The biggest aviation story of this year

[Karpis]

I agree that the title of the thread was misleading. I thought it was going to be about The Gathering Of Mustangs

[Jesse C.]

Hhmm, I wonder if the Enquirer is running anything on the Gathering of Mustangs or Swamp Ghost?

Bat Boy strikes again!

[Tom Crawford]

She sort of looks like a warbird crash scene.....

[chico]

Lisa Nowak has been "fired" by NASA.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/03/07/nasa.nowak/index.html

Her assignment to astronaut detail has been terminated. "Officially" she is now Capt. Lisa Nowak, USN. This is the first time NASA has *requested* that an astronaut be remove from the program and returned to military duty. Others have left the program and returned to service on their own.

[Canso42]

Without intending any disrespect to anyone here, I agree with Dave M. At Lone Star we also have an off topic forum. Please use that or maybe talk one on one with private msg.

respectfully,
Doug Ratchford 'Canso42'

(Doug R the groundpounder, not Doug R. the pilot)

[Raven]

This isn't the biggest 'aviation story' as promised in the headline but a high profile domestic, and has nothing to do with warbirds. (The marital shenanigans of aviators isn't an appropriate subject here either and would amply fill this forum if it were.) Off topic please, or at least a correct heading.

[Dave Homewood]

Warbird related? Space shuttle- definitely.

Pertains to operation of warbirds? Definitely.

I'm sorry, come again? The Space Shuttles are warbirds now? How did that happen?

Will we see one at Omaka's Classic Fighters then?

[Warhawk]

Warbird related? Space shuttle- definitely.

Pertains to operation of warbirds? Definitely.

I'm sorry, come again? The Space Shuttles are warbirds now? How did that happen?

Will we see one at Omaka's Classic Fighters then?

I think this is the shuttle he's talking about.



Now where did I leave my copy of Moonraker?

[Django]

Seems to me, it's going to be the seizure of the 4 Tomcats.

[mjanovec]

I'm sorry, come again? The Space Shuttles are warbirds now? How did that happen?

The Shuttle was used by the Department of Defense to launch several classified payloads (mostly spy satellites) in the 1980s and early 1990s. So yes, the Shuttle has been used in the role that might qualify it for honorary warbird status.

[Jack Cook]

The Shuttle was used by the Department of Defense to launch several classified payloads (mostly spy satellites) in the 1980s and early 1990s. So yes, the Shuttle has been used in the role that might qualify it for honorary warbird status.

Has my grandpa used to say " that's so thin it's near invisable!"

[Warhawk]

I see commercial haulers shipping military hardware up and down our interstate highways every day. That does not qualify them to be military vehicles anymore than the shuttle delivering a military payload qualifies it to be a warbird. Honorary or otherwise.

When the Air Force or the Navy operate their own shuttle fleets I'll reconsider my position on this.

[mjanovec]

I see commercial haulers shipping military hardware up and down our interstate highways every day. That does not qualify them to be military vehicles anymore than the shuttle delivering a military payload qualifies it to be a warbird. Honorary or otherwise.

When the Air Force or the Navy operate their own shuttle fleets I'll reconsider my position on this.

Then reconsider it right now. Those crews on those DOD Shuttle missions were comprised of Navy and Air Force crews, doing top secret missions for the US government. That may be "thin" for some, but qualifies just fine in my book.

Comparing those shuttle missions to hauling freight down interstates is an insult to the men who flew those missions. Do those commercial haulers have a 1 in 100 chance of exploding on the highway?

If an Air Force pilot delivered a payload in a C-130, would you consider it more "warbird worthy" than an Air Force pilot delivering a payload with the shuttle? The only difference is that the shuttle doesn't have the stars and bars painted on it...but IS a hell of a lot more dangerous.

As I said, it's an honarary warbird in my book. And I would bet I have a lot of Navy and Air Force astronauts who would agree with me.

[DaveM2]

The essence of this forum is prop driven aircraft serving in the World Wars and early jets ...'in my book'. Anything else is for the OFF TOPIC forum..that includes Space, Super Bowl, Atmospheric Conditions and the Anniversary of the Alamo.
Dunno what the mods are doing (anyone there???) but IMHO this thread should have moved to where it belongs some time ago, and as can be seen by the replies contained within the 'topic' I am not alone in thinking like that.

Dave

Last edited by DaveM2 on Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:59 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mjanovec]

FWIW, this forum is described as: "This is the place where the majority of the warbird (aircraft that have survived military service) discussions will take place." No mention is given to prop driven aircraft...or even to the era of warbirds that up for discussion.

While I agree the Lisa Nowak story doesn't belong on this forum, the Shuttle is an aircraft that has survived military service.

Hint: If you don't like a topic, don't read it. You shouldn't need a moderator to decide what thread you're going to read.

Last edited by mjanovec on Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:41 am, edited 1 time in total.