see the American dream is heading down the toilet. I've already excepted the fact I'll never be rich, but at least I'm happy for the most part. The rest of the week I just spent watching DOG The Canadian hunter try to get out of the mess he created for him self. I do believe he deserves a second chance. I realize that Al Sharpton and company buried the "N" word at a ceremony in Detroit this year. However I'm worried because I think my house is haunted. While they may have buried it, it seems to show up at my house all the time, leading me to believe my house is haunted.lol. Oh well.

Hopefully I'll be able to write again this weekend and say my plane past the test and flew well.

Here Comes Winter

I think we saw the last of the beautiful fall weather today as it made room for a cold front to escort in winter. The temperatures were in the low 60's earlier today and now as I write this it's 43 degrees at 10:25 pm.

I put plenty of fresh food out for the birds today in anticipation of the upcoming cold weather this week. The forecast is calling for highs in the lower 40's with night time lows around 32 degrees. There's a chance of snow each day. As you can see from the black capped chickadee in the picture they are happy to dig right in.

Yesterday was a so so day as flying goes. While I had great success with the new Mustang and old favorite bit the dust. The F4U Corsair that Toni liked (The plane from black sheep) was flying along great when suddenly an aileron froze forcing it to nose over and crash with out any hop of recovering. The fuselage cracked in half and the wing came off. The up side is it was not an expensive airplane and can be replaced. I just hate to see it go. The bright side is that I'll soon have a T-28 Trojan to replace it for the time being. The Trojan is the orange and white airplane I used in a previous post about the Mustang.

Tomorrow is election day here in Elyria. I'm really having a hard time motivating my self to go vote. I've lost all faith in our politicians. There is no way I'll vote for Grace and I refuse to vote republican. I really wish they would form a third party in this country that actually represents the voters and not their self interest. Oh well I'm sure there's a school levy to vote no on.

Remember that Everest beyond the limit is on Tuesday night at 10 pm on The Discovery Channel. The episodes get more exciting as they go on. The teaser for tomorrow is "Everest may have claimed this years first victim."

It may be Friday before I get a chance to post again so have a great week. Check back on Wednesday because that's when I would be most likely to post. If not I hope I'll have some interesting things to post on the weekend.

Veterans Day

I want to take this time to recognize Veterans day. It falls each year on November 11 and seems to get little attention. I hope by writing this that those of you who read it may have a better understanding of it.
As those of you who know me are aware, I served in the US Navy in Fighter Squadron 1 (VF-1 Wolfpack) From February 20, 1985 to February 19, 1989. During those four years I managed to get the Meritorious Unit Accommodation, A Good Conduct Metal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and The Armed Forces Expeditionary Metal.. I received several other accommodations and letters of appreciation during my four year including plane captain of the month for January 1986. The following was the letter I received.

Your outstanding performance, initiative, and dedication to duty have distinguished you among your contemporaries. These qualities have greatly contributed to the squadron’s accomplishments and your special efforts merit your selection as plane captain of the month.
As a plane captain trainee, you consistently give 100%, Always performing beyond expectations. In a very short time you have learned all the necessary requirements of being a plane captain and can be called upon in assisting with the training of others. The sharp manner in which you launch, recover, and turn around aircraft exemplifies your professionalism and conscientiousness. You set the standards for others to follow.
It is through consistent performance by individuals such as yourself that Fighter Squadron ONE is able to fulfill its mission. Your professionalism and devotion to duty reflect great credit upon yourself and are keeping with the highest tradition of the Untied States Navy. On behalf of the officers and men of the “Wolfpack”, I congratulate you on a job well done.

C.V. Parker
Commanding Officer
Fighter Squadron ONE

While this was not one of my greatest accomplishments, it did set the tone for my performance during my four years of service.

My biggest accomplishment and contribution to my self and country was being able to earn the Armed Forces Expeditionary Metal for service in the Persian Gulf during the fall of 1987 during Operation Earnest Will. For 90 days straight we sat at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in the Indian Ocean flying air support for reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Persian Gulf. As you may or may not remember in May of 1987, Iraqi Mirage F-1 fires two Exocet missiles into USS Stark (FFG-31,) mistaking it for an Iranian Tanker killing 37 US Soldiers. The war was between Iran and Iraq and now we are there escorting Kuwaiti ships under the US flag as Iran mined the Gulf , used hit and run attacks with small patrol boats (they started towards the our carrier USS Ranger once but turned away after we sent a couple F-14’s to greet them) and
periodic stop-and-search operations. On several occasions, Tehran fired its Chinese-made Silkworm missiles on Kuwait from Al Faw Peninsula. When Iranian forces hit the reflagged tanker Sea Isle City in October 1987, Washington retaliated by destroying an oil platform in the Rostam field and by using the United States Navy's Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) commandos to blow up a second one nearby.

