Trip 006, Spring 2012, Las Vegas NV

105 – Time to take some gas to go kick ***.



106/107 - Up close and personal.





108 – High friend, it looks like you need a shave.



109 - Up close and personal.



110 – Copilot’s turn.



111 – Favorite photo for sure.



112 - Up close and personal.



113 – Low level time. 500 foot screamin’ through valleys and over ridges is like a roller coaster that doesn’t end. Logical thinking is somethin' this big shouldn't do this.



114 - Little bit of angle of the dangle.



115 – After a long first day, off to the bar!



116 – Vegas baby!



117 – Day two stop to Area 46 Nevada. It’s like being in the desert. Oh wait, it is.



118 - Little bit more anglin' around.



119 - Pueblo NM.



120 - New Mexico desert.



121 - All done training. Climbing for home.



122 - New Mexico desert.



123 - And as always the puppy is happy to see me come home.

 

Trip 007, Summer 2012, Chicago IL



124 – Chicago day trip early morning start. Door ops ck good.







125/126 – Walk around inspection lookin’ mint!











127 – Frederica DE







128 - It's like when ya pull up to an intersection at the same time and wonder for a minute who'll roll first.







129/130 - Washington DC











131 – Cloud surfin’.







132 - Sears Tower







133 – Angle of the dangle headin’ for home.

 

Great photos, thanks.

 

Trip 008, Summer 2012, Florida

134 – Load it up!



135 - Had to haul some stuff, got my picture with one of the rigs.



136 - Short final to Orlando baby!



137 - And this made the whole trip worthwhile.



138 - I need this.



139 - And then I was good for the day.



140/141/142/143 – Nerd ****.









144 - Awesome weather down here.



145 - Pretty slick hotel.



146 - Never will go on a trip without swimmin' shorts again!



147 - I get paid for this?



148 - Stormy day heading home.



149 - Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas.
We got eighty feet of the waterline nicely making way.
In a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call you,
But on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away.

 

Trip 009, Fall 2012, Afghanistan



150 – Midnight launch for the land of sand.







151/152 – Angle of the dangle.











153 – First Afghan stop for a splash of gas.







154 – Fill ‘er up Friday. Stackin’ banks while drainin’ tanks.







155 – Perfect Dover sunshade.







156 - They don't call it the sandbox for no reason...







157 - Load brought out a Coke!







158 – Stopping in Manas Kyrgyzstan, so busted out an old patch.







159/160/161 – Next day back to Afghanland.















162 - Combat entry checklist: Apply combat musk.







163 - Smell like a team, fight like a team.







164 - Damn near blown tires hot brakes. Quickly chocked the nose and released the main landing gear parking brakes so they don't pop.







165 - New spot, never been here before.







166 – Tight turn spotting.







167 - I often wonder how is it possible for such pretty sunsets to be above land with a history of fighting for over 4000 years, but for that moment of flight at level 340, the desert is peaceful.







168 – German hotel ready to drink!







169 – The Russian number 9's!

 

Okay, you have my curiosity up. What is the little winglet on the engine cowling for? Have never seen one on an engine cowling before.

PS - Nice pics, thanks for them.

 

They are called strakes, and they disturb the air over the wing when we are pullin' a steep angle of attack situation to keep the wings from stallin'. MD-11s have them as well.

Adrianspeeder

 

I definitely recognize Chicago, but where is the pic under it?

 

Heard of strakes before, but never in that position.

 

Most other planes don't need to do the crazy angles and dangles we do for short field operations.

Washington monument and the capital building.

Adrianspeeder

 

love love love love this pic!

 

Trip 010, Summer 2013, California



170 - Wet and rainy here, so let’s go find some sun.







171 - Hey, let’s land and get some gas please...







172 - Best view the country.







173 - Kickin' back maxin' relaxin' all cool...







174 - Always wanted to see the grand canyon. Check that one off the list.







175 - Lake Arrowhead.







176 - Ways you know the hotel is fancy. Beats the hell out of an Army tent.







177/178 - I love LA!











179 - Creepiest nightlight and midnight snack I've ever seen.







180 – Next morning I get the jet ready to ride.







181 - Highest I've been yet.







182 - Another done alpha one.







183 – Route 301/50 bridge.







183 - As good as the trips are, always nice to head on back to home.

 

Great pics Adrian!

 

Trip 011, Summer 2013, Andrews Stage - Ascension Island Brazil



185 – 29 day mission is off to a good start.







186 - Commandeered a bucket truck to take a look.







187/191 - Tracked it down to a leaking manifold that is the link between the fly by wire controls, mechanical backup mode, and hydraulic cylinders that move the rudder. Ordered one up, came in on the next fast train, and got 'er swapped out easy as can be. Just an awkward upsideown diagonal mount and the bastage weighs 55lbs.























192 - For all my world traveling, I've never been in a Subway system. Scratch that off the bucket list.







193/194 - Second favorite airplane.











195 - Built Ford tough!







196/197/198 – Hitting all the tourist spots.















199/200 - Always wanted to visit this. Thankful I was able to.











201 – Stole a New Jersey jet for the second part of the trip.







202/203 – Refuel in Puerto Rico.











204 - Struts and tires squattin' down with a 580K lb takeoff weight.



[img]https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57bee721d482e957892a2e45/1621098545648-3B3SINDZF9J70ULYRC6F/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIIFsYAJJX10OgNkc4SuD20UqsxRUq qbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIII bLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKce0j9vvU4chI_bB_CjBNrJa pSKkBorzMUDpE1NYw5XxnDgGKGBETQKcT3bo-auxwM/204.jpg?format=2500w[img]

 

205 – Good safety RACM.







206 - 4000lbs shy of max gross takeoff weight, and almost right on the red line of the motors.







207 - Supermoon over the Atlantic at 29k feet.







208 – Overhead systems panel.







209/210/211 - So have any of ya'll heard of a place called Ascension Island? I hadn't until landin' there. Picture an island in the middle of the Atlantic half way between Africa and South America. Not a damn thing there. No phone, no light, no motorcar. Only interesting thing to do is climb a 1000ft hill that seemed like a good idea at first, but sucked really fast.















212 - This is what we climbed a thousand feet for. Friggin' rip off.







213/214 – Well, I guess the view is cool.











215 -The one living thing up here on this stupid mountain.







216 - Not the first to conquer this hill.







217 - A big pile of volcano poop. Whole thing was made of this iron ore lookin' loose rock.







218/219 - Nice water for 1000 miles in all directions.







220 – Hero shot.







221 – Hero crew.







222/223/224 – History