Too many have already been there and tried it before anyone today could try it: Going lower than the ground in an aircraft.

The USAF has a plan to keep it from happening: Auto-GCAS.

From Defense Tech:

Helping Pilots Avoid the Ground

Aviators have a saying: “You can only tie the record for low flight.”

Well, the U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command is installing a system in its jets that is designed to keep future pilots from tying the record. Press Zoom reports that the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System is a software-based technology that has demonstrated a 98 percent effectiveness rate at eliminating aircraft crashes into the ground. The system is ready for operational integration on F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-22 Raptors and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

Auto-GCAS differs from other crash-avoidance systems in that it doesn’t create nuisance warnings and activates only at the last instant to take control and recover the aircraft when it determines collision is imminent. The determination is made when the aircraft is within 1.5 seconds of the “point of no return” and no action has been taken by the pilot.
[…]

In the skydiving world, we have the “AAD” or “Automatic Activating Device” that monitors your rate of descent, and if you reach a certain altitude and are still moving at a fairly high percentage of freefall speed, the system activates a cutter that cuts the loop holding your ripcord pin on your reserve. There are versions designed to pull main parachute ripcords, and are commonly used with military related High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) equipment, but the sport world only uses them for activating a reserve canopy.

I, once, will acting as a jumpmaster for a SEAL just returned from operational deployment, had to get a requal sport jump (AFF Level 4) to get active sport jumping again. The exit was fine, his stability was great, but the plan to knock off turns once 6000′ AGL was reached went out the window. He kept doing turns. At this point, I was falling about 4 feet in front of him, where I had been since turning him loose a few seconds after exiting at 13,000′.

I gave him the hand signal to pull several times, then I began to fly in to position myself next to his main ripcord to back up his thought process. Instead of realizing I was moving, he thought he was turning (using me as a reference point, and not some landmark out in front of him on the ground), so he kept maneuvering to point at me. Net result: I couldn’t get into position to pull either his main or reserve ripcords), about hip position on the right side (main) and heart position on the left for the reserve.

I lost altitude awareness, as had he, so we proceeded, at the speed of the pull of gravity (it’s not just a good idea, it’s the law!) towards the pine trees on the south side of the airport. I finally got smart and backed off and reached for my pull out for my main, and as I let go of the pilot chute, my AAD opened my reserve. A quick check of my altimeter put me just a little above 1000′. The setting for the Cyres AAD I was wearing is fixed at 800′, but apparently it comes on about 1200′ to monitor and when it saw the drastic change in the rate of pressure change (indicating rate of fall change) when my main began to open, it activated a little early. I had two clean canopies, so I cut away my main, checked my reserve for controllability, then hung a left turn into the wind and landed.

The student’s AAD also performed as designed. He got a talking to, and so did I from the DZ Owner. He made only one remark, but that’s all he had to say: “They have an AAD, too. It’s not worth losing your life if you’ve done all you are supposed to.”

Then George reminded me that training for students included “If you see your jumpmaster pull, it’s probably a good idea to do the same.” I had said it for years in class, too, but it’s one of those cases you just don’t happen into with regularity.

So, moral of the story:

• Jumpmasters: Don’t forget to pull on time
• Students: Yeah, what they did!

Oh…and I never tried to break the low pull record either.

Photo Credit: DoD Photo

From CENTCOM News Feed today:

Four-legged war fighters dwell in new abode

10 Aug 07
By Cpl. Ryan R. Jackson
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (FWD)

AL ASAD, Iraq — Throughout the theatre service members are continually asking for and receiving operational gear they need to accomplish their mission.

Sgt. Aaron DeSalvo, a military working dog handler, walks his dog Kelsey through the obedience course at the new kennel facility, July 18. The facility has an improved break yard and larger obedience course, which is used to improve the dog and handlers teamwork skills.The latest troops on Al Asad to get new mission essential equipment were the four-legged war fighters, more commonly known as military working dogs, of Task Force Military Police, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, who received new kennels during a ribbon cutting ceremony, July 18.

The new kennels were approximately a year and a half in the making and cost approximately $400,000. The kennels are a huge step in the right direction to properly house and care for the dogs, according to 1st Lt. William Turner, military working dog officer in charge.

The facility features include running water and drainage, a rinse tub for washing the dogs, and larger training grounds and break areas.
[…]

FbL has the after action report of the Soldier’s Angels Conference in San Antonio, TX, specifically on the ValOUR-ITfront. Can you believe it? In 2 years, 1200 laptops have been passed out to those needing them? Take one wounded geek, put in a blog blender with a school teacher and push the “liquify” button. See what happens in two years:

Last weekend was the 2007 Soldiers’ Angels Conference, and the highlight of the event for Angels was a party at the Brooke Army Medical Center’s (BAMC’s) Fisher Houses in which 78 Valour-IT laptops were distributed to wounded Soldiers and Marines. This brings Valour-IT’s total laptop distributions to over 1200 in two years, and an additional 22 laptops are on standby at BAMC.

Valour-IT was able to distribute the 78 laptops at once thanks to a $150,000 grant [warning, PDF file] from the San Antonio Area Foundation (SAAF), which is by far the largest donation Valour-IT has ever received. The money must be used exclusively in Texas, but that will free up other donations to be applied to locations around the country. SAAF has five million dollars to distribute and this was the first round of grants. Valour-IT received the largest grant of this round (about $80,000 of it remains at this time).

In related news, Circuit City has been working with Valour-IT for some time now, helping us to stretch our donated bucks. They negotiate with their major suppliers to get the best dealer incentives and bulk rates available at any given time and pass that savings directly on to us.
[…]

Read the rest of the story, for there’s plenty of great things happening around the SA/ValOUR-IT program! and…if you have a few spare bucks, I bet there’s a service member support charity that might appreciate them!