It was because of these actions we took that I earned the metal. Because of this metal I’m entitled to benefits from the VFW AMVETS and others. The criteria for earning it is as follows:
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal may be awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who after 1 July 1958 participate as members of U.S. military units in a U.S. military operation in which service members of any Military Department participate, in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), in significant numbers and encounter during such participation foreign armed opposition, or are otherwise place in such a position that in the opinion of the JCS, hostile action by foreign armed forces was imminent even though it does not materialize.

So I have definitely earned the right to wear this. I’ve also earned the HONOR of being called a veteran. It seems as each Veterans Day goes by and I observe it silently. I remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice unlike me. I was fortunate enough to be part of a fraternity few will ever know. I hope that by the sacrifices I made at the time made this country a little more secure. That the long days away from my family were not made for nothing. While it was not pleasant, I would not trade it for anything in the world. I’m proud to have served and even more proud of those now serving.

This Veterans day please remember our Veterans. If you know someone who is a veteran take the time to thank them. If they are like me they do not seek praise for their service, but a thank you goes a long way.

Mustang Returns

My Mustang returned to the skies today and flew well other than higher than perfect wind speeds. I managed to fly it twice and both went well. The verdict is still out however until the winds calm down enough to test high rates.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing. I watched the Ohio State game and was delighted to see the beat Wisconsin 38-17. If they win their next two games they will be in the national championship game.

Went out to the garage tonight to get some pork out of the freezer to make some Italian sausage tomorrow. While out there I heard something move and caught a opossum tail moving out of the corner of my eye. So it was into the house to grab a BB gun and flash light. It took me back to my Vietnam days when I was a sniper. (lol) Well old rat tail is still alive because he was gone by the time I returned. He's now made the hit list joining the squirrels. They come under fire every day as they try to raid my bird feeders. I'll keep you updated.

The weather here is getting colder daily. The nights are now down in the low 30's and they days are usually only hitting the mid 50's. I hate to see winter rear his ugly head but I can deal with it until Christmas. After that I begin my count down to spring training and start looking forward to the humming birds returning.

My plans for tomorrow are just enjoying Lori's last day of vacation and getting the planes back in the air before a strong cold front moves through on Monday bringing cold temperatures and high winds with it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Return Of The Mustang

Well today was spent finishing up the Halloween clean up and getting ready for the Thanksgiving decorations.

I stopped at Wild Birds Unlimited and picked up some treats for the birds including some tree nuts. I'll mix them in with other foods and be putting them in the fly through feeders.

Me and Lori stopped at a Chinese place and picked up some sushi. The wind settled down so I decided to try and get one flight in at EC with the Spitfire before the sun set.

The flight was nice though the temperatures were brisk. As I write this at 11:05 pm the current temperature is 36 degrees. When I came home UPS had left my replacement Mustang (shown in the picture) on my door step. I have to work tomorrow but I'm on my scheduled 3 days off after that. Hopefully the third time will be the charm and weather permitting I'll be able to fly it this weekend and there will be no problems.

The forecast is for snow here next Wednesday. Hopefully they will be wrong. I hope no one has gotten sick from eating to much Halloween candy. I'll check back in later this weekend.

Halloween 2007

Well another Halloween has come and gone. It was a beautiful night for it except for about a constant 16 mph wind. This would not have been bad but it played havoc on my fog machine. But everything considered it went well.

I had several comments on how good the cemetery looked. One gentleman said I should charge admission. Several others said it was the best display they saw all night.

One thing me and Lori noticed was the lack of Canadians this year. Perhaps it has to do with national security and they are having a harder time getting across the border. You know the border, the black river which separates us from them. Then again it could have been higher gas prices. The Canadians are not as fond of putting gas in their Cadillacs as they are putting ripple in their guts. Either way it was a nice change.

It seemed the amount of trick or treaters was down in general. But those who did come had some great costumes. Unfortunately Chocolate Cheese had to do his haunting in the house. I tried him for about 45 seconds and that was it. He wanted to taste each trick or treater who came to the house. So he was in charge of guarding the house and the nice raw hide bone I bought for him. Perhaps next year after he attends therapy and they medicate him with some puppy Prozac he'll be able to pass out candy. I'm not holding my breath that either therapy or another year of growing up will help. I guess only time will tell.

