Zero Dark Thirty

New Site!

2013-08-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

Over the past 7 months of ZD30 being dormant, we've been getting occasional mail from the blog's faithful about new content. Iceman and I have decided to move our operation over to a completely new platform with a redesigned website, a slightly new focus and dedicated blogging.

You can find it at "milaviate.wordpress.com" for now. We hope to make it a full-fledged website by December or so!

Thanks for the love and loyalty,
Mav

Security

2012-12-16T13:40:00.002-08:00

On Friday, a crazed 20-year old shot up a school. Defenseless teachers, students (20, under the age of 10), school administrators. This brings up the question of security and the ever-persistent argument for disarming the civilian populace. How secure are our loved ones? What's the solution to this all? Will keeping guns out of the hands of the people make sure another attack like this would never occur?

SOFREP.com posted an article on lessons learned from this tragedy. I wholeheartedly agree with it. You can never put a price on the safety of those you love (yes, I know that sounds like an ad slogan for ADT), and there are means out there that don't violate constitutional rights, but ensure an increased level of safety for the public, especially our younger ones. Full body scanners, enhanced metal detectors, immediate response teams, uniformed guards, increased surveillance... all of these are ways to equip our schools with a much more comprehensive security barrier. Some might argue arming teachers would solve this problem, and the example of Israel pops up. I disagree with this. Different circumstances. Israelis live under the constant threat of attack from terrorists and Palestinian-sponsored belligerents. Here, on our continent, let alone the country, we don't exactly exist in the same situation. If I was a father, I would never allow my children to attend schools with firearms so easily within reach in every single classroom, especially with teachers who may or may not be appropriately qualified to use these guns. I'm sure many would agree with me.

Going over to the whole gun control debate, I'm not gonna get into that, as y'all already know my political leanings. Just keep in mind that you may make things illegal, like drugs, but that doesn't stop people from getting their hands on them, does it?

Keep in your thoughts and prayers the victims and families of those affected at Newtown. May those taken from the world so early, rest in peace.

2012-11-20T06:33:00.000-08:00

Great pic from MAA. Berthed are four aircraft carriers, the Coral Sea, the Hancock, Oriskany and the Big E to the far right. Notice the differences in design, deck structure and size?

Ice's take on the Petraeus scandal

2012-11-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

Let's start off by saying, extra-marital affairs in the political world aren't exactly something new. Some of the most revered governmental figures (e.g. Lyndon B. Johnson, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, etc) have engaged in such acts and they're still viewed by the general public as successful, even beloved. I'm not condoning such behavior, however.

I find the fact that this is all coming up, right out in the open, after the election and before the Benghazi hearings very interesting. I'm not going to call it a conspiracy, but it seems that people in the current administration do not want to hear Petraeus's take on what went on at the US consulate on 9/11/12.

The fact of the matter is, there's no man as qualified for the job as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency as him. His success in the Global War on Terrorism proves that. The problem here, is that lawyers and sponsored attorneys can, in fact, prove that his testimony is worthless on the grounds that his judgement might have been impaired or otherwise affected. That's when things get sticky.

I, for one, would very much appreciate the opportunity to hear what he has to say about the CIA's involvement, especially considering the fact that most mainstream news outlets claim that they played a major part in what went on that fateful day.

As for the affair part... well, as I said, I'm not condoning it in any way, but this was a sign of weakness in an otherwise perfect and stellar career. Cut him some slack folks, LBJ had his way with dozens of women, even with his wife fully knowledgeable of his affairs, and people still celebrate him as a hardworking, trustworthy man.

Iceman out.

Heroes of the Week

2012-11-12T06:36:00.000-08:00

I'd like to give a shout-out to Team Rubicon and the awesome work they've done, helping the victims of Hurricane Sandy especially in New York and New Jersey.

Largely composed of veterans and reservists, TR has done an amazing job helping those in need when disaster strikes.

You can check out their updates from Operation Greased Lightning, their Sandy relief efforts here:

http://teamrubiconusa.org/category/photos/

Mav out.

Fast and the Furious: Pacific Drift

2012-11-12T06:21:00.000-08:00

In the last post, Ice gave you a size comparison of an aircraft carrier to a B-52 Stratofortress. Pretty big, right?

