25 years ago, Brian Shul and Walter Watson made a short incursion into Libyan airspace. Though the Libyans noticed their incursion and decided to do something about it – firing a couple of most likely SA-2 and SA-4 surface-to-air missiles capable of Mach 5 and reaching the altitude our heroes were flying (at or over 100,000ft – airliners fly at around 30-35,000ft.
I estimated that we could beat the rocket-powered missiles to the turn and stayed our course, betting our lives on the plane’s performance.
After several agonizingly long seconds, we made the turn and blasted toward the Mediterranean ‘You might want to pull it back,’ Walter suggested. It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles full forward. The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit. It was the fastest we would ever fly. I pulled the throttles to idle just south of Sicily , but we still overran the refueling tanker awaiting us over Gibraltar.
To give you an idea of how fast that is, the distance involved here is between 800 and 1,000 miles (Houston-Tucson, Houston-Savannah). At the speed they were going, they would have covered that distance in about 20-30 minutes, then blown by a tanker flying around 500mph.
One day, high above Arizona , we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. ‘Ninety knots,’ ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. ‘One-twenty on the ground,’ was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was ‘Dusty 52, we show you at 620 on the ground,’ ATC responded. The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter’s mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, ‘ Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground.’ We did not hear another transmis sion on that frequency all the way to the coast.
There’s a similar story where a pilot contacts ATC:
Pilot: Request clearance to flight level 1,000 (100,000ft)
ATC: Sure, if you can get there.
Pilot: Roger. Descending to flight level 1,000
Here’s the author and his EWO:
The long-awaited company post was made tonight, midnight GMT:
“Desert Employees Evacuated and Safe”
Indeed.
And I think I’ve seen all these scenes!
TT, your military planes made the local news:
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7982032
Strange, I don’t see “Obama” in this list.
For the nuts, go to BigGovernment and see the articles on the “civility” of the left.
Thinking that Mr. Obama is a conventional American politician who will react in predictable, rational ways to common American political stimuli is a common mistake, so it is unsurprising that Mr. Medved makes it. But Mr. Obama manifestly and demonstrably is not a convention politician. The evidence is stark and easy to find for those willing to see. Mr. Obama… Read more »
The headline makes it look like the lefty idiot actually want this to happen:
Small Nuclear War Could Reverse Global Warming for Years
Well, I spent several hours outside again today, with shovel. I didn’t move a lot of real estate, but I did clear out a small flower bed at one spot next to the house, which required moving some bricks out of the way and larger bricks into position. I’m glad I have a small dolly, suitable for moving these large… Read more »
In an interview today on the Al Arabyia news network, an informed source within the Revolutionary Guards Corps revealed that Iran has several military bases in Libya. The source, who requested anonymity due to his sensitive position within the Guards, elaborated further that the Iranian military bases are located mostly along Libya’s borders with the African countries of Chad and… Read more »
Oscar: where a bunch of self-centered egotists spend an entire evening telling each other how wonderful they are, throw in some political criticisms of conservatives (based on truth is optional), then they proceed to a variety of parties to continue celebrating themselves.
‘You’re Going to Hurt Him, Dude!’: Crazy Video Captures Seattle TV Reporter Breaking Up Freaky Fight
Listening to the very end is a must. Kinda like a surprise ending…I think.
You & me both, EG. Guess we’ll have to read about ‘Oscar’ on Drudge tomorrow.
I keep seeing stuff about a new show on TV called “Oscar.” Does anyone know anything about this? I seem to recall that they tried it a year or so ago also, but that it turned out to be nothing but a bunch of screwed up actors and actresses flashing their stuff getting out of fancy cars. Maybe this time… Read more »
Dude #61;
More like a pancake high priest. 🙂
#52 Thanks, Tim
#48 OTL I’m not sure where those rescued Brits were located. There is word today that at least some of the company’s multinational employees have been evacuated from that desert camp from whence most of the distress postings were coming. Hopefully anyone still there will get out safely and very soon. I mentioned this to my husband, imagining the agony… Read more »
And a Nutella Schmeer Authoritarian
They stopped before I began attending, but have recently reinstated the tradition of the minister telling a joke before passing the plate (many times they were UU jokes.) A priest and a time share salesman are at the pearly gates. St Peter asks the salesman what he did with his life, and the salesman told him that he sold time… Read more »
Sarge is a pancake nazi.
