Planes, Trains, Tanks, and Ships

U-505

2005-07-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

Aft torpedo room.

U-505

2005-07-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Forward torpedo room

Bridge

2005-07-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

The bridge of U-505. Two 2cm antiaircraft guns and one 3.7cm gun were mounted on the deck. Multiple holes from Allied gun fire can be seen.

U-505 Type IX U-boat

2005-07-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

U-505 a type IXc German U-boat. Was captured off the coast of North Africa during WWII. Now on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

American 757

2005-07-24T16:24:00.001-07:00

An American Airlines Boeing 757 crosses Maho Beach before landing at Princess Juliana airport(TNCM) St. Martin, Dutch West Indies.

Air France

2005-07-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

An Air France A340 Airbus crosses Maho Beach.

American Airlines B757

2005-07-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

St. Marten DWI. Picture taken from the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill.

KLM Boeing 747-400

2005-07-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

A KLM 747-400 landing in St. Martin. The pirate flag in the lower left hand corner is on a small fishing boat that was pulled up on the beach and converted into a little open air Bar.

Simuflite

2005-04-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is a full motion simulator at Simuflite in Dallas Texas. The one in the picture is a Beechjet simulator. This sim stands over two stories tall and is in a row of sims in a three story building. It contains a cocpit identical to whats in the real aircraft, is supported by hydraulic legs that move the entire assembly in three axis. if you like realism in your video games, there is nothing comparable to this.

FT 17 Renault Tank

2005-03-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

On the lower level of The West Point Museum an FT 17 Renault Tank. Built by the French it first appeared in 1918 and was later built by the US and other countries. Many served into the 1940's after they were captured From the French by the german army and used in a support role.

VOR/DME approach

2005-03-30T08:43:00.000-08:00

This is the VOR/DME approach into Aspen Colorado. Aspen Colorado has one piece of asphalt and it's basically a one way in one way out airport. Landing aircraft land uphill on runway 15 then takeoff downhill in the opposite direction on runway 33.

Aspen

2005-03-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

looking northwest from the Aspen airport. Landing aircraft cross the mountain at 14,000' and have to drop to a field elevation of 7,800' in 12 miles. It's pretty much a chop and drop procedure. Full flaps, gear down, power to idle and nose it over. It might still take an S turn or two to loose the altitude. Add to this bad weather, unfavorable winds, mountain turbulance and you've got one heck of a thrill ride.

United Express taxis for takeoff

2005-03-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

looking southeast from the aspen airport you can easily see the ski lifts on the slopes. This Bae 146 is about to depart on runway 33. After takeoff departing aircraft turn to a heading of 340 till reaching 8,700' then make a turn to the west. This takes them away from the mountain face just to the west of the approach end of the runway and turns them away from landing aircraft approaching from the opposite direction.

2005-03-30T07:38:00.000-08:00

The VOR Approach into Aspen

The Rockies

2005-03-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

Enroute from Montrose, Colorado to Denver we're scoot'n over the rockies at 21,000 feet.

Fernandina Beach, Florida

2005-03-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

Fernandina 55J. This is the storm that greated us at the hotel. The next morning we flew to St. louis.

Monday passing over Washington

2005-03-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

My day. On Monday I flew in a citation 65O to Wilkes-Barre, pennsylvania and had breakfast at a perkins restaurnt. After the passengers returned we flew to Fernandina Beach, Florida at 36,000 feet. Enroute we passed over washington DC. After landing in Fernandina we checked into the Hampton Inn just as a big a-- storm hit. The hotel and much of the town lost power. We went to dinner and then returned to the hotel where I played blogs the rest of the night. The power was back on.

2005-03-17T15:57:00.000-08:00

cruise ships at night

Nassau

2005-03-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

Cruise ships docked in Nassau. This was the view from the back of the hotel.

Ocean Breeze

2005-03-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

The Ocean Breeze docked in Nassau.

Jetstreams

2005-03-11T10:48:00.000-08:00

Two Jetstreams on the general aviation ramp. Montreal, Quebec.