So now the stretch for Thanksgiving begins. I already took the Cemetery down and tomorrow I'll start seeing what I can do for Thanksgiving. The thing about this one is it's two fold. While I'll start with Thanksgiving, I'll also start putting Christmas lights up in a couple off weeks so I can flip the switch on them on Thanksgiving night. Always nice being the first on the block and watching the neighbors scramble to catch up. Plus it's so much work it's nice to get a full month out of it.

I hop everyone had a safe Halloween and got lots of goodies. I also hope their mom and dads have plenty of Tums on hand. Cheese is enjoying a chick o stick. Again happy Halloween and don't get so stressed this holiday season that you don't get to enjoy it. Decorate what your comfortable with and soak in each day of the wonderful season.

What a great fall day

Managed to get the grass cut today and put some finishing touches on the yard for Halloween tomorrow. Also started the first of many times cleaning leaves from the yard. That project should be finished sometime in early December. I swear my tree holds on to its leaves just to see how many times it can get me to blow and rake them.

Also freed up some time this evening to get some flying in. I managed to get five planes in the air including the handsome fellow in the picture. While the winds were not kind at first, they eventually settled down and the flying was great.

This evening you can find me glued to the TV at 10 pm watching Everest Beyond The Limit. I watched the entire series last year and have been looking forward to this year. I was amazed to find out that once you enter what they call the death zone, you must be able to walk off or your left there to die. I guess the bright side is the trip to heaven will be shorter at 29,000 feet. I still can't figure out why anyone would climb it knowing the risk. The mountain always wins and NO ONE leaves it with out paying a price. At a minimum you'll have frost bite.

I will post about Halloween tomorrow. Please have a safe and happy one and tell Live, "C" and Reece to save Uncle Scot some candy.

Tambour Battant

This fall as you watch our feathered friends leave remember they do so with a promise to return. They only leave for a short time to complete the cycle of life. Help them in their journey by giving food and water.

Halloween Walk

Went to the Halloween walk tonight with Lori. I have to admit it's not what it use to be. The crowds have grown out of control and the walk it self is not what it use to be.

They have added a Halloween fair, but it has done nothing more than attract trailer trash. The only good thing still left is the Jack-O-Lantern swamp. It is actually better than ever. However, having to deal with the crowds and tripping over kids every three feet is not my idea of a relaxing evening. Oh well there is still the Christmas walk which has only got better each year. Plus you donate a canned food item or money to help the needy to walk it. I try to go at least three times each year. Maybe when you Toni, Chuck and the kids come in this December we can make a trip there with them. With any luck it will be the classic winter walk with a light snow falling.

The video here is of the F-18 I asked Santa for at Christmas. Hopefully the old fellow will have the elf's put one together for me and it will be under the tree. As you know I've always had a love of flying and really love military planes. My world war II collection is about complete and it's time to move on to the modern era. Truth be told there is not a plane out there that I do not love. I'm always amazed seeing them fly. I want to paint the F-18 in blue Angels colors and have the #6 on the tail in tribute to Kevin Davis the Angel who lost his life doing an air show earlier this year and for whom I paid tribute to here on my blog last week.

The birds are gathering at my feeders more and more each day with the falling temperatures. I'm also seeing more variety. Though my emerald jewels (humming birds) are gone for the year, they are now replaced by the dark eyed Juncos (The Snow Bird) as well as several species of migrating birds. I am seeing allot more Carolina Wrens this year. Last fall we only had one, this year there are about five visiting daily. I'm also seeing plenty of Cardinals, Chickadees, White breasted nut hatches, red breasted nut hatches, wood peckers, Gold Finches and Sparrows every day now. I'm hoping the Red Bellied Woodpeckers return soon. They are truly a sight to see.

I plan on doing a bird walk at Sandy ridge in North Ridgeville this week. With any luck I may be able to snap a few pictures and post them here. They have a pair of Bald Eagles nesting there that I see 99% of the time I go there. Pone if you remind me when your here, me and Lori will take you there when you come out. If you want to see a variety of interesting birds, they are usually there.

I'll close tonight wishing everyone a Happy Halloween and with some time off this week I'll be able to update my daily activities. Until next time I hope everyone has a great week.

Well another week has passed. It was business as usual at work. Still pushing hard for the union and the company is pushing back with their never ending lies. Of course we catch them, confront them and they recant. Then they put out more garbage and it starts all over. You would think by this point that there should be no one buying their garbage. Unfortunately there are many who should be wearing hockey helmets and taken out of society. What can you do?