Now, imagine this: a high speed bank.

Typically, these awe-inspiring turns are performed as "rudder checks" during post-refit sea trials/shakedown cruises. Imagine a mass, longer than the Empire State building's height, doing a bank like that, at sea, at such an angle. The above pictures are of the USS Nimitz and the USS Harry S. Truman conducting those maneuvers.

Awesome, isn't it?

Mav out.

Woah that's big.

2012-10-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

That's what she said! Haha, sorry, couldn't resist.

For those of you who've never been near a supercarrier before, you're probably wondering... is it really that big? Or are the pictures taken at angles or from a crazy perspective to make them look that way?

Well, the above is a pretty cool picture I found a while ago of a B-52 Stratofortress doing a low pass near the USS Ranger, circa 1990. There were 2 B-52s in the vicinity of the carrier, during a military exercise. The pilots asked the carrier air boss if they could perform a fly-by and were granted the approval. When the BUFFs were 9 km out, the observers on the carrier's island still couldn't see the big grey birds. Till they got closer. Then only were they able to make out the shape of these massive planes, right above the water; their engines kicking back a spray from the ocean.

If you've ever been up close to a B-52 at an air show, you'll know it's a pretty big plane. Now, look at the picture. Woah. Right?

2012-10-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Happened upon this gem. Funny stuff!

Better than Top Gun?

2012-10-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Check out this mega-ultra super awesome video of flight deck ops aboard the supercarriers of the US Navy!

Mav, out.

They Came in Peace.

2012-10-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

It happened on this day, 29 years ago.

At 0620, a truck loaded with 12,000 lbs of TNT smashed through fences and a gate outside the US Marine barracks at the Beirut Airport. The truck bomb detonated at the BLT headquarters, literally lifting the entire building from its foundations. As the building settled back into the cavity where the concrete support pillars once were, it collapsed, killing scores of Marines, sailors and soldiers almost instantly. Entire platoons wiped out while they were resting in the relative comfort of the BLT HQ. Officers and enlisted alike, killed, as they went about their daily duties. In all, 241, dead, many more injured.

The last survivor was pulled from the rubble, 52 hours later.

Rest in peace, gentlemen.

Iceman out.

I'm... bach.

2012-10-23T18:28:00.004-07:00

Wow... I honestly didn't expect to be so tied up with work and all. I got three emails asking about what the project Mav and I had planned...

Well, right now, ZD30 runs on Blogger. Not necessarily a bad thing, but, we'd be able to make it even better and reach a wider audience if we went independent and formed an actual website. We're still thinking this through, so there's a possibility that such a thing might occur and there's also the possibility that such a thing won't.

You'll just have to wait and see!

Iceman out.

2-week Hiatus

2012-09-23T16:40:00.001-07:00

Folks, once again I need to apologize. I realize that some of you are waiting around for the other 2 parts of the Aardvark series, but currently Mav and I are in the middle of a project, possibly one that could affect the future of ZD30 and maybe bring our content to an even larger audience.

Thanks for the concern voiced in some of your emails, we really appreciate you guys tuning in!

Iceman out.

Never Forget

2012-09-11T04:53:00.000-07:00

When those towers fell, when the plane hit the Pentagon, and when those brave passengers rose up to fight the hijackers on United 93, Islamic fundamentalists struck not only at a country, but at hearts and injected fear into those who'd never felt it before on such a level.

2996 innocent men and women dead at the hands of these creatures we so generously award the title of man, though we know them to be no better than animals.

Too often, the peace and relative tranquility we assume to be an everyday part of our lives is ignored and left to the presumption that it will never be challenged and that our days will go on as usual. When these challenges come, we are devastated but imbued with the realization and knowledge that such peace is always threatened at the hands of those who live their lives along a very distorted code, preaching a gospel of violence, hatred and authoritarianism.

A new generation of Americans rose up to the challenge. As one author put it, they were essentially condemned to the dregs of society, the ones who'd go nowhere with the advent of the internet, computer boom, etc. But, these young men and women stood up and proved everyone wrong, immediately taking the burden of national defense upon their young shoulders, striving to give their everything for their country in it's time of need.