That means you missed church.
No pancakes for you.
That’s what the Public Affairs Officers always say when they get caught spreading chemtrails.
#57 Sarge
I’ll be right over, I like cane syrup but I can go Maple. 😉
Cinnamon raisin bagels schmeered with Nutella.
Good first course.
Pancakes comin up.
Just got finished watching the Sunday Service. Replay at 11:15 . Its a goodun and the music this weekend is country in honor of Rodeo.
Pro-Union Protester Uses Hard Blind-Side Shove on Opponent in Atlanta And… ‘Fascists Go Home!’: Tea Partier Injured in Assault by ‘Teamster’ at Sacramento Protest Andazola tells a different story though. “He was spitting on me, he’s bigger than me, and I told him to get off of me,” Andazola said. “I was backing up and he was staying on me… Read more »
GJT #39;
Did you search for “bob42 supports conservatives”?
If so, it works just fine.
Well this unexpected; Chicago Tribune staff reporters Monica Eng and Barbara Brotman go on their first hunting expedition for deer, where they learn how to properly track, kill and butcher their prey.
Good article from a surprising source. 😉
Oh,…and one of them joined the “Half Moon Club” 🙁
My sister emailed me that she had heard that the circling military aircraft were engaged in a photo shoot.
That makes me feel more comfortable than a possible crash event.
mharper
Prayers up for your colleagues and all other stranded personnel over there.
I wonder if they have trouble getting their teenagers to do anything.
And finally before I go start the BACON and eggs,
How good do you think the pro footballers are?
ReebokPickMeYourMove
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGIXeNrPvMY
The government could help the church and still be PC if they quit making one dollar bills.
G”Morning MHarper
I saw where there were between 200-380 Brits left to get out. Didn’t realize it this close to home til I read your post.
The final vote count for Rahm Emanuel was released this morning.
He carried sixty percent of the black vote, sixty-five percent of the women’s vote and one hundred percent of the deceased vote.
I heard on the radio this morning as I was waking up, about a military air rescue of stranded oil workers from Libyan desert. Didn’t see this story on Drudge but found it by searching. It was a Brit mission and it doesn’t seem to have been the camp where my colleagues are holed up. There is reference to some… Read more »
Easy Jet airlines apologized to its Jewish passengers over a recent flight to Israel when all they served was pork.
That was just the beginning. The in-flight entertainment was a Mel Gibson double feature.
Oil hit one hundred dollars per barrel. Gas prices have soared.
Lindsay Lohan saved ten thousand dollars by renting a condo a block from the courthouse.
Good video. Grandpa used to drag 50 to 60 foot trees with a 4 mule team. Amazing how strong they are, and willing to work, also.
I’m not too sure about our benefactor.
I shortened the search to “Wang” and it popped up a bunch of porn sites. 🙂
http://www.mediaite.com/online/meet-the-amazonian-guard-qaddafis-all-female-security-force/
His entrance is so strong that a Vegas casino offered to build a show around him called Cirque du Jerk.
Sunday First!
G’Morning all
You’ve been hoodwinked. That is obviously a commercial jets contrails, just like in California last month.
I just noted our benevolent dictator has gifted us a seach bar. Doesn’t work though.
Isn’t she getting married or something? It’s not like she’ll be around much after that or anything. If it’s such a big deal, maybe she should stick around.
Just sayin’s all.
My Texas Citizenship card was put on probation Thursday for cussin’ a trail ride holding up traffic. I’m appealing the penalty though ’cause horses, riders and wagons were all decked out in pink. I suspect they were flee-bagging politicians from another state thinking they could go incognito in Texas on horseback.
It’s also a matter of Lovely not ever forgiving me if I dispensed of kitty. But when she’s not annoying me or barfing on the furniture, she’s a good cat. As long as she has a heat source, she’s good and quiet and across the room. Right now she’s all stretched out, asleep, on her hot water milk jug. Recycling… Read more »
Horsepower!
Why tedtam can’t get rid of Barf Kitteh.
Good news if you live in the greater Balto-Wash area and want to see male nipplage in your favorite bar.
#28 crazy aunt
It could still be chemtrails.
Any black helicopters in the area?
One happy little boy with his birthday cake.
That was pretty cool.
Right place, right time – with a camera.
Launch of the shuttle Discovery filmed from a passenger plane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE_USPTmYXM