Comments on: Her Bite, Worse than her Bark! http://fix4rso.com/2006/06/24/her-bite-worse-than-her-bark/ Redball R-Square of your broken Nav and Intel Systems keeping you oncourse to the truth! Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:56:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Fix4RSO http://fix4rso.com/2006/06/24/her-bite-worse-than-her-bark/#comment-939 Fix4RSO Fri, 30 Jun 2006 18:05:19 +0000 http://fix4rso.com/2006/06/24/her-bite-worse-than-her-bark/#comment-939 I'm such a geek about it 'cause she is the last of her breed. The SR-71 has been decommissioned due to use of satellite imagery. Then, they realized that the spy planes as a platform are highly mobile and unpredictable (duh!). But, too late for the Blackbird - the Dragon Lady is the only one left. Now, with UAVs coming online, and surveillance taking a new twist, manned surveillance is going to probably be a thing of the past ... alas, times they are a changin'. The flight profile these pilots endure is amazing. The fact that they are in hostile environments (in "space" and foreign air space), cannot fly really too fast so are sitting ducks to SAMs, and there are only 850 of these pilots since the programs beginning ... and maybe 3 times that number of ground crew personnel ... Yeah, she's got me hooked. I still remember looking at that bird in wonder. There is soo much history in both these aircraft. And Kelly Johnson is (was) a GENIOUS! I’m such a geek about it ’cause she is the last of her breed. The SR-71 has been decommissioned due to use of satellite imagery. Then, they realized that the spy planes as a platform are highly mobile and unpredictable (duh!). But, too late for the Blackbird - the Dragon Lady is the only one left.

Now, with UAVs coming online, and surveillance taking a new twist, manned surveillance is going to probably be a thing of the past … alas, times they are a changin’.

The flight profile these pilots endure is amazing. The fact that they are in hostile environments (in “space” and foreign air space), cannot fly really too fast so are sitting ducks to SAMs, and there are only 850 of these pilots since the programs beginning … and maybe 3 times that number of ground crew personnel …

Yeah, she’s got me hooked. I still remember looking at that bird in wonder. There is soo much history in both these aircraft. And Kelly Johnson is (was) a GENIOUS!

]]> By: GunnNutt http://fix4rso.com/2006/06/24/her-bite-worse-than-her-bark/#comment-936 GunnNutt Fri, 30 Jun 2006 17:38:24 +0000 http://fix4rso.com/2006/06/24/her-bite-worse-than-her-bark/#comment-936 <i>Look at that, soooo pretty. I brought the shot in tight so that you could get a closer look. ...Oh my, this is so great! ...<strike>Look at the teeth! Loook!</strike></i> OK, not the last one. You sure are a geek about the U-2! The only part I understood was about the chase car. Now <i>that</i> sounds like a cool job! (please pardon if this double posts.) Look at that, soooo pretty. I brought the shot in tight so that you could get a closer look. …Oh my, this is so great! …Look at the teeth! Loook! OK, not the last one.

You sure are a geek about the U-2! The only part I understood was about the chase car. Now that sounds like a cool job!

(please pardon if this double posts.)

]]> By: Fix4RSO http://fix4rso.com/2006/06/24/her-bite-worse-than-her-bark/#comment-882 Fix4RSO Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:03:45 +0000 http://fix4rso.com/2006/06/24/her-bite-worse-than-her-bark/#comment-882 Yep - would have been 26 years by now. I think of all the places I would have been stationed, often. After having the experience with the 9th SRW and 55th at Offutt, I'm sure I'd have been at DM at least ONCE in my career. ;) Who knows ... no regrets though. I wouldn't have the family I have now, nor would I have had the chance to work with so many great people and at so many different companies! ;) Life is funny, eh? Yep - would have been 26 years by now. I think of all the places I would have been stationed, often. After having the experience with the 9th SRW and 55th at Offutt, I’m sure I’d have been at DM at least ONCE in my career. ;)

Who knows … no regrets though. I wouldn’t have the family I have now, nor would I have had the chance to work with so many great people and at so many different companies! ;)

Life is funny, eh?

]]> By: Buck http://fix4rso.com/2006/06/24/her-bite-worse-than-her-bark/#comment-871 Buck Mon, 26 Jun 2006 11:59:34 +0000 http://fix4rso.com/2006/06/24/her-bite-worse-than-her-bark/#comment-871 Great stuff, Steve. Wouldn't you be retiring about now, had you stayed in? Great stuff, Steve. Wouldn’t you be retiring about now, had you stayed in?

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