Samsung is cranking out DLP TVs that are able to provide fast enough frame rates so you can see 3D images. You will need to wear your shutter glasses, but they’re wireless. Low end for the TV is $1499, but can run towards $4500 (size) and then you’ll need a media center type PC.

Samsung HL-T5087S DLP HD 3D TV
David Berlind from ZDNet has a little report and video on the new toy….

Desktop Factory Printer
About 90 lbs, and it can create 3D objects up to 5″x5″x5″, with the specs fed in from your CAD/CAM program. Just advanced bubblejet like printing technology. Layers are .01″ per pass.

Got about $5000 you don’t need more than small parts fro your car, your home, or stuff just for fun?

On a t-shirt:

“Viral marketing doesn’t work.  Tell everyone you know.”

“Change occurs at the speed of thought”

A little levity in all the stories of fabrication from Dr. Sanity:

BEAUCHAMP AT THE BAT
The Outlook was quite brilliant for The New Republic rag:
The polls were in their favor, and the public will had sagged.
But when Bush didn’t falter, as Petraeus led the surge,
A sickly silence fell upon those moonbats on the verge.

A straggling few got up and wailed deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only one more Abu Ghraib could be brought to light–
They’d put up even money, that we’d lose all will to fight.

So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance that they could count on that.
Then from a thousand leftist throats there rose a lusty yell;
The New Republic had a piece that claim the war was hell!

There was ease in Beauchamp’s manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in his raw expose, and a smile on TNR’s face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he staunchly stood by his claims,
No leftist in the crowd could doubt they’d near-achieved their aims.

A million eyes were on him as he told his tragic story;
The defeatists all applauded as he defamed his Unit’s glory.
And as commanders searched to see if Beauchamp’s tales were true,
They nonetheless were heralded; and those with doubts were few.

From TNR editors there came a muffled roar,
“How can you even doubt us?” they all cried, “We verified as before!”
“He’s just a courageous soldier with great moral authority!”
And its likely they’d a-sainted him; but that was not to be.

“Fraud!” cried his comrades, and the echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Beauchamp and the leftist crowd was awed.
John Murtha’s face grew stern and cold, and they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Beauchamp had found support in the weakest links again.

Now the sneer is gone from TNR, though the left’s still filled with hate;
Their lofty goal of surrendering will surely have to wait.
Because right now the truth is out, and and they have to let it go,
Because too many people realize, and too many people know….

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Moonbat land- mighty Beauchamp has struck out.

UPDATE: It seems he probably was suffering from Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder!
– Diagnosed by Dr. Sanity @ 9:24 AM Comments (9) | Trackback (0)

H/T: Little Green Footballs reader pat.

Oh, and not to worry. IT seems the entire story “Shock Troops” has been removed, without explanation from The New Republic website. Interesting, but certainly not unbelievable.

Before I begin, I have to comment that my few commenters have proven themselves to be practical, thoughtful people, helping me see I might should just leave the titling of this regular post as is. On the other hand, I think the potential for humor might just have escaped them…

This day’s subject: WTC John King, USN.Chief Water Tender John King served our nation for 26 years and in two wars, the Spanish American War, and again in WWI. One thing that makes John King rather unique is that he was twice awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, making him one of 19 service members so decorated, and one of six Navy personnel. He saw action at the Battle of Manila Bay with Adm Dewey’s Fleet. His first CMOH came as the result of his actions aboard USS VICKSBURG.. It was awarded by President Theodore Roosevelt:Onboard the USS Vicksburg, for heroism in the line of his profession, at the time of the accident to the boilers, 29 May 1901.The second, awarded by President Taft:

Onboard the USS Salem for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of the accident to one of the boilers of that vessel 13 September 1909.

Not much is available on the net about John King, with the most extensive version at Wikipedia.

One ship has been named in honor of WTC John King, USN: USS JOHN KING (DD-953/DDG-3)

Ordered as a ship of the FORREST SHERMAN Class Destroyers in 1956, she was later redesignated DDG-953 and in 1957 DDG-3, (before commissioning), the second ship of the ADAMS Class Guider Missile Destroyers. USS JOHN KING was a member of the USS SARATOGA Battle Group that deployed to the Mediterranean in late October, 1978, returning to her homeport of Norfolk, VA in May, 1979. I was in company with her and, on the transit to the Med, was sent over to be an exercise observer for a graded missile firing for her training requirements.

Flown over via one of our embarked H-46 cargo helos, the deck of the KING was too small for an H-46 to land, so I had to be hoisted to the deck. Once in the “horse collar” and out of the helo, dangling a mere few feet from the safety of the inside of the fuselage, but still at eye level with the crewman, it got a little exciting for me. Story to be the topic for this coming “Ropeyarn Sunday ‘Sea Stories’ and Open Trackbacks.”

In case you didn’t catch the announcement last month on your WP Dashboard, the WPAU plugin is out.

Took me about 2 minutes to move from 2.2.1 to 2.2.2 (out today to fix some security issues). That sure is a lot less than the all morning long sessions I have had before coming to the 2.X then 2.1.X and finally the 2.2.1 version, making sure I didn’t lose anything.
Besides having to download two generated backup files, there was one plugin that didn’t reactivate in the process, so I did it manually.

Highly recommended!

Update 8/08/2007:  I found two other plugins I had activated that didn’t come back on using the automatic update.  Recommendation:  Scan your plugin list for ones not coming back on.