BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

I'm going to take a break from my "BACK TO BASICS" series to address the recent tragedy that occurred during the Snowbird's "OPERATION INSPIRATION". As I write this, Captain Jennifer Casey will be returning home to a solemn ceremony celebrating her years of service and ultimate sacrifice.  A sad occurrence, especially for the province of Nova Scotia, which is still reeling from the recent loss of a the crew of a crashed CH-148 Cyclone and the worst mass shooting/murder in Canadian history. A sad time indeed.  One can only take small comfort in the fact that Capt. Casey gave her life bringing much needed hope and inspiration to others in a time of global melancholy.  It is truly a grim irony that "OPERATION INSPIRATION" ended in such a tragedy. Blue skies. It is a hard blow to the Snowbirds team, the RCAF, and Canada as a whole. The question now is "What next?" The Snowbirds themselves seem to be grounded for the im...

No...  Not that. It would seem that the CF-18 is not the only RCAF asset that is being tasked with flying past its prime. (Unlike the wonderful and evergreen Anne Murray) There ya go. Recent news reports have stated that the RCAF's fabled demonstration team will likely continue flying the venerable CT-114 Tutor until the year 2030 .  This would put the 60's era jet trainers approaching their 70th birthday by the time they retire.  Not as a design, but as actual 70-year-old airframes, as the last Tutor was built in 1966.  Even now, the Snowbirds can be considered ancient artifacts (apologies to any of my readers over the age of 50).   There is no shame in this, as the CT-114 Tutor has outlasted the CF-101 Voodoo, and is well on track to outlasting the CF-18 as well.   Indeed, the 431 Demonstration Squadron could be considered a "Heritage Flight".  As Professor Jones would say: From 1961 to 2000, the CT-114 Tutor served ...

Lose the USAF roundel...  Keep the teeth. The A-10 Thunderbolt II (aka: the "Warthog") is nearly universally accepted as the best close air support aircraft ever built.  Originally intended for use a "tank-buster" for use against a Soviet ground army in the Cold War, the Warthog has gone on to assert its usefulness over Afghanistan, Iraq, and other inhospitable environments. The key to the A-10's success has always been its rugged simplicity.  It is almost the antithesis to aircraft like the F-22 and F-35.   It eschews stealth design, bleeding edge technology, and supersonic speed.  Instead, it flies slowly, shrugs off small arms fire, and carries a big freakin' gun.  It is the airplane equivalent to Wolverine.  It is simply the best at what it does, but what it does ain't pretty. Yet...  For some reason...   The USAF wants the A-10 gone . Ostensibly, the USAF's rationale for retiring the A-10 is to save money.  That money is n...

Sorry about my lack of posting this week. Consider me furloughed.