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*huff* *puff* *gasp* *wheeze*

By Bill on February 15, 2009 | | Comments (20) | TrackBacks (1)
Okay, while John's been regaling all o' y'all with guided cubicle tours, I've been dodging rotor blades and UAVs.

'Member back in January I told you we'd cranked up the Rotary Wing side of the IqAF Flight School?

Well, after weeks of front-loading the kaydets with academics and testing their Levels of Learning, today was payday.

I've been spending the day out at our stagefield, which we share with the Shadow UAV guys. Got pix, got vids, got no more time to post, buuuuuuuut --



Heh. That's an Iraqi cadet at the controls with an American 'Structor Pilot. First Flight of the Fledglings.

Twenty knot crosswind, Those-Who-Count standing off to the side, swirling dust, smoke from the burn pit, and the UAV guys just got a live mission.

Life is fun again!

Back to the stagefield -- time to bring the night shift out.

BTW, I saw that ad on the bus, John. Eat yer heart out... heh...


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Dawn Patrol 02/17/09 from The Dawn Patrol on February 17, 2009 3:03 PM

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and other sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a li... Read More

20 Comments

By FbL on February 15, 2009 9:13 AM
Congratulations!  Another step forward for the Iraqis!
 
By John (not the armorer) on February 15, 2009 1:10 PM
Keep up the good work!

Unemployment looms for costly Instructor pilot al-Amriki.......
 
By John of Argghhh! on February 15, 2009 1:28 PM
Whatever it takes to get you to post, Bill.

Whatever it takes...

8^ )
 
By bad cat robot on February 15, 2009 1:38 PM
I took a motorcycle class yesterday.  The stoont vehicle provided for me had a clamp on one handlebar helpfully labled "up", with an arrow.  (I think that was for guidance arranging the mirror the clamp was attached to, but it was funnier to ignore that part.)  Do you have helpful "up" signs for your stoonts, Bill?
 
By Argent on February 15, 2009 1:56 PM
Well you got it off the ground well done.

stoont, now there's a word I've never seen before.
 
By Cricket on February 15, 2009 5:30 PM
You must be a proud Papa Roc.
 
By Josh on February 15, 2009 10:43 PM
Stoont = Student - enunciation?
 
By BillT on February 15, 2009 10:57 PM
Unemployment looms for costly Instructor pilot al-Amriki.......

One ace on the table -- I replace *three* costly Murrican Army 'Structor Pilots.

One ace up the sleeve -- I'm the only one here who's an Aerial Gunnery 'Structor Pilot, too....
 
By BillT on February 15, 2009 11:08 PM
Josh -- Yup. A stoont is a yoot in attendants at an edjimacationul institoot.

Cricket -- Well, I *have* been told I rock, y'know...
 
By Josh on February 15, 2009 11:45 PM
Wise a stoont gotta be a yoot?  Stoonts kin be auld or yung (or Jung).
 
By BillT on February 16, 2009 5:27 AM
Careful, Josh -- Cricket's a stoont...
 
By AFSister on February 16, 2009 8:39 AM
Sweet.  Pushing the fledgling out of the roost for their first flight.  SO cool.
 
By Cricket on February 16, 2009 12:51 PM
Heh.  As much as I have wanted to learn to fly, I am so afeared of heights that I would skim the surface.  IOW, I would never get any higher than barely lifting off the ground.  However, my fears do not lessen the respect I have for someone who can do what you're doing.  Thanks, BillT, for making the world a safer and better place.
 
By Barb on February 16, 2009 1:31 PM
Bill's afraid of heights ... never stopped him ;-)
 
By Josh on February 17, 2009 4:54 AM
Hey Cricket, low flying is the most fun anyway!
 
By BillT on February 17, 2009 7:26 AM
I'm not *afraid* of height -- I'm scared spitless of it.

Doesn't mean I won't climb a set of porch steps in a life-or-death situation, though...
 
By Josh on February 17, 2009 8:05 AM
I wouldn't recommend it Bill, those porches are more likely to kill you than whatever you're running away from...
 
By Cricket on February 17, 2009 5:08 PM
I get vertigo in the car park at the Grand Canyon.  I *could* fly, but it would take lotsa hours and remedial assistance in the simulator.  But it doesn't mean that I wouldn't ever try...just that I am grateful I don't have to find out.  Yet.
 
By BillT on February 18, 2009 12:48 AM
Josh -- Running *from*?

Ehhhhh -- he don't know me vewwy well, do he?
 
By BillT on February 18, 2009 12:54 AM
Cricket -- I got the sim up to 30,000 feet to take "aerial photos" of the entire training area for a briefing (Google Earth has seams running through the oilfields). Didn't bother me a bit, because the *floor* never moves...