Torra Borra

19. May 2011 by Ponch.

I can neither confirm nor deny it was me…but I was misquoted..I never said 55,000 feet for altitude. I think the transcript machine they use hears what it wants. I was in my car hiding from the 50 degree global warming spring we are having here, during one of the many disaster prep exercises that happen all the time, when I got lucky calling the Limbaugh show. (I thought I had escaped these Disaster Prep fun and games when I retired…not so much). He was talking about Torra Borra again. Always says that he heard they got Osama when they turned Torra Borra to 6000 degrees. I’m pretty sure Osama was gone way before that strike. Although Me and Covey, Moondog and Dag were bombing up there shortly after Osama made his retreat to the Hindu Kush mts. We worked with one of the \”Cowboy\” special forces FAC\’s who was talking to us as he was running up the mountain to stay in visual contact with what he thought was Osama and company. He described him as a \”Tall commander on horseback\” directing troops. We were able to target two JDAMs on the coordinates the Cowboy gave us, however both went way wide into the next valley. Everyone got real concerned that something was wrong with our jet or the weapons so we locked up the rest and RTB\’s. We didn’t want to kill any good guys with JDAM\’s that were missing by miles. Several days later we got put into a three ship with the 96th BS CC as lead to be part of a big \”news Media\” boondoggle event. They had a C-130 with the \’Mother of all Bombs\” on board to blast Torra Borra. Heraldo and the other sickofant news media idiots were down at the base of the mountains watching and reporting. We watched the C-130 strike then got called in to finish the job with full loads of M-82\’s. I remember this flight cause our COMSEC load crapped out on the always crappy ARC-210 radio setup. You all remember having to time share the KY COMSEC between the two radios. Well our ARC-210 wouldn’t hold a COMSEC load so we had to fly around as number 3 with no SA to what was happening. Lead was doing all the coordination for strike timing and target coordinates. All we got was the awful radio squeal when they transmitted. Two (Lt Col Doug ?? forgot his last name…he worked at the Ops Group at KBAD …good guy though) did as good as he could at relaying a little SA to us. We finally got our target assignment and rolled in behind lead and two, each of us rippling 45 Mk 82\’s. Let me think…that’s 22 thousand pounds per load times 3. The Mother of all Bombs looked pretty feeble compared to the Buff strike. The news media reported it so. But we missed Osama and the Seals shot him in the face. Probably a better way do the rat basted..Up close and personal. By the way it was Lt Col Doug, Fifi and crew that should be recognized for a history making bomb run on the Taliban idiots that were trying a final push to knock out the northern alliance up by Bahgram airfield. Another of the SF Cowboy types was directing the airstrike while he was under fire from a quad 4 AAA piece used as a ground cannon. They worked the Buff onto an advancing column of Taliban goons. Doug and company laid a perfect string of 45 Mk-82\’s right down the column of gomers killing a HUGE number. Yup…that\’s right..Mk 82\’s..not JDAM or JASM or any other sexy PGM. Just good old radar bombing with gravity weapons. Ya! take that jack-wagons that say the Buff couldn’t hit the side of a barn with gravity\’s. The Taliban who were left standing began to retreat and kept on retreating right out of Afghanistan. That one Buff strike turned the tide of the war. Later the Cowboy SF dude made contact with Fifi and Doug. He had a video of the strike. He was so relieved (saved his life) and so impressed, he personally nominated that crew for a DFC or something better. The AF turned it down…something about bombers not being significant and fighters were the only ones qualified for recognition..blaa blaa blaa. So..I tried my little piss-ant way to get the BUFF recognition on a national radio show…I don\’t think it worked. Cheers Ponch

