" The Air Force has stabilized its force structure at about 5,500 aircraft, after a sharp decline from 2002 to 2009. The Air Force has maintained its inventories by allowing the average aircraft age to increase (to 29.2 years).
"The bomber force consists of B-52s, B-1s, and B-2s. The long-range plan is for the B-21 Raider to replace the B-1s and B-2s. The B-52s will continue in service at least into the 2040s and maybe beyond."
And, perhaps the most sobering line followed:
"The last B-52 pilot has probably not yet been born."
That is very interesting. I read an article yesterday that they can't seem to replace the arms we are sending to Ukraine "due to supply chain issues". The article also said that the amount of arms we are sending puts us in a precarious position. I have zero confidence that anyone in the current administration has the slightest idea how to do their job, and so here we are.
Ray Swindle wrote:
Here in Central Texas we are getting phone calls daily (plus mailings) asking to buy our property. Prices have skyrocketed higher than Big Sur California beach property. Our property appraisals are rising too, if I wasn't over 65 with my appraisal frozen I couldn't afford the property taxes. I use to tell people $5 million to start, yet they continue to call. Now, I tell them if they don't have $15 million I am going to hang up. I have no desire to sell this farm, I believe in farming and open spaces.
God Bless you Ray!
There are very few, at least in the East, that care about farms, agriculture and such.
Here in Maryland, they tax the hellouttaof us seniors property tax wise.
In order to qualify for a Homeowners Discount your combined salary is below the poverty level!
Greed runs ramped here and as Crazy Eddie sez, "Money talks, nobody walks!"
JWilsonphoto wrote:
That is very interesting. I read an article yesterday that they can't seem to replace the arms we are sending to Ukraine "due to supply chain issues". The article also said that the amount of arms we are sending puts us in a precarious position. I have zero confidence that anyone in the current administration has the slightest idea how to do their job, and so here we are.
Jim, I am at a great loss as to exactly what we are sending Ukraine. They tell us but I see no results on the battlefield to indicate that the Ukrainian military is using the vast amounts this administration sez it is sending them!
I have a life long friend 's son that works for Martin Marietta in Baltimore and he states that there has been no increase in output nor added worker shifts to fill any void, if any.
I won't politicize the forum any further....! Just my $.02....I believe everybody is suffering in some manner today. Economics 101 seems not to be taught anymore(supply and demand) or at least lost in a "talking point".
Dan
Last summer when the farmer was harvesting the corn crop, he told me he hoped 2021 was his last catch-up year so he could finally get a positive return on his farming. Now he has to battle diesel prices, high fertilizer costs and this winter we have had a drought. The farming outlook last year was wheat would be the most profitable crop, so he decided to invest in a larger wheat crop this winter. He planted wheat on my fields. From the roadside, it looks really good. But when you look inside the field you see how sparse the crop is. Some plants did not break the surface, and others did not fully develop due to lack of water. Not a good time to be a farmer. If Americans want food, they need to get behind lower fuel prices. If the fuel prices were not outrageous, he could break even or maybe even make a profit. I guess we will just starve, unless you eat seaweed.
You see this here many years Ray! Some years worse than others but lately...the worst!
I cannot get my head around the people who can positively influence the plight of our farmers, do NADA, nothing or lead one to believe they are doing something.
I live in an agri region. I see it every day! Have lived it all my life. To me it is sad!
Thanks for "feeding" us!
Dan
Farmers, Ranchers, seems like a dieing breed.
I worked for several cattle ranchers starting in the early 80's, back then 800+ head of cattle was big.
We had the cattle to make more cows and the others fed us. We had corn, barley, wheat, hay, alfalfa and dry land alfalfa, used dam near all that for feeding the cattle and silage. We would get up several hours before daylight, drain the water lines, unhook the pipes, lift them up and set them on the next row, hook back up and turn water on. Between sweating your azz off, tired, cutting your arm pits on the corn and burning it was a chore. Then on to the next field that had motorized hand lines, yahoo...Drain the water, straighten them out from the dam cows rubbing on them, fire the engine up and run them a few rows down and turn back on and walk away, kinda fun actually. Then...You would change your sopping wet work clothes and do your normal 8-12 hour ranch/farm/cowboy day. Then, after woulr work day...Guess what...You had to change all the water lines again. OMG ! -- Then there is plowing, tilling, dragging, planting, etc, etc...To this day, almost 40 years later I'm amazed and baffled at how a rancher/cowboy can even make a living let alone come out ahead.
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Me in 1983...First rodeo-
Just shipped the SR and the 70-200/2.8 III off to their new owners. After I said yes to the first buyer a guy right down the rod from the hangar chimed in and wanted the SR, too late unfortunately. B&S certainly has been a blessing over the years. 30 seconds, that's a record......................
