Author Archives: Chris Penningroth

A Short Tribute to My Last Assignment’s Last Hurrah

Posted on Sun, 07 May 2006 by Chris Penningroth

     My friend Mad Max back in my last assingment in Germany had the good fortune to meet a man named Giro, a ranger in the Bundeswehr (the German Army).  Giro introduced Mad Max and our squadron to the German … Continue reading →

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Emergency!

Posted on Sat, 06 May 2006 by Chris Penningroth

     Today I knocked out the emergency procedures (EP) simulator.  That constitutes almost half of the instrument checkride.  I still have a pair of exams to take and a flight to make to finish the checkride.  After that’s all … Continue reading →

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We Have Liftoff!

Posted on Fri, 05 May 2006 by Chris Penningroth

     Tuesday was my first attempt at "TR-1," the first flight in the transition course syllabus.  The takeoff and departure were routine.  Once we got into the MOA (military operations area), my flight profile called for an 8-9G turn.  … Continue reading →

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Preparing

Posted on Tue, 02 May 2006 by Chris Penningroth

     Today was the last practice simulator (WST-flavor) I’ll get before my official instrument checkride emergency procedures (EP) simulation.  It went pretty well, probably because I can’t count the number of times I’ve practiced F-16 EP’s in my lifetime. … Continue reading →

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First Full Week

Posted on Sun, 30 April 2006 by Chris Penningroth

     It’s been a busy week.  My classmates and I had a lot of academics all week.  We also had two simulator sessions in Unit Training Devices (UTDs), which are fairly realistic cockpit simulators set in front of a … Continue reading →

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Osama bin Laden’s Latest Diatribe

Posted on Sun, 23 April 2006 by Chris Penningroth

     I understand the demon djinn just released a new audio tape.  Apparently his current cave (or equivalent primitive dwelling) doesn’t sport rudimentary video facilities.        He called for a Muslim boycott of American goods.  Let’s see, a … Continue reading →

Posted in International Relations, Islam | 2 Comments

Back on Track

Posted on Sun, 23 April 2006 by Chris Penningroth

     As of Thursday the 20th, I began my F-16 transition course (TX2, in our parlance) along with six others.  We’re going to have academics on and off for at least the next month.  We’ll begin "flying" the simulators … Continue reading →

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In Case You Were Wondering

Posted on Tue, 18 April 2006 by Chris Penningroth

     I’ve been in the process of moving from Germany to Japan.  I’m currently in Arizona, trying to pump some iron, run some laps around an airbase, and remembering which way to push the stick to make "Houses get … Continue reading →

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Weekend Blog Reading

Posted on Sat, 01 April 2006 by Chris Penningroth

    Here are a few noteworthy readings:     On the Return of History.      When Cynicism Meets Fanaticism. 

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It’s a Good Thing!

Posted on Sun, 26 March 2006 by Chris Penningroth

    Abdul Rahman, the Afghani who was recently facing the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity, has been temporarily spared (here’s a link to the story on FoxNews.com).  The case against him was dismissed.  The problem is, he’s … Continue reading →

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