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Heros

24. September 2010 by Ponch.

Strange History

            Its funny the things you remember, especially after the long, rich and rewarding experiences we all had serving in the Air Force.  Some of the stuff I think I remember, I often challenge as inaccurate or mixed with too much TV or too many movies.  Most of the stuff is near impossible to relate to folks who don’t share our common backgrounds.  Today, I was shocked back into reality by a story I happened to stumble on in the Los Angeles Times.  It was an Obituary for a lady that recently passed away in England.  In the story…and perhaps this is why it caught my eye… details of her remarkable life where chronicled.   She was a decorated war hero from WWII as a British spy operating behind enemy lines in Europe.  As I read the details of her life I suddenly realized that the story was very familiar.  I had heard this story years before in a different setting.  It was at Squadron Officers School…circa 1989.  At SOS the Air Force hired motivational speakers to fill in the curriculum.  One of the key note speakers — that everyone that had gone before me had recommended I not miss—was a British lady who had been highly decorated for her exploits in Europe during the war.  She was so highly thought of at SOS that there was a life size oil painting of her in the main administration building.  You could purchase smaller versions of the painting and have her autograph them….many SOS attendees did just this after hearing her speak.   I attended her presentation and it was everything and more of what I expected from the stories  from folks who recommended her.  She told and incredible story of heroism, luck, brutality, personnel endurance and sacrifice.  There was not one dry eye in the big blue bedroom by the time she was done.   Many of the flights raised money to take her out to dinner and get their autographed paintings.  After I returned, I made sure to recommend her presentations to those who where next in line.  One such individual was Capt John Kiecana.  Yes “Johnny 3K” ( another story) he took my advice and reported to SOS.  However, after he returned he relayed to my great surprise and shock, that the lady was found out to be a fraud…she had lied about the whole story of her life!  I could not believe it…it was one of the most convincing emotional packed riveting stories I had ever heard.  I can’t imagine how the Air Force reacted to the discovery as they had invested so much in her credibility and had exposed so many junior officers to her deceit.  In hind sight I began to revisit what she had told us and began to realize that no one human being could have done what she said she had done …so I believed.  I dismissed the whole event and added the affair to one more bullshit Air Force façade.  Now twenty years later I discover that there really was a war hero that did these impossible feats of bravery.  The SOS lady had assumed this hero’s identity and embellished on the facts to make her story more saleable to the suckers that hired her.  

Perhaps as the real lesson, that was not communicated at SOS, was detailed in the Obituary.  It seems that Eileen Nearne, the real WWII hero, died alone and in obscurity, never letting on about her unbelievable history.  Only after her death did they find hidden awards, medals, records and memorabilia, including French currency used during the war she had kept secretly.   The greatest lesson from this story,  one not shared at SOS, was that humility is more often than not, a quality found amongst the real heroes in life.  What a profound lesson for today’s pop culture polluted society where clamor for fame and fortune is more important then integraty and honor.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-eileen-nearne-20100923,0,2821603.story

Eileen Nearne, a reclusive World War II heroine who operated as an undercover radio transmitter in France during the D-day invasion, helping coordinate the Allied war effort until she was caught by the Gestapo, died Sept. 2 of a heart attack at her home in southwest England. She was 89.

Nearne, who was known as Agent Rose, maintained her secrecy and never discussed her wartime exploits with her neighbors in Torquay, the seaside town in Devon where she lived until her death.

Her bravery was not widely acknowledged until local officials went into her apartment after her death and found a treasure trove of medals, records and memorabilia, including French currency used during the war.

---

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During World War II, Nearne worked with the Special Operations Executive, a clandestine operation set up by Prime Minister Winston Churchill to carry out acts of sabotage and espionage against the Nazis, who were occupying Western Europe.

Nearne’s mission to France in 1944 — when she was just 23, posing as a French shop girl — was to operate a wireless transmitter that served as a vital link between the French resistance and war planners in London.

John Pentreath, county manager for the Royal British Legion veterans’ charity, said Nearne was captured behind enemy lines with a radio transmitter and was sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp. She later escaped and was ultimately liberated by American forces.

“It’s a staggering story for a young girl,” he said. “We hold her in awe and huge respect. All Brits do. We are very disappointed we didn’t know about her when she was alive; we would have dearly loved to have made contact with her.”

Historian M.R.D. Foot, who had access to Nearne’s secret account of her activities, said she was the only British agent with an operating transmitter in the Paris area during the crucial period from March 1944 until she was caught by the Germans in July 1944.

“She was there during D-day,” he said. “What she did was extremely important. She was arranging for weapons and explosive drops, and those were used to help cut the Germans’ rail lines.”

He said Nearne showed bravery and discretion when she refused to talk about clandestine operations even after being subjected to extreme treatment.

After the war, Nearne was awarded an MBE, or Member of the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of her services. She lived for most of the rest of her life with her sister Jacqueline, who had also served in the Special Operations Executive.

Since her sister’s death in 1982, Nearne had lived alone.

The saga of Nearne’s lonely death and her wartime service touched a nerve in Britain. The Times of London said in an editorial that she seemed to resemble Eleanor Rigby, the spinster who died alone in a song by the Beatles.

“Her life deserves to be sung about every bit as much as Eleanor Rigby’s,” the editorial said.

On Tuesday, hundreds mourned Nearne during her funeral in Devon.

