Hurry Up and Wait, Part Deux

June 29, 2007 | | Comments (13)

Well, today was "Draw the Last of the Flight Gear" Day. While popping a pair of new boots, two sand-colored T-shirts, a set of gloves, et cetera into a shopping cart that had never seen actual sunlight, a late-twentysomething A-10 driver eyed my lanky, grey-haired carcass and fished, "Going to the Sandbox?"

"Ummmm -- the periphery of one of 'em, yeah."

"Hauling people or cargo? Or both?"

Heh. Time to play the "My Ops Are Blacker Than Your Ops" game.

"Neither. Gunships."

*eyes opening wider* "Whoa! You're flying Spectre?"

"Nope. Cobras. Goggle stuff."

"Cobras? *Helicopters*?"

"Yeah. I like to get close enough to see the look on their faces."

*blink* "Uhhhhh."

*grin*

New kids. I love it when they go speechless...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

However, karma must equalize, so my payback was that the Cobra I was supposed to fly for recurrent training isn't flyable anymore. Got feelers out to the usual places (there actually *are* a couple of de-mil'ed Cobras with civil registrations out there), but in the meantime, my employer decided -- and rightly so -- that

1. it would be a waste of funds to keep me cooped in a motel here in the scenic South and

2. my scrounging talents would be better utilized at the personal level, rather than electronically.

Yup. I have a mission (and contacts) to obtain some unobtainables. Still working the telecommuting details, but tomorrow this afternoon, I launch into the Danger Zone.

New Jersey.

And KtLW's honeydew list.

I'd almost rather be getting shot at...

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13 Comments

By Barb on June 29, 2007 12:04 AM
NOoooo! Not the *gasp* HoneyDew list?! The scrupl's will be happy to see Bigfoot, though. Maybe you can get a pic of Gaby trying on your flight helmet ... *grin*
 
By BillT on June 29, 2007 12:23 AM
More likely, she'll try to burrow into it. Naturally, since she's an Australian shepherd, she's -- ahem -- a digger...
 
By Beth on June 29, 2007 6:17 AM
Don't feel too bad, Bill. John's honeydew list of things to do is about 2 miles long, now that we are purchasing the Land of Argghhh!
 
By John of Argghhh! on June 29, 2007 7:15 AM
Heeellllllpppppppp mmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeee....
 
By BillT on June 29, 2007 8:03 AM
Sorry, Toto. You're still in Kansas...
 
By Tim on June 29, 2007 9:20 AM
So you're invading Jersey with attack helos? Maybe you can finish off what the Air Force started.
 
By Heartless Libertarian on June 29, 2007 10:56 AM
There was a Cobra at the airshow in Olympia a couple weeks ago that looked flyable. And another that looked like Bill had flown it more than a few times. Course, they also had a BAe Lightning fighter that looked flyable, too, till you looked down the intake and realized you were also looking OUT the tailpipe.
 
By BillT on June 29, 2007 11:51 AM
It's flyable but it's a cosmetically-altered G-model -- the critter I need is an ECAS or -S(Prod), aka AH-1F. Different basic weight and c.g., flight control configuration (fewer buttons and switches to fiddle with), engine and power train, hydraulics and electrical system, main rotors, electronic countermeasures, weapons systems, flight characteristics and emergency procedures. It'd be like taking a flight in a Piper Cub to get signed off for a P-51...
 
By Grumpy on June 29, 2007 2:00 PM
BillT, I'm a really GRUMPY old hermit. I own the old family homestead built in the late 20's. It needed a great deal of work. If I wanted to stay here, I needed to do something. Well, over time I had some money saved up, not much in some people's eyes. But as it turned out, it was enough. I talked with my doctor, he said, "Don't even consider it! Here's a phone number and talk with them, they are the County and they'll help you. With your ratings, you shouldn't have a problem." To make that portion of a long story shorter, he was right. As it came time to set up contracts for the job, there was always something missing. I was looking on the web and I found this image. You see this car driving on the road to Kabul, driver on the right hand side of the car. He looks into the outside rear view mirror, he sees an Apache Gun Ship coming up his tailpipe at low altitude. Everything is just slowly moving along, but we're getting there. Then this one day towards the end of the project, most of the guys were working outside. Then I here this blood curdling scream, "GRUMPY, GET OUT HERE, NOW!!" There were 2 Super Sea Stallions flying low on approach to a Marine Corps. benefit. One of the guys was older and P.O.W. Vet. We both looked at each other and then looked at them, I asked, "Well?" Guess what, the next day, they worked a little later and finished up the project. The next day they came back for the inspections, they failed on 2 minor issues. For the amount of work, they did well. This included a complete rehab of the house. This means, rewiring the whole house, new roof, all new windows, siding, new kitchen and new bath. Yes, the inspections are important. If you have a fire and non-inspected work done on your house, many fire insurance companies do not pay out. It is interesting, your comment about New Jersey. Our family has been in South Jersey since before the Revolutionary War. BillT, I just want to thank you for your sense of humor, I enjoyed it immensely. Grumpy
 
By Pogue on June 29, 2007 2:00 PM
Are there any F's still operational in the US oustide of Bell? I thought the Marines were the only ones flying Cobras now, and while a W or Z would be fun, that probably wouldn't work for you either... I'm so envious - I'm trying to figure a way to talk my way into helicopters in the Guard. I don't think they'll waiver someone of my advanced age for CWOT, but maybe I can work my way into a crew position. Until then, do you need someone to carry your helmet bag, sir?
 
By Cricket on June 29, 2007 3:13 PM
I knew you had that look of kewl. The Engineer just didn't have the eyesight for a pilot. You will be living his dream. Good on you, Chief.
 
By Cricket on June 29, 2007 3:17 PM
I think Beth just named the Never Never Place. "Land Of Argghhh!" It sounds good to me.
 
By BillT on June 29, 2007 9:04 PM
Hiya, Grumpy -- If you travel Red Lion Road any, look for the 3-story (okay, 2-story with a haunted attic) across the road from the field with the mules grazing. That was my digs from '76 through '80; the first story was the old stage depot. Pogue -- There were at least six F-models I know of that didn't go for FMS (Foreign Military Sales) or get dumped into the Gulf of Mexico as part of Operation Reefbuilder. Kicker is that the idiots running the program were in such a hurry to get an Attaboy by finishing ahead of schedule that several aircraft were deep-sixed before they were defueled -- as in, "Fly this thing out to the barge and shut it down. Then get out and stand clear." *splash* *blorp* The fuel cells are thick, tough and self-sealing, but in about 10 more years there's gonna be a *lot* of vintage JP-8 drifting off the Corpus coastline when the fuel caps rust through... Cricket -- My eyesight varies from 20/20 to about 20/25, depending on the time of day. My hearing's still shot, though -- plus a lo-freq warble and cicadas, 24/7. And I betcha the Engineer knows he's got the better deal right now, dream or no dream. *grin* Ummmm -- that's not precisely a "look of kewl" displayed on the masthead. I was just really, *really* hung over...