Random jet photograph

[editor]

What's the purpose of the extra tumor on top? Is that the escape pod that Hollywood has led us to believe exists on Air Force One?

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

What's the purpose of the extra tumor on top? Is that the escape pod that Hollywood has led us to believe exists on Air Force One?

Im not sure. I would guess that it has something to do with communications equipment-satelites and secure lines, just a guess.

[dalparadise]

Boeing B47 Bomber, the plane that my grandfather ended his USAF career on and the plane that begin my fathers USAF career.

Boeing B52 Bomber, the plane my father ended his USAF career on, and the plane my brother begin his USAF career on.

My dad guarded B-52s at Barksdale AFB in the 60s. Those are amazing.

Also, I flew, as a passenger, many trips on Delta in the 70s. Most were on L-1011s. Almost all routed through Atlanta, if I remember correctly. I was under 10 years old. Even then, I thought it was an amazing plane.

Edited November 19, 2006 by dalparadise

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

What's the purpose of the extra tumor on top? Is that the escape pod that Hollywood has led us to believe exists on Air Force One?

I have the answer for you. Its a radiation detector. Incase of nuclear war, that hump measures radiation levels in the atmoshere and also gives the pilots a heads up on incoming nuclear missles before they detonate so they can deviate around the blast zones. Pretty interesting stuff!

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

My dad guarded B-52s at Barksdale AFB in the 60s. Those are amazing.

Also, I flew, as a passenger, many trips on Delta in the 70s. Most were on L-1011s. Almost all routed through Atlanta, if I remember correctly. I was under 10 years old. Even then, I thought it was an amazing plane.

My dad was stationed at 3 SAC bases i can remember, there may have been more--Minot, North Dakota, Glasgow, Montana and Goose Bay, Canada. The L1011 was his "girl". He had the chance to upgrade to the MD 11 before he retired and chose not to do it. He prefered the old L-1011 TriStar ;) "Treat her like a lady and she will get you where you need to be" That was his saying

[dalparadise]

My dad was stationed at 3 SAC bases i can remember, there may have been more--Minot, North Dakota, Glasgow, Montana and Goose Bay, Canada. The L1011 was his "girl". He had the chance to upgrade to the MD 11 before he retired and chose not to do it. He prefered the old L-1011 TriStar ;) "Treat her like a lady and she will get you where you need to be" That was his saying

I'm finding those words of wisdom to be true, even in single-engine piston planes.

- They change their minds without warning every time the wind blows. Instead of correcting, sometimes it's best to just roll with it.

- They prefer to be set down gently, in as straight an approach as possible.

- They like coaxing, not manhandling. Driving with three fingers of one hand (the other on the throttle at all times) is preferred.

- You should check all the holes for birds' nests before you take them out.

- Faster ones cost more per hour.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

I'm finding those words of wisdom to be true, even in single-engine piston planes.

- They change their minds without warning every time the wind blows. Instead of correcting, sometimes it's best to just roll with it.

- They prefer to be set down gently, in as straight an approach as possible.

- They like coaxing, not manhandling. Driving with three fingers of one hand (the other on the throttle at all times) is preferred.

- You should check all the holes for birds' nests before you take them out.

- Faster ones cost more per hour.

As i told you before, make sure you keep doing this as a hobby only---dont go commercial. As a hobby its great!

The old man was assigned to 4 different SAC-Strategic Air Command bases in the USAF, not 3. In addition to the ones mentioned above, he was also at Loring AFB in Maine. His words "by the time the boys in Barksdale reached the party, it would have been all over"

[dalparadise]

His words "by the time the boys in Barksdale reached the party, it would have been all over"

That would have been just fine with my dad. I don't think his heart was really in it. He grew up in an Army family, went to high school in Paris, lived all around the US, then joined the Air Force out of obligation to serve. He was stationed in Tripoli, in Northern Africa for awhile, then got the crummy gig of Air Police, where he babysat the B-52s in Louisiana. His one moment of excitement, he told me, was when they were on full alert for the Cuban missile crisis. I think, in that scenario, Barksdale may have been a frontline base -- or perhaps the first to go.

Anyway, dad never was much into the Air Force. He did like those big bombers, tho.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

His one moment of excitement, he told me, was when they were on full alert for the Cuban missile crisis. I think, in that scenario, Barksdale may have been a frontline base -- or perhaps the first to go.

Anyway, dad never was much into the Air Force. He did like those big bombers, tho.

Ah the Cuban Missle Crisis--gramps, the my dad and one uncle were all ready to go in that one

Gramps, the cranky old bastard, thought that Kennedy and McNamara was a coward and a jackass among other things that i cannot say here. He thought we should have just incenerated Cuba. He also thought that we should have incenerated Korea and China as well to stop the red threat from China so we wouldnt have to fight 2 strong large communist powers at the same time. And people here think im bad........

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

This is a cool pic!!!