Checklist Origin

Thanks to Rick Spencer for the following link:

Anyone who has flown (and probably most who have not) is aware of the pilot’s checklist. It is a step-by-step procedure executed by the pilot (and often involving the co-pilot and other members of the crew) by which each critical system and function that should be checked before takeoff is checked and verified to be correct.

Countless lives have been saved by this simple yet very effective approach.

So, who invented the checklist?

And why did they think that it was necessary?

For the answer, click on the link below:

Click here: Checklist Origin

C-133 DVD set

Just about done with the two-DVD set. One has about 1,700 still photos and illustrations. The entire 84th MAS scrapbook (146 pages) is included, at 200% scans. Every picture and ilustration from my book is there. Then, lots and lots of C-133 pictures that have been collected since 1998.

The video DVD has a 90-minute video of the last flight of 61999, from Anchorage to Travis. Lots of good sound of takeoff (twice) and landing (once). It will help you recall just how damned noisy the C-133 was, for maintenance and aircrew alike. I'm pretty satisfied with my first bit of video editing.

There will also be a short video (25 minutes) of an Alaska mission, flown about ten years ago. It carried big stuff to the North Slope.

For more info, check out the C-133 web site.

Things will be ready to ship by mid-December.

Cal Taylor

Most of our C-133 Crew Colleagues know Rick Spencer, 39th ATS Navigator in the early 60s, Book Reviewer on this blog, and emcee of our last reunion in Dover. He offers the following thought provoking letter:

Hello C-133 Crewmembers:

Several of you have received drafts of the attached analysis of our $200
Trillion unfunded debt and made some fine comments to help me along. It was
suggested that I pen such by a former colleague in order that we may all
better understand the present nature of our nation’s fiscal situation and
its future generational consequences.

The combined local, state, and federal governments are now our largest
businesses, maybe the world’s largest as they control over 50% of our GDP.
The recent down grading of U.S. bonds suggest the precariousness of our
financial situation when measured against the balance sheet of a commercial
corporation. We are/would be in junk bond territory, especially, if one
takes into account the ‘hidden debt’ of the unfunded liabilities.

It now seems clear; and, no one seems to care that we have put our progeny
at risk with the ’New Deal’ and ‘Great Society’ policies that have pursued
reckless and abstract ideas of ‘social justice’ through the false promise
of a “permanence of plenty”. Social justice of the type that has been
pursued is an “empty formula”: It is the risk of a lesser life for one with
goals seeking personal and economic freedom; for one to be all that he can
be; for one to pursue his own happiness; and, for one to be forced to live
with unconstrained federal power touching all parts of his personal life. It
truly is ‘The Road To Serfdom’.

It may seem odd to the unconstrained utopian thinkers that a constrained
view of government was the Founder’s original intent; a view that accepted
its citizen’s own private stock of reasoning as appropriate guidance for
life’s concerns. That was a major tenet of our revolution, for our
Constitution, and for our nation’s guidance until the Progressive era began
at the turn of the 20th century.

The irony, that seems absurd, if not laughable, is that Europe has long been
infected with ‘the disease of progressivism’ in the form of socialism, but
they are now running from it just as we seem to be embracing it. Large
scale central planning by those who govern has never been the American
approach to achieve an economic independence and it remains to be seen if
our citizenry accept it as a way of life.

I have attached my thoughts, “ Unfunded Liabilities: The Folly of the
Ancient Hope of Mankind, to Live Without Working”. Please note that the
analysis only indirectly speaks to the indiscriminate spending of our moral
capital largely caused by the reckless abandon that we have been spending
our financial capital. The work ends with a challenge to the reader; and, I
now await your response to my challenge. Thanks, RLS

P.S. For those unfamiliar with ‘net present value’, ‘bonds in perpetuity’,
or the ‘PIIGS’ of Europe they are explained in the below links that you can
review before beginning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_present_value

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetuity

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8510603.stm

Il Silenzio (Taps Original Version)

UNBELIEVABLY BRILLIANT

The conductor of the orchestra is Andre Rieu from Holland .

The young lady, her trumpet and her rendition of TAPS makes your hair stand on end.

Many of you may never have heard taps played in its entirety, for all of the men and women that have died for you to have the freedom you have in America and Canada . This is an opportunity you won't want to miss and I guarantee you'll never forget.

Amazingly beautiful ..

Melissa Venema, age 13, is the trumpet soloist. She is also from Holland. Here is Taps played in its entirety. The original version of Taps was called Last Post, and was written by Daniel Butterfield in 1801. It was rather lengthy and formal, as you will hear in this clip, so in
1862 it was shortened to 24 notes and re-named Taps.

Melissa Venema is playing it on a trumpet whereby the original was played on a bugle.

Watch at this site:

http://www.flixxy.com/trumpet-solo-melissa-venema.htm

New C-133 kit--BIG!

For all who won't live long enough to finish a vacuform kit, Anigrand has the answer. (BTW< I don't get a cent for this!) It's a cast resin 1:72 C-133 with markings for 62008, at the NMUSAF. I've seen pics of the moldings. They look pretty good. And there is potential for lots of other markings.

Rare-Plane Detective in Las Vegas (favorite alternate for Travis C-133 drivers) is taking pre-orders. Check their web site:

http://www.nostalgicplastic.com/comesoon.cfm?DTTM=20111003193
430&RequestedTimeout=500&KI=4323

Cal Taylor

Anigrand C-133 Kit

First of all, I don't get a cent from this. Just info for the crowd. Now a 1:72 resin cast C-133 model by Anigrand, for those who won't live long enough to finish a vacuform kit! That is a 30" wingspan. The markings are for 62008 at the NMUSAF, but a little work will give you lots of other choices. I've seen some shots of the moldings and they look pretty good. Rare-Plane Detective, in Las Vegas (favorite alternate for Travis C-133 drivers!) is getting the kit soon. Here is a link.

Just for other info, I sent Anigrand a package about the C-132. They seem to be looking at doing one in 1:144 scale, about 17" span.

http://www.nostalgicplastic.com/comesoon.cfm?DTTM=20111003193430&RequestedTimeout=500&KI=4323

Cal Taylor

Veterans' Day, 11-11-11

We honor and respect all Veterans' and their families:

When "Challenger" Flies

Thanks to Albert Rice for the following video. If this doesn't give you chills, you're older than I am! :)

Click on the text at the top of the video screen to go to the YouTube site, then on the lower-right icon for full-screen viewing.

More appropriate posts coming as we approach Veterans' Day on 11-11-11.

Supersonic Flights: Sonic Booms

Thanks to Bill Neely for the following link to a great video:

Click on: Sonic Booms