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Kelley at 8:19 AM September 24, 2010 Hollywood should be making a movie about her war exploits rather than the one about that Gotti fellow.

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June 11th Ponch Post

14. June 2010 by Ponch.

All,

 Time to post and update you all to what’s up on the west coast.  I am now a qualified Global Hawk pilot.  I passed my check ride last week…hoo-ray!  I am now filling our paperwork to get a german pilot’s licence.  Yup german,  the company has plans to send us to Germany next summer to start flight test on the Euro-hawk.  Also this fall I will be TDY to Vandenburg AFB to do some testing on new software for the GH.  The Air Force is planning on opening a squadron of GH’s on Guam and we need to train the Hawk to land on a slopped runway.  Those of you that have Castle AFB time will remember that VAFB has a pretty good slopped runway.  Also for those who like it cold, the Air Force is putting a GH squadron at Grand Forks!  There should be some employment for people that want to live in ND…yuck!!! 

On the home front,  we finally got the mirror for our telescope completed ( the 22 inch scope we started two and a half years ago).  I was getting worried that the mirror maker had taken my money and ski-daddled.  However it turned out that the extra time waiting for the mirror was well worth it.  We had our first full night testing the optics with a large group of both professional and amatuer astronomers this week end.  everyone was completly blown away by the views into deep space through this monster telescope!!  Aslo my son had his first scientific paper published on research he did on double star positions.  We are working on another project and plan to publish this summer.

On a more personel note, my Mom is in the proccess of dying from both cardiac heart failure and altztimers.  I took her to the Ceaders-Sinai hospital friday to see what they can do for her heart valve that has calcified to the point it’s causing her heart to fail.  They offered a procedure that involves putting a balloon into the heart valve to expand the opening to allow more blood to flow and relieve some of her symptoms.  This is all well and good, however my idiot sisters are putting up road-blocks becuase they think it’s better to let her die from heart failure rather then deal with the alztimers.  I had to remind them, sternly, of their Christian duty to honor human life and protect the weak and infirm …although I don’t think that appeal works with most people these days, my sisters included.  Our society has become so selfish and self centered, that duty honor and self sacrifice are words for fools and zelots. Most people attend church, some pay attention and learn a few facts about Christianity,  even fewer folks actually put these values to the test in their lives.  My sisters fall into the first catigory. Either way I will find a way to prevail,  If I have learned anything in life it’s been a trust in values and examples of the right way to do things that I saw  while living and sharing time with you all.   All our conversations on alert and in and around the office and on this blog help keep me grounded in reality…thank you all.

 Cheers

 Reed “Ponch”

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March Maddness!

19. March 2010 by Ponch.

All,

Time to post.  First for those interested there is a very high paying flying job available here for a Government GS-14 level Global hawk Pilot.  This is a SWEET position with a cost of living bonus and flying privileges in C-12 as well as a GH.  The pay range is well into the 100K range.  Another Buff driver in GH would be huge. 

Chuck,  I never saw the pictures of the GH air-refueling.  I erred greatly by saying there is no AR capability in the GH.  NASA is modifying a couple of GHs to air refuel. There is a big test sometime next year to verify the capability.  The programming will then be transferred to the UCAS bomber.  Northrop is partnered with NASA to do the mod and testing, the Air Force does not want to ante up pilots for the project…so guess who get to go fly with NASA. Yup me!  SWEET!  We took a tour of the GH control facility yesterday.  OMG!  Talk about first class!  I almost wet myself over the displays (also I’m getting to that time in my life were diapers are becoming an issue;-).   As usual the Air Force spent minimal bucks for the Global Hawk control system.  The NASA system is so Cadillac it was unbelievable.  The AF version uses a Falcon View back bone with limited capability for moving map.  NASA uses Google Earth!!  The computers are so fast on the NASA system that you can mouse roll zoom the map from a total world outer space view (Google Earth start page) into 3 meter photo maps almost instantly!  It also uses FAA sectional maps and other stuff.  Also you can tilt the whole display (ala Google Earth) to show a 3D version of the Jet flying a climb or decent profile.  The PSD is right out of a 767 with all the bells and whistles, unlike the PSD in a AF block 20 that is more like a C-172 version of G-1000.  Plus the control room at NASA was just like you would imagine a NASA control room would be…everything new and clean and first class.  Way COOL!

Also another good deal…the company is planning on sending me to test pilot school either at Mojave or a course out of the U of Kansas.  The guys here say the U of K program is much better, but harder to get. I will probably end up at Mojave.  Either way COOL!!