Thank God that such men and women lived. Pray for the eternal rest of those who died on this day, especially those first-responders who rushed through the dust and charred metal to help, too many of whom gave their lives to save others, while everyone else fled the fiery fate their fellow citizen had met moments earlier.

Pray that such an attack never occurs again, and that those responsible in any way shape or form for this and any related violence carried out upon the innocent are stopped by whatever means necessary.

Iceman's Answers: Special Operations and Timepieces

2012-09-05T08:24:00.002-07:00

This is another question I see floating around every now and then. Not something pressing, but still interesting nevertheless.

"What kind of watch does a spec ops guy use and where can I get it?"
-Harrison

Well, the popular ones out there seem to be the Luminox brand which claims to be built for SEALs. According to a few SEALs who I have the pleasure of knowing, Luminox doesn't really live up to their hype. Their watches fall apart, break, or just flat-out stop working especially in stressful environments. They preferred inexpensive Timex or Casio wristwatches, reliable and easy to replace if ever broken.

Aside from the current Timex/Casio favorites, there are costlier alternatives that have a few more bells and whistles added on, a few of which were praised by a couple other friends of mine who've served time in the special operations community. Suunto, Resco Instruments and MTM are three recommended brands that offer incredibly reliable timepieces. Quite a few of Suunto's mid-range/higher-end watches come with a digital compass, altimeter, barometer, etc. Very cool and useful. Having owned a Suunto Core, I can definitely vouch for their reliability. Another friend used a Rolex. Not exactly something too affordable for the average camper or hiker interested in a durable timepiece, but nevertheless, it worked.

Resco Instruments is actually owned and run by a former Navy SEAL, so if you want something that's tailored for "high performance and high class", I'd definitely suggest you check them out.

Luminox

MTM

Suunto

Check these out!

Iceman out.

The Grunt Padre

2012-09-04T17:25:00.001-07:00

Being a practicing Catholic, I often look for notable Catholic military figures as a source of inspiration. There are actually quite a few, including Dan Daly and Peter Pace. But, there's one who passed away on this day in 1967 during Operation Swift in Thang Binh, Vietnam, who I consider a very personal hero and who's story is an amazing example of love.

Fr. Vincent Robert Capodanno was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in 1957, and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Navy Chaplain Corps in 1966 assigned to 1st Marine Division in Vietnam. He was known by those Marines and sailors he served, as the Grunt Padre, for his willingness to endure the same conditions in the unforgiving climate and terrain they fought in.

On the 4th of September, 1967, approximately 500 Marines of 1st Battalion, 5th Marines were engaged by over 2500 VC. After a little over four hours of fighting, where the volume of fire was described by one Marine as a roar, 26 Marines had made the ultimate sacrifice and many more were severely wounded. Fr. Capodanno asked to go with another company that was committed to the battle shortly after reinforcements were called for.

Minutes after he entered the area of operations, he was shot through his right hand and was patched up by a corpsman right away, but refused to be evacuated. He said that he had work to do. He moved around those wounded and fallen, administering aid or giving Last Rites and absolution, comforting those mortally wounded. A few hours later a mortar impacted near him and, according to Lt. Joe E. Pilon, it "left his right arm in shreds hanging from his side. Once again, he was patched up and once again he refused evacuation. There he was, moving slowly from wounded to dead to wounded using his left arm to support his right as he gave absolution or Last Rites".

In Vietnam, there was apparently a written policy stating that if you get 3 Purple Hearts, you'd be sent home within 48 hours.

Fr. Capodanno then spotted a corpsman who was shot in the leg multiple times.
"Fr. C. ran out to him and positioned himself between the injured boy and the automatic weapon. Suddenly, the weapon opened up again and this time riddled Father C. from the back of his head to the base of his spine- and with his third Purple Heart of the day- Father C. went home."

The Grunt Padre was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1969, and his cause for canonization is proceeding forward.

May you rest in God's eternal peace, Father.

WOOOO!