Managed to mail my P-51D mustang back to the manufacturer Monday. It arrived there Wednesday and hopefully it will be back this coming week some time. I look forward to one uneventful flight. The Bombers Squadron restaurant by the airport finally put a P-51 Mustang as well as a P-47D thunderbolt out in front of the restaurant. They are mounted up on poles and look like they are taking off. I look at them every day going to work thing "hmmm I fly your little brothers."

The above picture is my cemetery in the front yard. I have a fog machine and strobe lights as well as a skeleton coming out of the ground which is not shown. I do not want to put the skeleton out early because it will end up getting stolen. Oh well.

We are planning on going to the Halloween walk tomorrow night. It will depend on wether or not the monsoon ends. Right now they are calling for high winds and rain. Keep your fingers crossed and I will post here if we go.

Hope everyone had a great week and I'll post more tomorrow evening.

Remembering Blue Angel LCDR Kevin Davis

Today as I was sitting here watching the windy conditions and thinking about flying, I remembered the tragic accident which took place on April 21 of this year.

While flying an air show in South Carolina, LCDR Kevin "Kojak" Davis lost his life.

Kevin reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, for Officer Candidate School and aviation indoctrination in September 1996. He completed primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and transferred to NAS Meridian, Mississippi, for intermediate and advanced flight training. While there, he flew the T-2C Buckeye and TA-4J Skyhawk, and received his wings of gold in June 1999.

Kevin reported to Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) at NAS Oceana, Virginia, for training in the F-14 Tomcat and was the “Top Stick” in his class. In July 2000 he reported to the VF-11 “Red Rippers” where he completed deployments aboard the aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). While with the “Red Rippers,” Kevin served as the airframes/corrosion branch officer, air-to-ground training officer and head landing signals officer. His deployments included extended operations in the North Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In July 2003, Kevin transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet through Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125) at NAS Lemoore, California, and then reported to the Fighter Composite Squadron (VFC-12) “Omars,” stationed at NAS Oceana, Virginia. While at VFC-12, Kevin served as a Navy adversary pilot providing valuable air-to-air training for fleet squadrons. In December of 2004, Kevin graduated from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) as an adversary pilot. During his tour at VFC-12, Kevin worked as the schedules officer, legal officer, FRS/SFARP officer and assistant operations officer.

Kevin joined the Blue Angels in September 2005. He has accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours and 200 carrier arrested landings. His decorations include the Air Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various personal and unit awards.

So when observing Veterans day, Memorial day or just enjoying an air show, remember Kevin and his contributions to this great country and the millions of smiles he brought to peoples faces while performing with the Navy's Blue Angels.

Tribute To Blue Angel #6

Kevin flew Angel 6. He died April 21, 2007 while performing at Beaufort MACS, South Carolina. He'll never be forgoten.

Dreams

There is no greater rush in the world as watching these guys perform.

Saturday October 20, 2007

Another beautiful fall day here in northern Ohio. The temperature is about 66 and sunny. The down side is the winds are pretty high at about 15 mph so flying is out today.

So I managed to get the grass cut and I'm watching the Ohio State vs Michigan State game. All is well right now with Ohio State up 17-0 at half time.

This evening will find me and Lori glued to the TV watching the Indians knocking the Boston Red Sox out of the play offs and moving on to the world series.

I did get a letter from Olivia today that really brightened up my day. If you read this Pone let her know I got it and loved it.

Other than Hunter (AKA Chocolate Cheese) helping me with some yard work today, it's going to be a day just to relax and enjoy the wonderful fall weather. May go on the Halloween walk at the duck ponds tomorrow. If I do I'll post about it here. If not we will definitely be there next weekend. Enjoy the picture of Hunter, you can tell he was not thrilled.

Thursday October 18, 2007

Well approaching the end of another week and looking forward to the weekend. It was another typical week at work where everything always seems to go backwards. The good new was we filed again for the third time to get a union at work. The company has already started their anti union campaign. Oh well I guess it's to be expected. Just can't believe the garbage which comes out of their mouths. I guess some were just born to be RATS.

Looking forward to a nice weather weekend here in Ohio. It was in the 70's today and is expected to stay there through the weekend. Needless to say that after some house work I'll be looking forward to relaxing while watching some birds and hopefully getting some flying in. Speaking of flying, Parkzone the company who makes my Mustang said for me to just mail the plane in and they will replace it. While I do not agree I should pay for the shipping, it's better than losing a complete airplane that was not my fault like I have in the past. I'll count my blessings and be happy to get a new one.

Hope this posting finds everyone well. I'll try to post a more detailed post this weekend. Also I'll try and get some pictures of the cemetery in the front yard and post them here. Have a great weekend and hope the fall weather is great where ever you may be.

F-14 Tomcat Anytime Baby!