On the telescope front things are getting way busy.  We took the wooden model down to INCA corp. in Los Angeles a few weeks back.  They have reduced the design into 3D cad cam modeling and are well along with construction on an aluminum version.  Inca’s plan is to produce the final version in 1, 1.5 and 2 meter sizes…contingent on our success at making the design work.  Dr genet just got back from Hawaii where the concept is raising all sorts of excitement amongst the professional and amateur astronomy world. Dr. Genet was at the French observatory on the Big Island and the director of the telescope approached him about the project.  Turns out the French telescope used Dr. Genet’s laws on robotic telescopes for their design.  We get daily suggestions from astronomers all over the world for exotic projects for the scopes.  The end intent for the scopes is to connect multiple one and two meters scopes into an array that will be able to resolve the surface features of near-by stars. COOL!  

Cheers

 

Ponch

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11 Feb 2010 Ponch’s side of the story

11. February 2010 by Ponch.

Chuck,

 We got our snow tuesday, although it was mixed with wet sloopy rain, and alot of it.  Global warming has broken out all over the SoCal area with record low temps and large amounts of rain.   The water was running in all the streets and gutters along with a few houses transported by copious amounts of mud.  The mountains are packed with snow right down to the valley floor…very beutiful.  I would enjoy it allot more by skiing however I tried to recapture my youth and do allot of running when I was up at Beale.  The running tracks up there were so buetiful and inviting and the weather was perfect, unitl my knee got screwed up trying to run faster then an old man should :-(  Damn the old age…. 

Now for more fun and interesting news.  We are pretty well along into the great 1 meter telescope production.  We accomplished a huge milstone about two weeks ago by accomplishing first light.  The first light through a scope is a big event as what was once all theory, design, sparks and sawdust becomes reality.  You hope that the optics will function and the weight and balance works ect ect.  It was a big celebration as all worked as advertised. Tomorrow I am scheduled to take the scope down to Inca Corp. A Dr. George Roberts fomerly of NASA, wants to see what we have done so far.  His company is building the lower transport cradle and rocker box out of aluminum.  What we have designed and built is the “mock-up” for the actual scope, however the good Dr. Genet plans to utilize the wooden mock-up as a functioning telecope as soon as we get another mirror.  We will then network the two scopes together for some very interesting science.  Dr. Roberts is one of the founding fathers of the JPL in Pasedena and was personaly involved with the U.S. moon effort from Mecury to Apollo.  It was his research that determined the calcium bone loss due to weightlessness in space.  He is good friends with most of the current and former astronauts.  How I know this is because my buddy Dr. Genet introduced me to Dr Roberts as an Edwards test pilot were upon both of them began to tell pilot jokes and personel experiences with such guys as Chuck yeager and the like.  I had to quicky qualify my meager existance as a Global Hawk tester.  No record breaking space flights for me …yet.    

Cheers

Ponch 

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I’m way cool now!…the FAA says so

26. January 2010 by Ponch.

All,

Well its about time.   If you haven’t heard the FAA is now allowing former, and current military instructor pilots to take credit for their training and receive a CFI CFII MEI rating…following a simple written test.   YES…no FAA examniner rat tied to your face for a day of abuse and brow beatings.  I did the press to test on this and low and behold it works!!!  I took the test with the help of Sheppard Air gouge test prep….excellent  course that was spot on!  Yesterday I went down to the FSDO and made it official.  Now the FAA certifies that I’m cool! Only problem is they would not punch my Single Engine ticket because I never taught in a single engine aircraft in the Air Force.  I can’t figure how an F-16 dude gets to teach in a C-172 and I have to be in somthing that has more then one engine.  No worries though cause the SE add on is a local checkout with a DPE.  Then I can be just as dangerous as the viper dudes!!!

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Ponch

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Merry Christmas

15. December 2009 by Ponch.

All,

A very merry Christmas!