2012-08-29T19:41:00.001-07:00

Within 5 months of our revamp, we just reached 5,033 views! This is so much more than I expected for a part-time amateur milblog! Thanks for all the views ladies and gents, please keep spreading Zero Dark Thirty with anyone you feel would be interested in our content!

One giant loss for mankind

2012-08-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

The world has lost yet another hero today.

In 1958, he was selected to be a part of NASA's ultra-elite Astronaut Corps, the original space cowboys. He spent a total of 8 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and 31 seconds in space on two separate missions, Gemini 8 and Apollo 11, in which he became the first man to ever set foot on an extraterrestrial body, the moon.

Fair winds and following seas LTJG Armstrong.

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding the death of former test pilot and NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong. He was 82.

"On behalf of the entire NASA family, I would like to express my deepest condolences

to Carol and the rest of Armstrong family on the passing of Neil Armstrong. As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them, remembered for taking humankind's first small step on a world beyond our own.

"Besides being one of America's greatest explorers, Neil carried himself with a grace and humility that was an example to us all. When President Kennedy challenged the nation to send a human to the moon, Neil Armstrong accepted without reservation.

"As we enter this next era of space exploration, we do so standing on the shoulders of Neil Armstrong. We mourn the passing of a friend, fellow astronaut and true American hero."

Iceman's Answers: Should I learn to shoot before I join?

2012-08-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

Haven't done one of these in a while, so let's start with a question I see popping up somewhat frequently.

Will learning to shoot before I join give me an edge over fellow recruits, and possibly help me get through the advanced marksmanship schools?

Short answer: No.
This time round, I've actually got the input of two different people who've served in the military, and with their kind permission, I've posted it below:

Daniel (US Army, Infantry)- My dad taught me to hunt when I was really young. I developed habits with positioning of the rifle, my stance, and such, eventually all of which were broken and redeveloped on the range during Basic for me. The drill sgts have their own method of teaching you and they want you to perform a certain way. They expect you to be ready to fire your weapon in combat if the need arises. It isn't the same as carrying an old .30-06 with your pops and brothers around the woods looking for buck. So no, learning to shoot beforehand won't really give you any advantage. It might actually impede you a little. As for getting to SS school, that's all you. Learning to shoot a long gun before signing up may give you less of a hard time than others because if you look at it, the rifles our snipers use are pretty much hunting rifles except.. for hunting people lol.

Len (Canadian Army, Infantry, sniper)- In all honesty it really doesn't make sense to learn something like that before you get over to BMQ. You'll learn the basics eventually, and it's not something that's overly difficult to grasp. I hadn't even seen a gun up close let alone touched one when I joined up in 05. My advice is to focus more on getting yourself physically prepared. For someone who's out of shape, that's going to be your worst enemy. It's very physically-demanding and your instructors aren't going to let up on you.

Ice on opinions and the internet.

2012-08-22T11:51:00.003-07:00

Politics is a subject that isn't really something I'm too fond of talking about in person. It's not the job of the warfighter to get involved in politics. A lot of people don't really agree with my views, and I definitely don't agree with the views of a lot of others. But, there's a first for everything. So let's talk.

Well, recently, I've heard stories circulating around about a certain former Marine named Brandon Raub, who was detained by a combination of local police officers, FBI and Secret Service agents, due to the fact that his Facebook page contained suspicious material. That seemed to have taken off, and it's grown into a whole "NDAA/police-state" panic, mostly around the libertarian/Ron Paul support crowd.

First off, I don't really agree with libertarians or Ron Paul... at all... mostly since I'm a strong conservative. I don't agree with their fear about the government turning into a Big Brother-esque police state where everything is controlled and regulated by the government, and those who voice their dissent are thrown in a dark hole. I don't agree with their opinion on the current Republican presidential nominee and his running mate. In fact, I have great respect for both those men. I don't agree with their views on foreign policy, which, let's face it, are absolutely positively messed up. I'd honestly rather have a liberal Democratic president in office than a centrist who plays to both sides. If you take a look at it, the Ron Paul movement currently borders on anarchy.

That ties in to what I wanted to talk about today.

Brandon Raub, a Marine with multiple deployments under his belt was supposedly arrested without his rights read to him, and is being held indefinitely for "voicing his opinion" on the current government. The libertarian crowd calls him a patriot.

