Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[beans-on-toast]

Two possible explanation for the jets over Sitka, UFO’s or poking the bear.

A school has a football stadium nearby. At least once a year, fighter jets do several low pass flybys. They are loud and shake the buildings. I suppose that it impresses the people in the stadium but folks in the neighborhood absolutely hate it. Then there are all the car alarms that go off.

I don’t know how they get approval to fly so low over downtown buildings. From a safety perspective, this is absolutely nuts. Not to mention the cost. Obviously someone disconnected with reality with a lot of pull sets this up every year.

I have to admit, I was very impressed when the space shuttle riding on a 747, took some loops over the city. I was on the roof of a tall building and they passed close by. What struck me was how quiet it was.

 

[Al Kraft]

We are all wondering-- why are more and more military aircraft stopping in Sitka? There are no good theories.

Two thoughts worthy of consideration: 1) China and Russia, the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, 2) climate change and arctic resource research. The two attached items are unclassified, contain no handling caveats, and are available in the public domain. They may help you get a sense of why you're seeing an increased Naval presence.

 

[Al Kraft]

Good to know. I still use it and get very quizzical looks.

...but not from us!

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Two thoughts worthy of consideration: 1) China and Russia, the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, 2) climate change and arctic resource research. The two attached items are unclassified, contain no handling caveats, and are available in the public domain. They may help you get a sense of why you're seeing an increased Naval presence.

Thanks Al. That explains a lot. And I like that they are there to fortify the USCG too. There was a time the USCG didn't get the support they deserved-- even though at times of war they were called into active duty and Coast Guardsmen lost their lives. I'm glad they are part of Homeland Security now. That has much bigger teeth than department of transportation.

 

[BadExample]

Two thoughts worthy of consideration: 1) China and Russia, the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, 2) climate change and arctic resource research. The two attached items are unclassified, contain no handling caveats, and are available in the public domain. They may help you get a sense of why you're seeing an increased Naval presence.

That was my exact thought, but don't know the geography, distances, well enough to not stick my foot in my mouth again. I might suggest everyone has interests, secrets and turf wars when you get close to the red and white striped pole. Also the green and red pole at the other end. Who lives there? The Anti-Santa? Capt. Jim's a Bluenose, but I don't recall how far back that goes. Could have been his Man-Eater era.

 

[BadExample]

Better coffee? When I was stationed at North Island, anytime things went awry we'd just say"breaks of Naval Air". I kinda wonder if that expression is still used(that was '66-67).

Hey shipmate, my favorite as an almost always night shifter was "Pull chocks!"

 

[GonePlaid]

Two thoughts worthy of consideration: 1) China and Russia, the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, 2) climate change and arctic resource research. The two attached items are unclassified, contain no handling caveats, and are available in the public domain. They may help you get a sense of why you're seeing an increased Naval presence.

I was on the USS Enterprise in '67. I was curious about some of her stats(top speed, a/c capacity,etc.). All were "classified". I looked in a copy of "Jane's All the World's Ships". All the info was there in print.

 

[BadExample]

My brother was the CAG of Air Wing 1, assigned to the Big E, 2006ish IIRC.

CO Golden Dragons, on the Sh---- Kitty, Atsugi before that, but quite a few years in between.

I was a lowly wog/tweet. VC-5 Cubi. Kept my feet dry.

 

[GonePlaid]

My brother was the CAG of Air Wing 1, assigned to the Big E, 2006ish IIRC.

CO Golden Dragons, on the Sh---- Kitty, Atsugi before that, but quite a few years in between.

I was a lowly wog/tweet. VC-5 Cubi. Kept my feet dry.

Well, I like to think I had the toughest job in the Navy......I played my saxophone. Yup, MU3 on the E.

 

[BadExample]

Well, you sir, signed the line during a very scary time. More heroic than anything I ever did. I'm glad you were not on the Forestall!

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Well, I like to think I had the toughest job in the Navy......I played my saxophone. Yup, MU3 on the E.

Shake your hand. I ended my tour of duty playing USO tours. I was always in the 3d Bn 16th FA Baumholder but the unit "lent" me to USO tours. Back then, it was the cold war, and there wasn't an active engagement at the time.

One time there was some sort of political crap going on in Washington and the USSR, and we were all loaded onto trains in our APC's and sat there mobilized for almost a full day. Then we pulled everything off the trains and went into the barracks. The CO gave us the rest of the day off and we all slept until the next day. Well, we got up to eat then went back to bed LOL.

I still have trinkets I brought home after duty and it was marked, "Made in West Germany." Won't find that ever again.