Well it’s time to update you all on activities in the Estrada household.  I have been away from home over the last month or so for my initial qual training for the RQ-4 Global Hawk.  I was up at Beale AFB for the training and staying south of base in a suburb of Sacramento called Roseville.  The training at Beale AFB and the accommodations in Roseville were all beyond excellent.  The GH squadron is in the same building as the 9^th Recon U-2 squadron.  The attached 1^st SQ is the FTU for GH so I reported every day to work at the 1^st.  I had to walk through the 9^th SQ spaces everyday so I saw a few folks I recognized from prior days.  I ran into Luke Lockawich the first week.  That was uncomfortable as he and I were crewed together at the 20^th BS after I got back into the Buff in 2000.  He is typical of allot of the younger kids that were in the Buff community about this time and was pretty impressed with himself and completely unimpressed with the old man (me) who was assigned as his AC.  We clashed on quite a few ideas on how to do all things in the Buff.  However instead of talking them out and sharing some ideas, and maybe learning something from someone who had done way more in the Buff then he would every dream about, he chose to beat a path to the squadron commander’s office on the sly and stab me as many ways possible.  Of course it didn’t help to have “woodcock” as the SQ CC.  Either way “Loco” succeeded in getting me booted from the crew over on Diego.  So we ran into each other in the Sq halls and he was at least civil.   I suppose living well is the best revenge cause I’m loving life in my current job and making twice what “Locoweed” is making and hang’in around with a bunch of superior aviators who value my experience and flying style.  As for the other folks in my group (superior aviators),  most of them are fighter pilot types with a variety of military experience.  Two are former F-117 pilots two navy pilots, one F-18 an A-6 time the other P-3 time. One AF F-4 pilot and one marine Harrier pilot.  The program manager is a former F-4 nav and our pilot manager is a former Navy F-4 driver.  Of course our big boss (Northrop Test Pilot Manager ) is Troy Johnson, a former B-52 and B-2 pilot.  How’s that for cool!  We are still hiring folks (4 more slots).  Everyone is motivated and we are gelling pretty well as a team.  Northrop is a great working environment and everyone enjoys the work.  Even though we are attached to the 452^nd flight test squadron and work with AF rules and regs (sorry AFI’s) and are under supervision of the AF squadron commander,  The Northrop side is way layed  back and a big boy attitude.  We are pretty much left alone to make our own decisions and work at our own pace.  The attitude is “find a way to make it work”.  The program is pretty new so allot of the stuff is being developed as we do it.   So far I’m through with the academics and have accomplished 5 sims.  It’s kinda strange that the sims are just about as real as it will get.  My recent B-52 experience flying with laptops with falcon view has helped immensely.  The flight displays use Falcon View as the backbone and many of the commands and functions are the same.  

Now for the other part of my life.  As you all remember my son and I got interested in astronomy back at Castle AFB.  We purchased a ten inch telescope in Merced and have traveled all over the country with it.  Just about everywhere we have lived we made it a point to get involved with the local astronomy community.  California is no different , we joined a local group called the Central Coast Astronomical Society.  The group has many professional and armature astronomers.  Because it’s California, and folks do everything here is a big way, we soon found our ten inch scope was not big enough to meet our needs or desires.  So we spent some time and allot of money and recently built a large alt azimuth telescope.  We must have done something right with the design and construction because when we debuted the scope at one of our monthly meetings we generated allot o buzz in the local astronomy community.  So much so that a PHD type from CAL POLY in San Lous Obispo came by one evening and looked over the telescope very carefully and asked a lot of questions.  Well one thing led to another and now we are “head over heels” involved with helping to build a very large research telescope for a group called the “Alt Azimuth Initiative.”  Turns out that the PHD type, a Dr. Russell Genet, is the brain child behind the group with the intent of revolutionizing the astronomy world by building inexpensive portable research grade telescopes for universities and colleges around the world.  It appears that time is right for the fusion of new computer based technology and CCD cameras with the low cost of home built telescopes like we made.  We are about a third of the way towards completion of this telescope.  It has a one meter diameter mirror and will eventually be used for binary star and proto planet data collection.  My son and I are providing the majority of the labor involved.  We are supported by a worldwide group of armature telescope builders and professional engineers and astronomers.  We are working with the engineering department at CAL POLY and with several corporations who would like to produce the later versions after we work out the design details.   My son Chris has already gone a step further and is working with Dr. Genet on some binary star data and research and hopes to publish a scientific paper on their results this year.  This is great news as he is applying to universities this year to finish his degree in bio chemistry.  All the PHD types we have met so far, say that having a published paper is “HUGE” for college boards!  Just last week we received an invitation from the director of the Mount Wilson observatory to bring both telescopes to the observatory north of Los Angeles for a week of observing and data collection.  He also offered us some time on the historic 1.5 meter Hale telescope.  Knock on wood, life is good!!    

Well I’ve used too much space boring you with my life.  I hope all of you are well and have a Very Merry Christmas!!

 

Cheers

 

Ponch

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ABOUT FACE Book

13. October 2009 by Ponch.

All,

 

 

“Alas, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits.I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.” 