Well, that's where views take a change. I've seen far too many people post threatening, radical comments, statuses, messages, etc., calling for a revolution, violence against the government and such. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on the matter, but when you get to the point where you're put on a district watch list by a federal agency or two, and they come knocking on your door to take you in for assessment, then you know you went way too far on what you were saying. Posting messages and statuses like that isn't patriotism at all, it's anarchy. It's a warning light that goes off on the boards of federal agencies that are established to protect the American people, not harass them as Ron Paul's fans would have you believe.

In Raub's case, something that got especially highlighted, was that the USSS was in on the "arrest". That should tell you a few things. If the Secret Service got involved, then he was either doing something extremely dirty with money or he was making credible threats of violence against protectees of the USSS. If the Secret Service got involved, then it's nothing new. It's part of their SOP concerning protectees. They get tons of threats every day but there are few that stand out enough to get them concerned to check out the guy to make sure if he's mentally stable or completely serious. Not to mention, with the FBI itself, it takes A LOT of paperwork and going through channels before any special agent gets the authorization to step out on official business. So there's a good chance that what this guy posted online be it on Facebook or whatever website it was, was heavy enough to turn a few higher ups' heads. Waaaaaaait a second, the FBI were the ones leading the detainment, right? What does that tell us? If Raub was only about politics, then he might've presented himself as a domestic terror threat. That's reason enough for just the FBI and local LEO to get involved. Then the Secret Service steps in, so that means he was actually threatening someone of governmental importance.

Don't see any threats on his page? Well, you know... Facebook does have a "delete" option...

When you post anything about a revolution, add a few more words to that subject that hint at violence, etc, now you're getting those federal LEOs worried. For all they know, you could be a terror threat. What some people don't realize, is that EVERYTHING is monitored on the internet these days. It's been this way since 9/11.

And for good reason. I don't mind the alphabet soup agencies monitoring the airwaves at all, if it's to safeguard the nation and those the people elected to serve them in office. I would mind when it gets to personal harassment, just for the hell of it or on a whim, or whatever. That's when things get too far. But the fact is, things haven't gotten that way AT ALL. The FBI, DEA, NSA, CIA, ABC 123, whatever they are, are there for your protection. Seriously. They don't have it out for anyone but the bad guys, so try and remember that.

Back to the point, anything you say can be misconstrued or taken out of context. But, if you keep posting that stuff, people are going to get more concerned.

The point is, especially for ex-military and current active/reserve, don't go around voicing radical opinions on the internet, threaten anarchy veiled as a "revolution", then raise mass panic about getting taken in for questions because of the things you say.

Alright, that's enough for now. Time for a few beers and a BBQ.

Iceman out.

Myths of the Arrow.

2012-08-10T19:31:00.001-07:00

Just a day back, I took a trip over to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum just on the outskirts of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. After a personal tour and a most exhilarating joy-ride in an older trainer, I noticed a group heading out onto the tarmac to see some of the static aircraft parked outside. As the outside tour was coming to a close, there were a few of us walking with the guide, listening in to what he had to say about the Avro Arrow. A gentleman piped up and seemed to be extremely supportive of the Arrow, sorrowful for its demise and adamant that it could "fly circles around ANYTHING the Americans have flying today" ('anything' is capitalized, as at that point in time, the guy got a little loud in support of his beloved aircraft).

This isn't the first time I've heard such support of the Arrow. I used to work at a museum that housed a full-size replica of the Arrow itself. In fact, just as a kind of a cool side note, one of the guides at that museum was one of the original engineers working on the Arrow's wing structures. It was a truly amazing opportunity to get to speak to such a man and learn what he had to say about his career and the various airframes he worked on.
I've seen words likes the ones the man at the CWHM voiced, in textbooks! No kidding! So, do they have any justification or backing behind them? I mean, was the Arrow such an advanced jet? Was there a conspiracy behind the program's shutdown?

Let's talk.

