I'm going to overlook that comment, cuz you're new here. The joke is our current situation, but no one is laughing.

JWilsonphoto wrote:
I'm going to overlook that comment, cuz you're new here. The joke is our current situation, but no one is laughing.

I thought the tweaking the lights comment was the joke? Sorry if I offended Jim. Not my intent.

Speaking of our current situation:

3/1/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- As the Air Force braces for potential sequester, leadership has cancelled all aviation support to public events for at least the remainder of the fiscal year and is standing down the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team to save flying hours to support readiness needs. Effective today, active-duty, Reserve and Guard units will cease all aviation support to the public. This includes the cancellation of support to all air shows, tradeshows, flyovers (including funerals and military graduations), orientation flights, heritage flights, F-22 demonstration flights and open houses, unless the event includes only local static assets.

Additionally, the Air Force will cancel the Thunderbirds' entire 2013 season beginning April 1.

The Thunderbirds and Heritage Flight crews will complete their certification procedures for safely flying aerial demonstrations in case the budget allows resumption of scheduled events in 2013, but and the Air Force will cease participation in Heritage flights following certification.

From http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123338424

I didn't see anything like this out of the Navy, but I did come across a news report that said the Blues had cancelled all shows in April, but were hoping they might still salvage the rest of the season:
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/01/17149624-military-spending-cuts-ground-blue-angels-thunderbirds?lite

Mark

I heard that the F-22 team was somehow (partially) backed by Lockheed in an effort to keep moral on the F-35 program alive. Not sure there's any truth to that?

I'm not sure what this will mean for our local show(s) but I guess if you're looking for a bright side you might consider that the Museum's, CAF etc may get a big boost in support and revenue from a much increased demand for performances/appearances. It's already starting to happen. Right now at NWCAS there are over 100 performers shopping themselves around and they're not just random dudes with S2B's either.

No problem Mike, my response was tongue in cheek, well sorta. No offense taken. I have a great deal of respect for "W" and think he is a wonderful man, don't agree with a number of things that happened in his 8 years, but then he didn't ask me.

Because you just joined us, you would have had no way of knowing that line wasn't a joke.

BTW, you belonged here a long time ago, thanks for sharing your creative talent with all of us, those composites are very cool and a great idea. You better get those copyrighted quick!

The movie version 'Memphis Belle' is in Atl. this w/e. We are having crappy weather. Doubt they will fly, until Sunday. Price has gone up to $450 for 30 min. Can't blame it on them. I'm sure it is fuel, etc...

Leftcoast_Mike wrote:
I heard that the F-22 team was somehow (partially) backed by Lockheed in an effort to keep moral on the F-35 program alive. Not sure there's any truth to that?



I would be surprised. My firm does a lot of work for Lockheed, and we're concerned they will cut back. We've certainly heard rumblings.

Raytheon is a huge employer here in MA. There was an article yesterday in the Boston Globe about how they were somewhat in limbo, not knowing where the cuts would hit, and unable to decide where to invest resources. They've already laid off about 3,000 people worldwide, which is about 5% of their employees.

I don't see how Lockheed (or any defense contractor) could justify spending that kind of money.

Mark

While we're on this subject, did you know that we have an unprecedented five carriers docked in Norfolk? The Navy brass is beside themselves. It's never happened before, just for security reasons.

Chainshot wrote:
The movie version 'Memphis Belle' is in Atl. this w/e. We are having crappy weather. Doubt they will fly, until Sunday. Price has gone up to $450 for 30 min. Can't blame it on them. I'm sure it is fuel, etc...

Yeah, the Thunderbirds posted the same info on their official website. There go my Sun-n-Fun plans.

Stupid politicians wouldn't even be able to agree which door to leave a burning building by. I'm beginning to think the only way out of this endless quagmire is term limits for EVERY office.

Erich

JWilsonphoto wrote:
No problem Mike, my response was tongue in cheek, well sorta. No offense taken. I have a great deal of respect for "W" and think he is a wonderful man, don't agree with a number of things that happened in his 8 years, but then he didn't ask me.

Because you just joined us, you would have had no way of knowing that line wasn't a joke.

BTW, you belonged here a long time ago, thanks for sharing your creative talent with all of us, those composites are very cool and a great idea. You better get those copyrighted quick!


Speaking of "W", I used to vacation in Texas often when I was living in Eastern Canada. Spent a lot of time in San Antonio. I've been all over North America and SA rates right up there for me.....except for all the pickup trucks haha

...and thank you for the warm welcome here. I'm really enjoying this forum and the amazing talent I've seen here.

I didn't know that, but here they are:



I think the Stennis, Vinson, and Eisenhower are at sea indefinitely, because they are not spending the money to prepare the carriers that were supposed to rotate with them.

Mark

Honestly, while I'll admit to being slightly to the right of Atilla the Hun, I have no idea what the right thing to do in this situation is. Both sides have been lying and self serving for so many years I have no idea what to think, or where to place my trust. Doesn't seem quite right that someone would spend 185 k an hour to zip back and forth from Hawaii to "negotiate" a budget deficit, then go play golf with Tiger Woods, spending an amount that would cover the furlough of 341 employees. All the while, for the last 5.5 years tellings us how it's tough and we need to sacrifice.

If a conservative was doing that it would be raining wrath. I'd just like a little fair and balanced amongst all the double talk about equality and fair and balanced.

The Reagan was out here in Victoria, BC for the RCN's Centennial. So impressive!!

ELinder wrote:
Yeah, the Thunderbirds posted the same info on their official website. There go my Sun-n-Fun plans.

Stupid politicians wouldn't even be able to agree which door to leave a burning building by. I'm beginning to think the only way out of this endless quagmire is term limits for EVERY office.

Erich

Would the burning building scenario you mention be a bad thing? The term limits, this one time, need to expire simultaneously, because it doesn't matter how many good people we send to Washington, it's like pouring 60 bottles of Fiji water into a septic tank, in a few seconds it's impossible to differentiate between the clean water and the ≥≥≥≥≥≥≥

Chainshot wrote:
The movie version 'Memphis Belle' is in Atl. this w/e. We are having crappy weather. Doubt they will fly, until Sunday. Price has gone up to $450 for 30 min. Can't blame it on them. I'm sure it is fuel, etc...


For a CAF B-17 that is roughly the going price. Hourly cost to run the plane, Insurance, Fuel, and Oil are the big ones, then CAF HQ takes their cut of it too, then the squadrons get the left overs.

Last night's assignment was a lemonade from lemons challenge. Perfect shooting date would have been about May, but "mine is not to question why....." The D800 and Adobe worked their magic and the client is happy........

JWilsonphoto wrote:
...... I have no idea what to think, or where to place my trust. Doesn't seem quite right that someone would spend 185 k an hour to zip back and forth from Hawaii to "negotiate" a budget deficit, then go play golf with Tiger Woods, spending an amount that would cover the furlough of 341 employees. All the while, for the last 5.5 years tellings us how it's tough and we need to sacrifice.

Jim, he's right...... "WE" need to sacrifice and of course, the AF let us know some of that sacrifice. Warbirds ahoy

JWilsonphoto wrote:
The D800 was made for just such an evening..............


Well done Jim, when is it due to open? I want to find my name on the wall...

Well, the Rinos began the spending splurge under Bush; we kicked them out only to have the donkeys continue spending at WARP drive. Now that Obama's sequester cuts $44 billion until Oct (mostly from the military), and the Rinos went along with it, the military and our national defense, which Obama despises, will suffer while we continue to grant money to universities to investigate if pigs can fly. Go figure