                          Bilbo Baggins

    

Ok the face book thing is interesting.  I’m still trying to learn what the sections like wall and such are about.  I am conflicted on the whole concept though.  I like the idea of being able to look up old friends and acquaintances, However, I suspect like most people, there are some folks that I am happy to never see again i.e. Creepy Big MAC Mac Pherson showed up on my potential friends list.  Seeing that thug again…even a still picture… was like a swift kick in the nut sack.  And what’s with the advertising with the good looking chicks with big hooters that want to be my friend or supposedly are looking for me? Again with the conflicted thing…I added Brian Bartels to my friends list as well as PWN3.  B2 was an experiment just to keep tabs on the stupid pecker…and maybe an attempt to stick it too him that I’m doing pretty good in life without him and his peckerwood ideas and lack of leadership.  As for PWN3…like Bilbo, I liked PWN3 perhaps better then he deserved.  Also it kind’a creeps me out when people I don’t know request a friends thingy with me.  Either I’m showing my age and am not comfortable with the “new” electronic media or I’m showing my age and can’t remember I once knew the person…or maybe they know me and have the same design’s on revenge as my pseudo friendship with B2.  Either way inerconflict….maybe I’ll just stay off the computer and get back to real life, no wait…damn conflicted!!

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11 October Ponch

12. October 2009 by Ponch.

Chuck. 

 

All,

11^th again already.  Allot going on in the Estrada world these days.  As I reported last time, I’m in transition to a new job at Edwards AFB.  Transition is a good description.  As all of you know to well–With all things government and Air Force– there is a whole lot of hurry up and wait.  I was hired as a Global Hawk pilot last month… now I wait to get training.  The Air Force approved my training last week — one month – now they have to wade through a mile of paperwork to get me a slot at Beale AFB to do the initial qual.  So far the dates range from November to December to maybe I’ll stay here and do a local.  It would be better to go to Beale as the pilot shop here is very busy and short handed.  The best part of all this is I’m sort of on the ground floor of the start up of the group of test pilots here. Production of the Global Hawk is ramping up and they are expanding their pilot shop big time.  Draw back is there is no training path…they are making it up as we go along.  Sounds like they need a guy who knows training and building lesson plans, training folders, ect, ect…oh wait that’s me!  Life is good!  Also they are throwing flight time at me like crazy.  This is real familiar…just like the ACE program back in SAC.  We have to stay FAA current with our commercial instrument time.  Just like ACE there are folks who have to be chased and beat’n into getting there currencies.. and just like ACE there are those that can’t get enough flying time so the green light is on to use and abuse as much as possible.  So far I seem to be the only one who would fly everyday if I could, but you all knew that before I took this job;-).   Meanwhile I’m still working at Plant 42 on the B-2.  Go figure…they hired a new guy, and I’m the only qualified test director that functions as a test director on the program….long story I’ll relate on another day.  So my former manager…who was not too happy I got the flying job…long story again…worked a deal with the GB guys for me to switch hit and do B-2 stuff when they are busy testing.  This goes on at least till I can escape to Beale. The new guy I am training is an engineer….need I say more… and it’s all I can do to keep from dissolving him is a vat of sarcastic acid every day.  More and more I’m left with the impression that the folks we worked with in the Air Force..mostly aviators… were a special breed. Even the slowest students and EW’s I (sorry EW’s you know your own) were light years ahead in smarts and motivation compared to some of the folks I’ve worked with in the civilian word.  We truly lived and worked in a rarified atmosphere were only the best got to strap on military jets. So I bite my tongue every time I have to show the guy, over and over again..and over again, the basics of running test equipment, support equipment and the computers that support testing on the B-2.  Well on the other part of my life,  I think I mentioned my son and I built a very large alt/azimuth telescope.  We finished it a few months ago, and we are waiting for the primary mirror to be finished up in
Oregon.  We got a loaner mirror from the optician that is working on our mirror and we debuted our telescope at our monthly star party out in the San Louis Obispo area were we are members of the local astronomical society.  Well turns out that there are allot of important movers and shakers in the astronomy community that work and live in the area.  Some of them come to our meetings.  One in particular, Dr. Russ Genet PhD in astro physics ( he’s the guy with the gramps popeye beard in the pic) and director of several observatories took a special interest in our telescope.  He spent hours going over the design and workmanship taking notes and asking questions.  Finally he asked my son and I if we would help him construct a new telescope he has been planning.  We were totally blown away!!  WOW what an honor…especially for a armature hack like me.  Well we are a month or so into the project and we started cutting and welding on the mirror support cell this week end.  Turns out that the telescope project is a world wide effort with design and production support from a large group of engineers and scientist.  We are part of just one group.  My son and I are designing and producing the mirror cell, mirror box and altitude bearings.  The end project will be a fully transportable 1 meter research telescope designed to do planetary and close binary stellar data collection.   Dr. Genet’s thesis is that telescopes need not cost millions of dollars and occupy expensive observatory sites to contribute to meaningful research.  If successful , this design will be made available to colleges and Universities around the world to allow more access to and gather much more data then was though possible using the few large telescopes in use today.  Once complete we will participate in publishing a white paper on the results along with the design fundamentals and cost analyses.  Turns out that Dr. Genet started his career…go figure..in the Air Force. He worked in missile guidance and design in the early days of SAC and is the father of the networked simulator concept that is now part of the military mainstream training and war fighting process. Well I’ve blathered on more then I have time for…until next month.Cheers