According to the website CanadianBullshit.com (aptly named, it seems), the CF-105 apparently was "the most advanced aircraft of it's type in the world". Granted, the Arrow was ahead of it's time in some aspects, most notably its employment of a fly-by-wire flight control system. First non-experimental aircraft to use it, actually. Pretty cool, considering the next airframe to incorporate FBW was Concorde, 11 years later in 1969. The Mk1 Arrow was equipped with twin Pratt&Whitney J75-P-3 turbojets, outputting 23,500 lbs of thrust with afterburners engaged. That'd be able to push it to around Mach 2+. In tests, the Arrow came to about Mach 1.98, but was built to go a little faster. Supposedly, the Orenda engines that were designed to be fitted into the later models could give the 105 a supercruise capability, but in the end, barely anything came from that. Not to mention, the Arrow was a seriously large aircraft... relatively gigantic compared to other fighter aircraft of the time, and onward. The Arrow would've been pretty outgunned in a dogfight, unable to maneuver tightly.

For its mission, it was pretty well-built. It needed to operate from remote northern bases, intercept Soviet strategic bombers and engage other fighter/interceptor aircraft escorting said bombers. It had the engines to reach the incoming attackers relatively fast, and it was capable of a sizable weapons payload. Not bad at all. It was Canadian-designed, manufactured and a source of national pride. I'd definitely agree with it being a pretty swell jet. But, there wasn't anything to show for all the millions of dollars poured into the Arrow program. The unit cost steadily rose to $3.5 million, and that's when the Canadian government decided to cut the program. Our "buddies" over at CanadianBullshit.com list the price of the 105 (in 1958 Canadian Dollars) and compare that to the current general cost of an F-35 Lightning II (according to them, it's around $115 mil US).

Really?

Taking into account, inflation, economic growth, etc, the Arrow would've cost more than $26,087,869 to build in 2010. Fair price... for an archaic, outclassed piece of machinery. I mean, how in the hell can you compare an F-35, the next generation of air-superiority fighters to something so outdated and obsolete? Is the Arrow a multi-role capable aircraft in the same manner an F-35 is? Is the Arrow built with advanced stealth technology? Is the Arrow built with ultra-sophisticated targeting and e-warfare systems? Not only no, but hell no!

At this point, you're comparing apples to refrigerators. Yeah. Refrigerators.

They go on to talk about how the 105 is bigger and faster than the F-35, voice an opinion on how the US bribes Canadians to buy their aircraft, and talk in a pretty uneducated way concerning the development and procurement of fighter aircraft.

Okay, let's get back on track.

Yeah, the Arrow was definitely worthy of the attention and Canadian pride it received. The sad reality, however, is that when they attempted to sell the Arrow to foreign buyers, nobody wanted it. Why? Cause the French, American and British were building aircraft that were slightly cheaper, a lot more agile, fuel-efficient, and equally (if not more) fast. There WERE worthy competitors to the 105.

As for the conspiracies... American bribery, jealousy, etc.... unfounded. Were other countries so jealous of a fighter that they'd pressure the Canadian government into closing the program down? Highly doubtful. As I said, other NATO countries were building highly-capable aircraft that could match and in some cases, exceed, what the Arrow could do. Reasons for fear? I can't really think of any good ones. Bribery? Doubtful. The Canadian government could have just as easily started a newer fighter design and procurement competition, then project, and have come up with another jet.

Check out the following link for an interesting comparison between the Arrow and other fighter jets of the era, and more modern ones.

Comparing the Arrow to other fighter jets.

CanadianBullshit.com's take on the Arrow

Ice Pilots NWT

2012-07-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I haven't posted about this earlier, considering it's been on the channels since 2009... ICE PILOTS!

Following the day-to-day business of Buffalo Airways, an airline running cargo and passenger ops in the Canadian north, The show takes you into gritty, down and dirty details of life in the airline business, and you get to see a TON of WWII-era aircraft flying, being serviced, etc. The members of Buffalo give you, the viewer (and possibly future career pilot?), a hell of a lot of good advice, based on experience in the field.

One of my current favorite TV shows out there!

Be advised, there is a bit of mild language, but it's censored out. You can catch the show on History, National Geographic or Discovery.

Iceman out.

Rant time?

2012-07-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand it's time for me to ramble on about something that's been poking at me like a thorn in my side for a while now.