Help

2005-03-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

I'm looking for constructive input. What category should I list my blog under and how should I describe it? Thanks.

Lift

2005-03-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

GIIB winglet at 45,000ft over Michigan

Water Colors

2005-03-06T12:53:00.000-08:00

Water craft, bar Harbor, Michigan

Barge

2005-03-02T07:03:00.000-08:00

A barge on the Mississppi river passes under the Eads bridge.

UP Challenger 3985

2005-02-26T07:46:00.001-08:00

STEAM POWER!!

UP Challenger 3985

2005-02-26T07:46:00.000-08:00

Union Pacific's Challenger 3985 based in Cheyenne Wyoming. The World's largest operating steam train, undergoes repairs in St. Louis, on it's way to Cheyenne Wyoming.

Douglas SBD Dive Bomber

2005-02-26T07:39:00.000-08:00

Douglas SBD Dive Bomber at the Palm Springs Aviation Museum

P40 Warhawk

2005-02-20T17:02:00.000-08:00

P40 Warhawk, at the Palm Springs Aviation Museum. This aviation museum is at the palm springs airport and is primarily oriented towards the second world war. lots of static aircraft displays, including a B17 Flying fortress which can be toured. Well worth the time.

M60A3 Patton Tank

2005-02-20T17:01:00.000-08:00

M60A3 Patton tank in desert paint.

M4 Sherman

2005-02-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

This M4 Sherman was used for target practice. You can see where the armor is divoted and rusted around the impact points.

M3 Stuart, General George S. Patton Memorial Museum

2005-02-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

M3 Stuart outside the General George S. Patton Memorial Museum, Chiriaco Summit, california. I drove out to the museum which is about 25 miles southeast of Palm springs. There were about 7 or eight tanks on display and the museum area was very intersting. The area was a desert training area for the US Army during the second World War. The museum is worth seeing but looks like it is probably funded by donations and staffed by volunteers. My guess is no or little state or federal funding. So go support them.

Titan II missile

2005-02-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

OK, I confess, here's the truth. I'm a pilot and according to my wife, I don't really work. I go on vacation. For years I've been feigning exhaustion when I get home, just trying to elicit a little sympathy from her. But the truth is, she's right. Sometimes it's so easy it's rediculous and it's like an all expenses paid vacation. That's how I got this picture of the Titan II just out side of tucson. My buddy and I ran around for three days visiting the sights, eating in reataurants and I confess, I wore my self out walking around the Pina Air Museum. But don't tell her.
Here's a link to an interesting sight put up by a couple of guys who explored an abandoned Titan I site

2005-02-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

windshield removed from the aircraft. At the upper left you can see where the failure started. (click on picture to enlarge)

Gulfstream III failed windshield

2005-02-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

This happened last night just after departing Milwaukee. I was flying from the right seat. We had just popped out of a layer at 5,000 feet when the other pilot said "look at that". I looked over and he was pointing at a tiny violet spark that was dancing on his windshield. It looked just like st. elmo's fire and was not unexpected since we had just passed through a layer of snow. Suddenly the whole outer pane fractured. The spark was probably the windshield heat elements shorting as the first crack formed. He ducked and I immediately throttled back and started to level reducing our forward speed and stopping the increase in differential pressure. He put on his smoke gogles to protect his eyes and grabed the check list, notified ATC and I started a turn back to Mke. Cpt. then left his seat to pull several designated cicuit breakers, notify the passengers that we were returning to MKE. I was pretty busy flying the plane and setting up for the return to Mke. We never declared an emergency, the controller did that for us after I kept telling him to "standby". I was a little too busy to be chatty, And I had already told him what the problem was and we needed vectors for a descent back into MKE. once we were in closer the other pilot got back into his seat and I made a normal landing. This picture is from the next morning. The outer pane of the windshield had failed and the whole window was replaced.

2005-02-03T10:46:00.000-08:00

Trump's 727 parked at Laguardia

2005-01-31T14:58:00.000-08:00

Citation 650

2005-01-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

Gulfstream III, Portland Maine.