Ponch

PS:  anyone needing a job please contact me!!!  There are hiring pilots NOW!    Im tired of the Navy goons filling the slots!!!!   

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1. September 2009 by Ponch.

All,

Finally something to post on the BoB!.  After much time and effort smoozing and busting my ass-bone as a volunteer flight safety officer and after much of the Estrada hard earned cash keeping current, I landed a test pilot job at Edwards AFB !!!  Hoora! I just got hired with the Northrop Global Hawk folks starting sometime in October or November.  Of course – as with all life – timing and luck played a great deal in the story.  I had interviewed for this job and a few like it more than a few times.  Always with the same results….i.e. “they liked me but I didn’t have test pilot school and I’m bomber puke so go away”.  Well so happens that an emergency requirement from the pentagon for new capabilities on the Global Hawk made for an immediate need for pilots.  Also coupled with several new programs that have drained the number of pilots out of the swamp till there are almost none.  Now they are hurting bad and need ME ASAP..so I got the job…with a 5% raise to boot…Ya HOO!  Now before you guffa about a remote pilotless vehicle needing a pilot…the job requires a current commercial instrument ticket.  The company will pay me to stay current in the aircraft at Edwards AFB…. Life is GOOD!    Oh did I mention Test Pilot at EDWARDS AFB! Ohhhh Yeahhhh!

P.S. Anyone want my old job as B-2 test director?  Good money , pretty good folks to work with,  not very challenging but the location is hot dry and expensive.

Cheers

Ponch   

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BUFF crash

14. May 2009 by Ponch.

http://www.stripes.com/09/feb09/crash_report.pdf

All,

The report on the Buff crash on Guam has been out for a time now. I think everyone has had a chance to read it and mull it over. If you haven’t the above link will get you there.

Our Bob blog has not said much about it and I value your experienced opinions.

After reading the report I was horrified at the description of the crash. I can’t , for the life of me, imagine a B-52 getting that out of control that quickly. I don’t understand and can’t swallow the explanation of a runaway stab trim. scenario unraveling that quickly to hitting the water in a near vertical dive at almost 600 knots. How many times have you participated in simulator rides with runaway trim? How many sims have you given to students over the years with this kind of results? Instinctively I recoil at the idea that a runaway stab could put the nose that far down that quickly. I know that the Buff increases in positive trim as it gets faster – until Mach tuck.– No mach tuck at this altitude possible.

I suppose that what little they could recover of the aircraft didn’t give them much to analyze. It seems to me that an investigation of the auto-pilots roll in this accident would be a better avenue. Putting myself in the situation and knowing the younger crowds flying habits and experience, leads me to suspect an auto pilot induced roll to inverted flight with unsuccessful recovery from the unusual attitude. There wasn’t a single word in the report about unusual attitude recovery.

I know of at least one incident at the 20th BS a few years ago were a young guy allowed the auto pilot to get him near inverted on a bombrun. He came very close to killing himself and his crew and destroying the aircraft. Only a high G recovery that badly damaged the jet saved them.

I have, on many occasions, had the auto pilot attempt to overbank the jet on altitude hold. I never trusted the damn thing for that reason and always monitored the bank closely when using the roll knob. Also as much as I liked the young pilot involved in this accident, I was uncomfortable with the over-the-top explanations they gave in the report to exonerate the crew of responsibility for the crash. Again absolutely no discussion of unusual attitude recovery. Even if you buy the runaway trim story, the next part of that string is recovery. Every scenario involving runaway trim in the EP sim involved recovery from the unusual attitude caused by the trim problem.

Also it is completely obvious that flight over water, on a calm day, with no land around, leads to disorientation. Again not a word in the report about a lack of horizon and its impact on the ‘pilot” trying to recover from an unusual attitude.