Dreams.

I find it a weird combination of hilarious and pathetic at the same time, when people dream about doing one thing, but are too lazy and unmotivated to put themselves of the path to get there.

Take for example, the aviator.

I once heard that the vast majority of pilots today dreamed of flying when they were younger. True enough, right? Flying isn't exactly something that pops into your head all of a sudden. It isn't the kind of thought that gives you that spur-of-the-moment motivation, cementing itself firmly in your mind. Well, these pilots dreamed. And they DID.
What do I mean by that? I mean, they put their heart and soul into becoming pilot material. They put their nose in the books, figured out that awful flight computer (for some reason, I still have trouble with that stupid piece of plastic to this day, though I've had 4 years worth of practice. I guess I'm a slow learner in that respect haha), and disciplined themselves. These kind of men (and women) are DOERS.

They set their mind to something, then go about getting it done.

Then, you have the other extreme. The DREAMERS.

Don't get me wrong, dreaming is never a bad thing, just as long as you have your feet set firmly on the ground. Be realistic. Fantasies never got anyone far in life. The problem occurs when you just keep dreaming and you don't start doing.

Yeah, I know this all sounds like one of those self-help speeches that those motivational speakers give, but hell, I'm no Tony Robbins. I'm just speaking from logic and from the heart.

Dream. Dream about flying fighter jets for the military, while you slack off in school, don't maintain your grades, aren't physically fit, and consistently make excuses to "allow" you to continue in you patterns of laziness, negligence and indiscipline.

Do. Do the work, get active, stay at the top of your class, build a discipline that'll last you a lifetime, turn yourself into the ideal candidate.

Dreamers or Doers. Which one are you?

Iceman out.

MAA

2012-07-25T06:29:00.000-07:00

Every so often, you stumble upon some really awesome stuff on the internet. I found Military Aviation Archives through a friend, earlier this month.

MAA is built to share the vast (and by vast, I mean... HUUUUUUUUUUUGE) collection of photographs taken by it's founders. This stuff is invaluable to aviation/military aviation enthusiasts and researchers from all over.

So, from now on, Zero Dark Thirty will be featuring aviation photographs from MAA (with their permission, of course!), and we'll be introducing you to some of the finest, most revered aircraft to ever grace the skies, in the process.

I hope you guys enjoy their work as much as I do! Go check them out on their Facebook page, or their website (both links are listed below).

Check these out:

FACEBOOK PAGE

Military Aviation Archives

Iceman out.

The Missile with a Man In It.

2012-07-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Took a brief hiatus, but now I'm back.

Let's talk older fighter jets. Specifically, the F-104 Starfighter.

To anyone taking their first look at it, they'd probably think it's some weird invention out of Star Wars. Sleek, lengthy design, short and stubby wings... But, still something very curiously interesting. 46 years after the USAF brought it into service, the last Starfighter was retired in 2004 from the Italian Air Force. That's one hell of a long life.

The history behind the jet is chock-full of ups and downs. It was the brainchild of renowned Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, who designed it as a jet tailored to pilots. He visited and interviewed a number of fighter pilots about what they'd prefer in their aircraft and found that they were of the opinion that the Air Force's mainstay at the time, the F-86, was outclassed by the Soviet MiG-15s flown by the North Koreans. They just wanted a smaller, nimbler and speedier airframe. Johnson immediately got to work.

Initially, the XF-104 (experimental prototype) was shrouded in secrecy. The new aircraft was supposedly revolutionary, with an all new, much more powerful engine. It lacked something that was thought of as the convention for supersonic-capable jets: swept wings. Instead, it used a trapezoidal shape, determined by engineers at Lockheed to be ultra-efficient for high-speed fight. The wings were shortened, and extremely thin. In fact, the leading edges were razor-sharp. Ground crews had to install protective coverings over the wings before they went to work on the aircraft, lest they injure themselves by accident! The J79 engine was built to push the jet past Mach 2, which, at the time, made the Starfighter one of the fastest service aircraft in the world. Earlier models had a downward firing ejection seat. As some of you might've concluded, that wasn't a good decision at all, and sadly it resulted in the deaths of 21 pilots, before it was replaced with a more conventional seat.

