 Well, it has been a month since our last letter was posted. As it always happens, life manages to procure your spare time and not allow the simple things to take place. Well in any case, I have read dad's letter, and although he did have some pretty good photos of static displays at the air show, he managed to leave out the dynamic displays, so in an attempt to correct any illusions that you may have like the air show is just watching planes on the gound, this letter will show that there were also some aircraft in the air at the air show. I know that many of you really don't share the same passion that I have with aricraft, and will probably not find this letter very informational. To that end, I will try to |
 make it somewhat entertaining, as well as informative. In addition to that, Terre is working on a letter that will provide the photos of people that the world of current letters is used to having. With that being said, let me try to do some expounding upon the photos. The one above is how the airshow was opned. There were many people jumping out of aircraft and then falling to the gound with parachutes. I was not very impressed with the dymanic displays presented for our entertainment. There were perhaps 40-50 different people jumping out of planes and then parachuting down. I would much rather watch aircraft as they are more entertaining than watching people jump out of planes. |
 I have photos of someone parachuting down to the ground, and the only reason that I could bring my self to include it was that there were two aircraft in the picture as well. I guess with the United States at war with Iraq, and with troops stationed in Afganastan, I should have guessed that many of our air planes were preoccupied to come and fly around. Many of these photos display private airplanes that are built speciffically for the purpose of aerial stunts. |
That  means that they have huge engines, and very strong wings. The G-forces that these planes generate on the mainframe of the airplane would normally tear the wings off of any standard plane. The milatary aircraft (fighter planes) are built for air to air combat, and are also built along the same principles except for the engine size of the milatary aircraft is much bigger than civilian air craft. Lets take the F-4 Phantom for example (the big plane in picture of the 4 planes in formation) has an engine that has 42,500 hp and uses 40 gallons per minute of fuel at idle. At |
 crusing speed this engine consumes 80 gallons per minute and with the after burners engaged consumes 90 gallons per minute. This is why civilian aircraft are propellor driven. Above is an aerial refueling of a blackhawk helicopter. It isn't currently being refulled, but that long boom that is in front of the helicopter will engage that hanging fuel pipe from the C-130 and then is able to take on fuel. You know, I have often debated about obtaining a private pilots license. |
 I have done some research and found out that it would take between $3000 and $5000 to obtain the license. That has not dampened my desire to obtain a license, |
 but it has postponed the obtaining of it. Currently I have a lot of house projects that are wanting money more than my pilot's license is. On the other hand, if I don't hurry up and get one, I may very well end up with enough kids to keep me from ever obtaining one. There are those who would say that even one kid is enough to keep one from obtaining such a license. There is a lot of truth to that, but there is also that slim |
 possibility that I may at some point in the next little while become independently wealthy. Stay tuned. Notice that in the picture above of the stealth fighter (F-117A) it is fuzzy. This is an interesting thing of trying to capture a stealth in the air. It is invisible to the camera, and thus, not a good focus on it (if you believe that). In other news, the Oldsmobile that we currently own, is starting to get old. I am now driving it and not the Bronco, because I can drive to work and back 5 times with the Bronco and it only takes 21 gallons of fuel. With the Oldsmobile |
 however, I can drive to work and back 9 times and it takes 14 gallons. With that being said, and the price of fuel continually on the rise, I just can't afford to drive the Bronco back and forth (again I am not yet independantly wealthy). I have given some serious thought to selling the Bronco, and have even made an effort to parking it down at the corner intersection with a for sale sign on the window, but it only stayed there for 1--2 days until I went and brougnt it back. I for some reason just don't want to sell it. I keep trying it, and then just don't do it. The only offer |
 I have had for the Bronco was to trade it straight across for a 1994 Ninja. As good as the gas milage on a bullet bike is, Terre just didn't like that idea, and I am still the proud owner of the Bronco. Truth be known, I really like that car. The only problem is that I really don't ever drive it any more. And with the wonderful snow that falls up here in this part of the world, and the city's salt war with that salt, the Bronco has developed some cancer. So it sitting here really doesn't help it any. |
 I probaly should sell it, but again time will tell what actually happens to that car. This picture to the right is a sign posted on Davis Monthan Air Force Base. There were a few of these signs around on the roads there, and I got a kick out of it. Taylor is a nice town, but I no longer have my binoculars handy by both doors like I did in Tucson. I have given up the low frequently flying military aircraft out side of my window for an occaisional high flying private plane. That and the wind up here (not rare to have gusts over 75mph) are the downfalls to this town. The paper mill is getting ready for our annual outage where we take the boiler down (no power for the paper machines) and do needed maintenance on them. This means that it will be a time where I don't have alot of spare time on my hands, and I get to spend the majority of my days at work. This outage is only scheuled for 6-7 days, so that wont be too bad. Last year it lasted 16 days, and after working 14 hours a day for 16 days, it got old. Well that is all of the interesting things that I can think of. So I will let you go.
Nathen & Terre |