I never flew with the pilot, but I do remember discussions about his performance at the 20th BS and his weakness during pattern operations at night - with no horizon- recognizing over banks in turns. The report would have you believe this crew was above reproach in responsibility and that runaway trim is unrecoverable in the B-52 for even experienced pilots.

Don’t’ buy it! What do you think?

Ponch

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Ponch BoB 11 May 09

11. May 2009 by Ponch.

Well time to stop procrastinating and post on the Bob blog.  Business at the bomber plant (AF plnt 42) is slow this week.  We delivered another jet back to Whiteman last week and we will not get a replacement until Friday.   One humorous story about the last delivery.  After landing, as part of the shutdown, the aircrew opened the bomb doors and out dropped an ink pen that hitched a ride to Whiteman AFB.  Probably a bad scene for any aircraft to have loose ink pens bobbing around inside,  even more so when the contract for Northrop to accomplish depot level maintenance is heavily weighted on customer satisfaction.   A few bad jokes were bantered about like this was a WESP for a new mini JDAM ect ect.  Needless to say there is allot of tight lipped managers and folks in charge out here looking to neuter the pens owner if they could only find him/her.  A collective head slap is coming for all soon…you remember those don’t’ you?

 

 Kind’a reminds me of a Bomb Comp mission way back when that turned out ugly and got uglier.  It all went bad when the weapon in the bay refused to extricate itself at the appropriate time over the Red Flag range.  The crew knew on the way back they had a “hanger” and took the appropriate precautions as well as calling back home with the bad news.  Needless to say there was quite a reception party waiting as they taxied back to the spot.  As the story goes the Radar-nav handed the weapon pin to the MMS dude shortly after engine shutdown.  Were-upon the young MMS troop scurried into the
bombay and purportedly inserted the pin back in it’s place to safe the weapon before opening the doors –per ops normal.  About this time the wing king and the MMS squadron commander drove up –did I mention that allot was ridding on this Bomb Comp in personnel bets and braggadocio by our illustrious wing king? Well as legend has it, the young AC hopped down the ladder to greet the wing king and offer his condolences were upon the doors were open and the MMS squadron commander peered into the bay to spy non other then the weapon – with pin installed.  Needless to say he made a rather loud report of his finding to all on the ramp.  The wing king upon hearing the news – at just about the same time the young AC was reporting and saluting smartly – wear-upon the wing king,, overcome by emotion, proceeded to “SLAP” the young AC across the head knocking his hat off before storming over to see for himself the offending “pin”..  Well it wasn’t long before the Radar –nav was locked in a battle with all around him as they cast fingers of blame on he and his side-kick the nav for failing to pull the pin.  The Radar naturally defended his preflight and post flight actions vehemently.  It got so bad that the ‘King” had the hospital commander out to try and measure the “pins” body temperature to determine if it made the flight in the weapons bay as the MMS SQ CC claimed, or in more comfortable steerage as the Radar-nav swore too.  I don’t remember the outcome of the ordeal as we were taxiing in from our own Bomb-Comp disaster (we were the “other” crew).  We had just returned from the STRC bomb competition run.  As we taxied in,  our tails were tucked about as far as they could get between our legs (more so if I had known head slaps were in order for screwing-up).  We didn’t have to do a bomb-bay check to know what sin we had committed.  We got almost instant feedback from the range as we made a wide slicing post release turn and ended a few miles out of corridor.  Nothing I can think of  is more ugly then hearing over the radio “aircraft we are tracking 2 miles north of corridor…blaa blaa blaa.  So we un-assed our three K selves from the jet and skulked back to the squadron to await our punishment.  That’s when we heard about the head slapping incident.  The next day we were back at work waiting to hear our fate when the whole world changed.  A tanker making a simple TACAN approach on a VFR day crashed in flames on the runway killing the crew.  Needless to say we didn’t get any feedback on our bomb-comp infidelity and we learned the hard way about life’s priorities.  So in retrospect an ink pen bouncing on terraferma probably is not as big a deal as most things in life.  I suppose age gives on a little perspective as well as arthritis.

As for the more personnel news…we finally can afford a house to purchase out here in the land of fruits and nuts.  We got a nice 5 bedroom single story in a fairly nice part of the desert…thus accomplishing two of my short term goals.  I think you remember them from past rants.  I did manage not to pay ½ million dollars for a house and I’m not stuck living in a trailer-park in the desert….at least not yet.  Hope this months BoB finds all of you in good health and happier times.

 

Peace-out

From the Ponch       

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