The F-104, for all its hype, had a large number of dark moments in its history. Of all the Century Series fighters in USAF service, it had the highest accident rate. In fact, the Canadian air forces lost over 50% of their Starfighter fleet and the Germans lost 30%. Oddly enough, the Spanish air force didn't lose a single one! Pilots soon bestowed newer nicknames on it, like "Lawn Dart" or "Flying Coffin".

Still, the F-104 proved itself time and time again, by breaking and setting multiple records and holding open the door for newer, better fighters to take the skies.

Iceman out.

Happy Birthday America!

2012-07-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

Something interesting and poignant I found:

To our Founding Fathers who stood tall and answered the call, against all odds, 236 years ago today, thank you.

"Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

For the record, here's a portrait of the men who pledged "our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" for liberty many years ago.

Fifty-six men from each of the original 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Nine of the signers were immigrants, two were brothers and two were cousins. One was an orphan. The average age of a signer was 45. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate at 70. The youngest was Thomas Lynch Jr. of South Carolina at 27.

Eighteen of the signers were merchants or businessmen, 14 were farmers, and four were doctors. Twenty-two were lawyers - although William Hooper of North Carolina was "disbarred" when he spoke out against the king - and nine were judges. Stephen Hopkins had been governor of Rhode Island. Forty-two signers had served in their colonial legislatures.

John Witherspoon of New Jersey was the only active clergyman to attend. (Indeed, he wore his pontificals to the sessions.) Almost all were Protestants. Charles Carroll of Maryland was the lone Roman Catholic.

Seven of the signers were educated at Harvard, four at Yale, four at William & Mary, and three at Princeton. Witherspoon was the president of Princeton, and George Wythe was a professor at William & Mary. His students included Declaration scribe Thomas Jefferson.

Seventeen signers fought in the American Revolution. Thomas Nelson was a colonel in the Second Virginia Regiment and then commanded Virginia military forces at the Battle of Yorktown. William Whipple served with the New Hampshire militia and was a commanding officer in the decisive Saratoga campaign. Oliver Wolcott led the Connecticut regiments sent for the defense of New York and commanded a brigade of militia that took part in the defeat of General Burgoyne. Caesar Rodney was a major general in the Delaware militia; John Hancock held the same rank in the Massachusetts militia.

The British captured five signers during the war. Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, and Arthur Middleton were captured at the Battle of Charleston in 1780. George Walton was wounded and captured at the Battle of Savannah. Richard Stockton of New Jersey never recovered from his incarceration at the hands of British Loyalists. He died in 1781.

Thomas McKean of Delaware wrote John Adams that he was "hunted like a fox by the enemy - compelled to remove my family five times in a few months." Abraham Clark of New Jersey had two of his sons captured by the British during the war.

Eleven signers had their homes and property destroyed. Francis Lewis's New York home was razed and his wife taken prisoner. John Hart's farm and mills were destroyed when the British invaded New Jersey, and he died while fleeing capture. Carter Braxton and Nelson, both of Virginia, lent large sums of their personal fortunes to support the war effort but were never repaid.

Fifteen of the signers participated in their states' constitutional conventions, and six - Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, Franklin, George Clymer, James Wilson, and George Reed - signed the U.S. Constitution.

After the Revolution, 13 signers went on to become governors. Eighteen served in their state legislatures. Sixteen became state and federal judges. Seven became members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Six became U.S. senators. James Wilson and Samuel Chase became Supreme Court justices. Jefferson, Adams, and Elbridge Gerry each became vice president. Adams and Jefferson later became president.

Five signers played major roles in the establishment of colleges and universities: Franklin and the University of Pennsylvania; Jefferson and the University of Virginia; Benjamin Rush and Dickinson College; Lewis Morris and New York University; and George Walton and the University of Georgia.

Adams, Jefferson, and Carroll were the longest surviving signers. Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Carroll was the last signer to die in 1832 at the age of 95."

Sources: Robert Lincoln, Lives of the Presidents of the United States, with Biographical Notices of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (Brattleboro Typographical Company, 1839); John and Katherine Bakeless, Signers of the Declaration (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1969); Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1989 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989).