Comments on: Hit the deck! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:46:17 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Tacticus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/comment-page-1/#comment-59538 Tacticus Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:01:33 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/#comment-59538 Jim i think that beats my recollection of a couple of f-111s crusing overhead on their way to Darwin. iirc they stopped at Alice Springs for fuel and then did show off flights up to tindal for more fuel :) 2 of them about 100m up in the air going fast enough that you had a very large "wtf was that" moment Jim i think that beats my recollection of a couple of f-111s crusing overhead on their way to Darwin. iirc they stopped at Alice Springs for fuel and then did show off flights up to tindal for more fuel :)

2 of them about 100m up in the air going fast enough that you had a very large “wtf was that” moment

]]> By: The Centipede http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/comment-page-1/#comment-59537 The Centipede Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:05:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/#comment-59537 > Pity we can’t deliver food and medicine as accurately and quickly as we can deliver missiles and bombs….. Oh, we can. Think air-dropped food aid to the Kurds. At which point we drop crates on children and thus <i>still</i> can't win. It's a pity that unicorns that fart rainbows and candy don't bring peace and joy-joy feelings to all, but that's the world we live in. Bemoaning the fact won't help so much as actively trying to change it, one way or the other, will. > Pity we can’t deliver food and medicine as accurately and quickly as we can deliver missiles and bombs…..

Oh, we can. Think air-dropped food aid to the Kurds.

At which point we drop crates on children and thus still can’t win. It’s a pity that unicorns that fart rainbows and candy don’t bring peace and joy-joy feelings to all, but that’s the world we live in. Bemoaning the fact won’t help so much as actively trying to change it, one way or the other, will.

]]> By: TAMU Student http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/comment-page-1/#comment-59536 TAMU Student Sun, 16 Dec 2007 14:38:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/#comment-59536 I learned to fly at Patuxent River NAS... We slept in a house right under Final for one of the runways... we got to hear the Osprey, F/A-18, and JSF... all at about 100 ft... I learned to fly at Patuxent River NAS…

We slept in a house right under Final for one of the runways… we got to hear the Osprey, F/A-18, and JSF… all at about 100 ft…

]]> By: Adrian http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/comment-page-1/#comment-59534 Adrian Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:09:51 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/#comment-59534 If you notice that when the mach cone hits the water, it forms a whitish parabola on the surface. High school geometry diagrams come to mind i.e. cone sliced by a plane. That same effect on the water also happens when the mach cone dances on your eardrums. The energy of the shockwaves transmitted to the water gets it very disturbed but that same energy on your eardrums will cause a rupture. Telephoto lens aside, good thing they were "500' away from any person, vessel, or object" (Fed Aviation Regs) because the Fed Aviation Admin. (FAA) would file a violation with the military. ...nudge, nudge, wink, wink! If you notice that when the mach cone hits the water, it forms a whitish parabola on the surface. High school geometry diagrams come to mind i.e. cone sliced by a plane. That same effect on the water also happens when the mach cone dances on your eardrums. The energy of the shockwaves transmitted to the water gets it very disturbed but that same energy on your eardrums will cause a rupture.

Telephoto lens aside, good thing they were “500′ away from any person, vessel, or object” (Fed Aviation Regs) because the Fed Aviation Admin. (FAA) would file a violation with the military. …nudge, nudge, wink, wink!

]]> By: Mc Atilla http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/comment-page-1/#comment-59535 Mc Atilla Sun, 16 Dec 2007 00:07:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/#comment-59535 On one hand they're war planes designed to rain death and havoc on our fellow humans......on the other hand they're stunning examples of our technology. Superb pictures. Pity we can't deliver food and medicine as accurately and quickly as we can deliver missiles and bombs..... On one hand they’re war planes designed to rain death and havoc on our fellow humans……on the other hand they’re stunning examples of our technology. Superb pictures.
Pity we can’t deliver food and medicine as accurately and quickly as we can deliver missiles and bombs…..

]]> By: Inertially Guided http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/comment-page-1/#comment-59533 Inertially Guided Sat, 15 Dec 2007 20:39:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/#comment-59533 As a 27-year NAVY vet, I'd just like to say that you CAN be interested in science, the environment, and our amazing universe and still serve your country. These are not mutually exclusive. P.S. We really DON'T march around singing "and Napalm sticks to kids..." As a 27-year NAVY vet, I’d just like to say that you CAN be interested in science, the environment, and our amazing universe and still serve your country. These are not mutually exclusive.

P.S. We really DON’T march around singing “and Napalm sticks to kids…”

]]> By: DLC http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/comment-page-1/#comment-59532 DLC Sat, 15 Dec 2007 13:34:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/hit-the-deck/#comment-59532 for Ronan Cunniffe: it was probably a low-level incursion exercise. They used to run them all the time, back when Russian-made surface to air missiles were the big worry. Tornados use inertial navigation and (now) GPS. If you think a pair of tornadoes is noisy... try a B-52 at similar altitude. they're subsonic, but anything that big with 8 engines is going to be loud. and they are. Funny thing about the B-52 -- there are people flying them today who are the sons and daughters of people who flew them in Vietnam, and possibly even grandchildren of the original pilots from the 1950s. for Ronan Cunniffe: it was probably a low-level incursion exercise.
They used to run them all the time, back when Russian-made surface to air missiles were the big worry. Tornados use inertial navigation and (now) GPS. If you think a pair of tornadoes is noisy… try a B-52 at similar altitude. they’re subsonic, but anything that big with 8 engines is going to be loud. and they are. Funny thing about the B-52 — there are people flying them today who are the sons and daughters of people who flew them in Vietnam, and possibly even grandchildren of the original pilots from the 1950s.

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