 

[GonePlaid]

I did 2 WestPac cruises. First was USS Yorktown, CV(S)10, ASWGRU3, second was on Enterprise but at that time Japan wouldn't let nuclear powered ships into the country(I guess they didn't count subs). We rode on board the Hancock to Japan(Yokosuka), bussed to Atsugi and flew in the Admiral's C-121 Connie to the Philippines to meet the "E"-ComCarDiv 1. At the time Enterprise was CVA(N)65 'cause there were still conventionally powered carriers in the fleet. Things to make ya feel yer age: Yorktown's a museum-got to take my wife and daughter aboard in Charleston, SC, and Enterprise is decommisioned.

 

[BadExample]

Hurry up and wait!

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I did 2 WestPac cruises. First was USS Yorktown, CV(S)10, ASWGRU3, second was on Enterprise but at that time Japan wouldn't let nuclear powered ships into the country(I guess they didn't count subs). We rode on board the Hancock to Japan(Yokosuka), bussed to Atsugi and flew in the Admiral's C-121 Connie to the Philippines to meet the "E"-ComCarDiv 1. At the time Enterprise was CVA(N)65 'cause there were still conventionally powered carriers in the fleet. Things to make ya feel yer age: Yorktown's a museum-got to take my wife and daughter aboard in Charleston, SC, and Enterprise is decommisioned.

Much more than I ever did. But I did see Alice Cooper throw up in a VW bus in the early 70's!

 

[BadExample]

and flew in the Admiral's C-121 Connie to the Philippines, where I was at my best behavior, to meet the "E"-ComCarDiv 1.

Added a very minor detail for you

I believe at that time you would have been limited to Magsaysay and Rizal Ave. During my time there, it was wide open for liberty.

 

[GonePlaid]

Hurry up and wait!

Yeah. We spent a lot of time"waiting for the word". We also played quite a few people-to-people concerts in Japan, Hong Kong, Cebu(Phillipines), and Thailand. It was a definite eye opener. While on the "E" they brought a USO tour on board:Johnny Rivers band and....ANN-MARGRET. Luckily the day after she performed-on the forward elevator-was clean linen day-LOL. We played a short warm-up to their program and stayed on the elevator, which was about 8' above the hangar bay. I was,maybe,6 feet from her. Total knock out. I think we played a couple of tunes afterward but nobody cared-including us! BTW, when I say us, we were 5 saxes, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, French horn and 3 rhythm. I started playing bass at my next duty station in late '67.

 

[GonePlaid]

Well, you sir, signed the line during a very scary time. More heroic than anything I ever did. I'm glad you were not on the Forestall!

To be honest, 2 guys from my High School band had gone into the Navy music program and I thought it was a good way to not get my @$$ shot off. Lost a few H.S. classmates to that mess. Interesting side story-one of the people in my H.S. band was a clarinetist named William"Rusty"Calley. Yup, That Lt. William Calley.

 

[GonePlaid]

Well, you sir, signed the line during a very scary time. More heroic than anything I ever did. I'm glad you were not on the Forestall!

We were out there when that happened. Bad scene.

 

[GonePlaid]

Added a very minor detail for you

I believe at that time you would have been limited to Magsaysay and Rizal Ave. During my time there, it was wide open for liberty.

He wasn't aboard but still maintained our cool!

 

[Al Kraft]

A good friend survived the fire on Big E. He was on the flight deck when the accident occurred. I think I may be the only person who he has ever talked about it with, and when I see him break out the cruise book I know it's going to be an emotional time. IIRC the JAGMAN investigation concluded that huffer exhaust impinged on and cooked off a Zuni rocket in pod that was mounted on a Phantom wing. After that it was just a matter of secondary explosions and jet fuel making a bad day worse.

I had the honor of spending a few weeks on the 59 back in the late 70's. No one ever forgot the 65's fire or the one on Forrestal in 1967. In fact the mandatory safety INDOC when I came aboard included watching the films to impress upon folks the importance of getting to your assigned GQ station quickly and that damage control and fire fighting tenacity may be what saves the ship.

The Enterprise name is going to be resurrected with the third of the Ford class (our latest) carriers. Last I heard her launch date will be in the late 2020 time frame. One of my best jobs working for the Navy was leading the aviation team who worked with the NAVSEA naval architecture team doing the conceptual design work in 1997-2001 on what was first CVX, then CVNX, and finally became the Ford class. It's our first new carrier design since the Nimitz class and incorporates technologies and capabilities that should easily take us through this century.