Speaking of Russia. . .

Posted on Sun, 26 March 2006 by Chris Penningroth

833_at_Farnborough_2002_03_small_1.jpg     I found this photo of my old Spangdahlem stallion.  The photo itself was at www.aeronautics.ru (a Russian web-site).  I only wish I was the one flying it that day.  One of the Lockheed Martin company pilots was flying for the show.

    The plane was in a clean configuration (no external fuel tanks, ECM pods, targeting pods, or air-to-ground munitions).  The two "missiles" are actually smoke generators that look like slightly oversized and stubby-finned AIM-9 Sidewinders.

    There were a couple of other decent photos at http://community.webshots.com.  The only photo I could find where the name was legible was the one I posted, and that is my crew chief’s name, SSgt Sam M. 

    Naturally, I scanned my computer for spyware after downloading the photo!

Posted in USAF | Comments Off on Speaking of Russia. . .

From Russia, With Love. . . .

Posted on Sat, 25 March 2006 by Chris Penningroth

     Sometimes I find that I miss the Cold War.  The Soviet Union was an evil, intractable adversary.  The stakes on every confrontation were high.  That all ended starting in the mid- to late-80s, with Solidarity in Poland, Glasnost and Perestroika in the Soviet Union, the collapse of the Berlin Wall and German reunification, the 1991 coup by Dmitri Yazov, et al, the rise of Boris Yeltsin in that near-conflagration, and finally with the political collapse of the USSR itself.  The days of The Hunt for Red October were gone and the nature of most of 007’s adversaries had to change in what now seems like a brief instant.

    Then  I come across things like this.  The more some things change, the more they stay the same.  Just on different levels. 

    On the other hand, I’m enjoying this hyperpower gig.  We can broadcast to the bad guys exactly what we’re going to do to them, and they can’t stop us.  It’s rather unbelievable sometimes that so many rogue countries even bother to try. 

Posted in International Relations, US DoD | Comments Off on From Russia, With Love. . . .

Future mission of the 131st

Posted on Tue, 21 March 2006 by Chris Penningroth

My home-town Air National Guard unit, the 131st Fighter Wing, has been flying fighters ever since I can remember. I think the 110th Fighter Squadron was flying the F-100 Super Sabre around the time I was born. In 1978 they transitioned to the F-4 Phantom. They switched to the F-15A Eagle in 1991. In the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (2005 BRAC) report recommended sending the jets to Nellis AFB, NV (to stand up an F-15 Aggressor squadron [Good idea. . . I’m tired of going TDY to fight more F-16s! – ed]) and to Atlantic City, NJ to replace the F-16s there.

The Air Force recently released the future mission of the 131st. Click here to see.

It’s too bad they didn’t stay a fighter unit long enough to get the F-35. I would have loved to have gone home to fly one of the hottest new things around.

Posted in USAF | 5 Comments

Sunday Bike Ride

Posted on Sun, 19 March 2006 by Chris Penningroth

Christina and I spent a couple hours riding our mountain bikes along the paved trails of Bad Nauheim this afternoon. We checked out the old salt-making facilities, the city park, the Usa River, and the Spa district. It was a great day! It was a bit brisk, but it was sunny and clear.

In case you’re interested, Elvis Presley lived in Bad Nauheim from 1958-1960. He was assigned to the Third Armored Division, stationed in Friedberg.  

Posted in Europe, Fitness & Health | Tagged | Comments Off on Sunday Bike Ride

Welcome to the Weltanschauung!

Posted on Sun, 19 March 2006 by Chris Penningroth

Welcome to my Weltanschauung! I’m Chris Penningroth, your guide through the world as I see it. Join me in my journey through the rest of my life for tales of relaxed adventuring and insightful discussions
about the state of the international community.

Posted in Administration | Comments Off on Welcome to the Weltanschauung!