The Wind In My Hair

The crew of a USAF Osprey became the Ugly Americans in England this week, as they landed at Addenbrooke’s helipad and, um, made an impression.

This is a video of a USAF Boeing/Bell CV-22B Osprey 10-0053 landing at Addenbrooke’s hospital helipad for a medical-transfer training operation and then on takeoff literally blowing up the helipad with its rotor wash.

I just wonder what would’ve happened if any of the rubber matting had actually gotten caught in the rotors. Is it like throwing string at a drone where it gets tangled up and basically brings the whole thing down? Are modern helicopters as easy to take down?

Honestly, you’d think the helipad would have been made with concrete instead of what appears to be Persian rugs.

You can see the video below the fold…

Up, Up, And Away

While undergoing sea exercises last week, the Royal Marines transferred one of their own to a warship… via jetpack. See how cool the Marines are now that Prince Harry is gone?

The Royal Marines recently ran an exercise testing the $440,000 Gravity Jet Suit to aid in boarding operations and it looks like something out of a James Bond movie. Obviously the future is going to be super annoying when every pizza delivery person is flying around in a jet pack, but for now this remains the coolest thing my 10-year-old self has ever seen. I mean, this and the old Playboy I found out in the woods that one time.

Personally, I think it would have been cooler if they launched him via catapult… like Angry Birds.

Netanyahu Rolls Into Gaza

After sustaining a week’s worth of Hamas missiles, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made the decision to fight back. On Friday, Netanyahu sent ground troops into Gaza to wipe out the terrorists.

It’s refreshing to see a leader who doesn’t back down to thugs.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sent ground troops into Gaza early Friday morning local time, in an effort to uproot Palestinian terrorists who have fired nearly 2,000 rockets at Israeli civilians over the past several days.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted a video message, vowing to restore “quiet and security to the State of Israel.” He added: “The last word was not been said, and this operation will continue as long as necessary.” That may have been a warning to the international community, including the United Nations, not to intervene until Hamas had been defeated.

Explosions were seen over Gaza as Israel launched a massive wave of airstrikes against Hamas targets there.

Personally, I think they should wipe out everyone in the Gaza Strip, then retake it as their own. The “Palestinians” will never stop trying to kill Israelis, so Israel might as well get it over with and steamroll the entire region.

UPDATE: The Israelis are freakin’ awesome!

In Soviet Russia, Jet Ejects You

Three members of the Russian air force were killed after their ejection seats suddenly engaged without warning. There is no proof the flight crew had evidence which would put Hillary Clinton in prison.

Three crew have been killed in an accident today involving a Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bomber at Shaykovka airbase in the Kaluga region, western Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the crew lost their lives due to an “abnormal operation” of the ejection seats.

Russia’s state-run media outlet RIA Novosti said the incident occurred while the Tu-22M3 was being prepared for a training flight at Shaykovka, while its counterpart TASS specified that the ejections were initiated when the bombers’ two engines were started on the ground. It remains unclear whether the seats were activated deliberately, or whether the ejection sequence was unintentional. A fourth crew member reportedly survived the accident and was taken to a medical facility, but it’s not known whether they ejected or remained aboard the aircraft.

I’m not about to claim the Russian military is not a threat, but they certainly not the powerhouse they were in the 80’s. There are far too many examples like these lately: ammunition explosions, downed jets, malfunctioning tanks and warships. Their military is in serious trouble.

She Bangs, She Bangs!

The United States Air Force is relaxing some of its uniform regulations, and most of the females will be pleasantly surprised.

Women across the Air Force and Space Force rejoiced on Thursday to the news that the service will allow them to wear their hair longer than before, thereby loosening constraints that many airmen said had resulted in migraines, hair damage, and hair loss.

The new grooming standards allow Air Force and Space Force women to wear their hair in up to two braids or a single ponytail with bulk not exceeding the width of the head and length not extending below a horizontal line running between the top of each sleeve inseam at the underarm through the shoulder blades, according to a press release. In addition, women’s bangs may now touch their eyebrows, but not cover their eyes.

Good grief, who still wears bangs?

The branch’s top enlisted airman, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, said the changes reflect the diversity of the force.

Yes, because nothing is more important than *checks notes* diversity in the military.

His New Russian Rifle Is En Fuego!