Bill Gass wrote:
Farmers, Ranchers, seems like a dieing breed.
I worked for several cattle ranchers starting in the early 80's, back then 800+ head of cattle was big.
We had the cattle to make more cows and the others fed us. We had corn, barley, wheat, hay, alfalfa and dry land alfalfa, used dam near all that for feeding the cattle and silage. We would get up several hours before daylight, drain the water lines, unhook the pipes, lift them up and set them on the next row, hook back up and turn water on. Between sweating your azz off, tired, cutting your arm pits on the corn and burning it was a chore. Then on to the next field that had motorized hand lines, yahoo...Drain the water, straighten them out from the dam cows rubbing on them, fire the engine up and run them a few rows down and turn back on and walk away, kinda fun actually. Then...You would change your sopping wet work clothes and do your normal 8-12 hour ranch/farm/cowboy day. Then, after woulr work day...Guess what...You had to change all the water lines again. OMG ! -- Then there is plowing, tilling, dragging, planting, etc, etc...To this day, almost 40 years later I'm amazed and baffled at how a rancher/cowboy can even make a living let alone come out ahead.
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Me in 1983...First rodeo-...Show more →
Great young man Bill! Yes a dying breed!
It has to be in your blood to do this and continue to do this in today's environment!
Well done cowboy!!!
Dan
We get these sticky notes form a company and they have a little wooden pallet underneath them so I took the pallet and made a stainless steel crate to resemble a wooden crate you would put pears in.
Bill Gass wrote:
We get these sticky notes form a company and they have a little wooden pallet underneath them so I took the pallet and made a stainless steel crate to resemble a wooden crate you would put pears in.
Drove by H&D orchards(Medford,OR) for 2 years while working at Crater Lake NP! They are beautiful in the Spring!
Blossoms as far as the eye can see.
No I don't have any pictures that I remember at that time.
Bill Gass wrote:
Well, if no one's gonna post a plane or something, guess I'll post some hands.
Ps...Just had a pair of F-18's fly over, dam their loud...
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Pss. What does...Upload 1/12 Change mean ?
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Psss. At work like always...Sorry so big, took photo shop off of here so ya get the Big Pix.
Bill, I haven't gone to any airshows this year yet. So no airshow pictures from this year yet. I am eagerly waiting for the show at Dover AFB in two weeks, they have a nice lineup, TB, BA, B-2, 3 days after that show I will see the BA perform at the Naval Academy, then 3 days later I will be at the Jones Beach show in New York, BA, F-22, F-35. So it's really feast or famine. It will cost a $$$ for gas for all these trips. I heard the truck driver are paying $1200 to fill up their rigs, and of course, it will be reflected in the prices for everything we are buying.
I will go to the Top Gun II when it's playing. The last movie I went to see in a theater was the new "Midway". Hollywood is not making much from me. I was going over some F-22 files last night and found a few more that I like from last year. I might have posted them somewhere before, don't remember, but what the heck, here they are.
Douglas L wrote:
Bill, I haven't gone to any airshows this year yet. So no airshow pictures from this year yet. I am eagerly waiting for the show at Dover AFB in two weeks, they have a nice lineup, TB, BA, B-2, 3 days after that show I will see the BA perform at the Naval Academy, then 3 days later I will be at the Jones Beach show in New York, BA, F-22, F-35. So it's really feast or famine. It will cost a $$$ for gas for all these trips. I heard the truck driver are paying $1200 to fill up their rigs, and of course, it will be reflected in the prices for everything we are buying.
I will go to the Top Gun II when it's playing. The last movie I went to see in a theater was the new "Midway". Hollywood is not making much from me. I was going over some F-22 files last night and found a few more that I like from last year. I might have posted them somewhere before, don't remember, but what the heck, here they are.
Danpbphoto wrote:
You probably know this already Douglas but I will "remind" you! https://ocairshow.com
Dan
Thank you Dan! Yes, the Ocean City show is in my calendar as well, but the lineup so far isn't too exciting, no stealth jets. I will still go since it's only 150 miles away. There there is this big warbird show in Reading, PA in June too. I haven't been to that one for quite a few years. I remember after the show I saw someone driving a WWII Germany armored personnel carrier home. I thought to myself, only in America,
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JWilsonphoto wrote:
Hi Guys,
Beautiful images Douglas, whether you posted them before or not, they are worth gazing at a second time!
Thank you Jim! Hopefully the weather will cooperate for the three shows this month. I am pumped up!
- Then there is plowing, tilling, dragging, planting, etc, etc...To this day, almost 40 years later I'm amazed and baffled at how a rancher/cowboy can even make a living let alone come out ahead.