Here's some video of the raw power of the Tomcat. I was lucky enough to see this on a daily basis from 1985 - 1989. I'll be building one this winter to fly with remote control.

Today was another beautiful fall day here in NE Ohio.

I started it by sleeping in until early afternoon. Not sure why, but it did feel good. I then treated my self to a breakfast/lunch of a hot dog. May as well start it healthy.

I then decided to (what else?) go flying. I loaded my planes and headed to LCCC around 4:30pm.

I started with my Spitfire and it flew fantastic. I was thinking to my self nothing could be more relaxing (other than hunting or fishing) at the time. So after about a 12 minute flight the battery was running low and I knew it was time to land.

Next in my flying circus was my Mustang. After just getting it yesterday I was really looking forward to flying it. WELL that was until my third time around the field. Now the Ghost of the Red Barron was on board. The plane started doing crazy things and the motor was pulsing. Recognizing the problem I started flying a pattern to land. The plane seemed to mellow unlike me. I was mad this was happening again. Well I was on final and getting ready to land when the Ghost hopped in the seat again. He first killed the throttle, turned right and nosed down then decided "why not throttle up and go in hard?" I was lucky the plane was low and only suffered minor damage. How ever I also know the hobby store will try and pin it on me because there is damage. So I brought the plane home and put a receiver from another plane in it and it's fine. I'll have it back in the air tomorrow.

After cooling off I was joined by my friend Chris who I met flying at EC this year. He flew some off his planes as did his daughter who flys very well. He designs and builds allot of his and I love when he brings something new and gets it flying.

While I was flying my F4U Corsair, his daughter got out their video camera and recorded me flying. I made several low level fly bys and she caught them all. I grabbed the video off off You Tube. It's on the page entitle flight of the GWS Corsair. It was getting late but you can still enjoy it.

Time permitting I'll post again tomorrow. I do work Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 to 9:30 so I may not post those days. I will try to post something but make no promises. The bright side is hopefully I'll have a good week and be able to post it here. Until next time take care.

Flight of the GWS Corsair #1

Flying My Corsair at LCCC October 14, 2007. Just doing low speed low level fly bys

Saturday October 13, 2007

Today was a typical fall day in northern Ohio. The temperature was cool in the upper 50's with a mix of sun and clouds. I really appreciate these days other than the winds were between 12-15 mph and I really wanted to go flying.

So as I watched the weather I got a phone call from my local Hobby store. They called to tell me that my Spitfire that my nephew Colin broke was finally in. I was happy because I had paid them the $180 for the replacement a month ago. I asked if they also happened to get my P-51 Mustang in as well. I bought it and during the first flight I realized that there was a problem with the electronics as the engine was pulsing. After sever anxious minutes I was able to land the plane and back it went. As luck would have it, the plane was on back order. Well it did. So now I had two new planes to fly. I put the Mustang and Spitfire together and as luck would have it the winds did calm. Not as low as I would like, yet I knew I could manage them.

I also worked on my original plane a Parkzone Super Cub this week. I was proud of my self to be able to fix it and was looking forward to flying an old favorite.

I started with the Cub and she did not let me down. The plane looks so nice in the air. It did break its own speed record on down wind runs as the wind was moving at higher altitude.

From there I moved on the my F4U Corsair. If you are familiar with the show Black Sheep Squaron, it was the plane they flew on the show. It's a more difficult aircraft to fly, but it really takes you back in time when it's in the air.

Next was the new Mustang. The P-51 Mustang was the number 1 fighter aircraft of all times. his plane still thrills audiences at air shows each year. The plane flew and looked great in the air. I took it up twice and both flights really had my heart racing. I look forward to flying them for my sister Toni's kids.

I also was happy to have the Spitfire up and flying again. It was sometimes referred to the plane that saved a nation during WWII. It is the smoothest of all the airplanes I fly.

I quit flying right at sun set and went home to watch my Cleveland Indians beat the Boston Red Sox 13-6 in extra inning.

As for those of you who love feeding and watching birds, the first dark eyed junco was spotted in my yard today. It's often referred to the snow bird so as much as I lived seeing it, it's also a sign that winter is right around the corner.

Also I spotted a tufted titmouse feeding in one of my feeders out back today. When I first started feeding birds, the titmouse was the first birds I tried to attract. While I've had everything else on a regular basis, I have only seen a titmouse a couple of years ago. I'm hoping this one sets up shop and graces my back yard for years to come.

I do plan on flying again tomorrow and will once again post how it went here. Also if there are any new birds that show up I'll be sure and post them on here.

Have a great Sunday and I look forward to sharing my next post.