A Russian gun enthusiast put his newly purchased AK-103 rifle through trials, and he burned through rounds like you wouldn’t believe.

This is a video of a Russian lunatic firing an AK-103 until it catches fire. And then he, uh, proceeds to fire some more. The craziest part is that this was put out by the Kalashnikov Concern, the actual manufacturer of the AK-103. I mean, props to the Russians for risking their employees’ lives for the sake of demonstrating how tough their products are.

I don’t consider myself an overly cautious person, but watching the guy constantly bash the gun to reload because it was jamming due to being on fire gave me anxiety.

The good news is the man can mow down enemies while lighting a fine Cuban cigar.

You can see this amazing(?) feat below the fold…

The Few, The Proud, The Careless

An investigation into a military crash near Japan revealed Marine Corps pilots frequently engaged in inappropriate activities while flying, including reading books.

Members of a U.S. Marine Corps unit involved in a deadly air crash off Shikoku last December frequently engaged in inappropriate activities during flights, such as reading books and taking selfies, a U.S. military report revealed Tuesday.

The report follows the midair collision of a Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 aerial tanker off the coast of Kochi Prefecture on Dec. 6, 2018. The aircraft, which were conducting a nighttime aerial refueling mission, crashed into the Pacific Ocean, killing six onboard.

Several members based at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in western Japan were found to have removed their oxygen masks and taken both hands off of the aircraft controls to read books or to groom their beards during flights. In one instance, a pilot was found to have shared a selfie taken during a flight on social media.

Those same pilots are probably also the first ones to criticize the flying of those killed in the crash. I get it, peacetime flights can be boring, but if you cannot be a professional, there’s no reason you should keep your wings.

Mulder Was Right!

The U.S. Navy confirmed videos of three alleged UFO sightings are genuine, and they have declared all three objects as “unidentified.”

Three videos posted online that have been described as being related to UFO sightings do indeed include footage of “unidentified aerial phenomena,” a U.S. Navy spokesman confirmed.

But as for specifics, spokesman Joseph Gradisher said the Navy doesn’t know exactly what the objects are.

“The three videos (one from 2004 and two from 2015) show incursions into our military training ranges by unidentified aerial phenomena,” Gradisher said.

Great, all those drunken rednecks are going to hold this over our heads for the rest of our lives, and Jimmy Carter will continually regale us about his anal probe.

Trips To Russia Are Always A Blast

This may surprise you, but during a lovely summer day, the city of Achinsk in Siberia set off a belated Independence Day fireworks display… which caused the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people.

Massive explosions at a Russian military ammunition depot in Siberia injured at least eight people and prompted the evacuation of thousands Monday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said a fire triggered the explosions at a storage facility for gunpowder charges near the city of Achinsk in Siberia’s Krasnoyarsk region.

Authorities declared a state of emergency in the region and ordered the evacuation of residents of several districts in Achinsk, as well as towns and villages within 12.4 miles of the depot.

In fairness, it’s been fifteen months since the last ammo dump explosion in Russia, but only ten months since the last one in Ukraine. There is video at the link, and it’s rather, um, explosive.

Idiots Set To Storm Area 51

Nearly half a million people signed up to storm Nevada’s Area 51 in September, after a Facebook joke went viral. While the event was an obvious joke, far too many conspiracy theorists and random dullards are seriously considering the raid.

Should everything go according to plan, more than half a million strangers will gather in a remote Nevada town in mid-September, united by a common goal: raid Area 51 in the wee hours of the morning – using a strength-in-numbers approach to reveal any extraterrestrial treasures stashed within the notoriously clandestine government base.

Or, put more simply, “Lets see them aliens.”

Kyle told me about this last week, and said, “That would be awesome.” I reminded him Area 51 is on the grounds of an Air Force base, they have heavy weapons, and they don’t take too kindly to invasions.

By Friday evening, more than 540,000 people from around the world had signed up to attend the event: “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us,” – and just as many had indicated they were “interested.” Planned for Sept. 20 in Amargosa Valley, an hour’s drive away from Las Vegas, the event page is currently filled with thousands of posts theorizing the best way to break into the top-secret facility.

“They Can’t Stop All Of Us.” I wonder how much it costs to put that phrase on half a million tombstones?