One giant loss for mankind

The world has lost yet another hero today.

In 1958, he was selected to be a part of NASA's ultra-elite Astronaut Corps, the original space cowboys. He spent a total of 8 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and 31 seconds in space on two separate missions, Gemini 8 and Apollo 11, in which he became the first man to ever set foot on an extraterrestrial body, the moon.

Fair winds and following seas LTJG Armstrong.

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding the death of former test pilot and NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong. He was 82.

"On behalf of the entire NASA family, I would like to express my deepest condolences

 to Carol and the rest of Armstrong family on the passing of Neil Armstrong. As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them, remembered for taking humankind's first small step on a world beyond our own.

"Besides being one of America's greatest explorers, Neil carried himself with a grace and humility that was an example to us all. When President Kennedy challenged the nation to send a human to the moon, Neil Armstrong accepted without reservation.

"As we enter this next era of space exploration, we do so standing on the shoulders of Neil Armstrong. We mourn the passing of a friend, fellow astronaut and true American hero."

100 years of Marine Corps Aviation

More like 100 years of kicking ass and taking names in the skies above some of the largest battles to every take place on the face of the earth.

100 years ago on the 22nd of May, 1912, a Marine 1st Lieutenant by the name of Alfred Austell Cunningham reported for flight-training to the Naval Academy where a training facility for aviators was set up. Thus, May 22nd was recognized as the birthday of Marine aviation.

In naval aviation, you'll hear of the exploits of Navy pilots and their daredevil stunts in the face of death. Lesser known are the accomplishments of their counterpart Marine pilots. Take for example Lt. Col. "Pappy" Boyington. That man had balls of steel. On one occasion, he and 24 fighters flew over a Japanese-occupied airfield (Kahili airdrome), during the Pacific campaign of WWII, taunting the guys on the ground into sending up a few planes. Turns out, the Japs weren't too happy with the sudden appearance of these Marines and sent up more fighters than the Black Sheep (Pappy's squadron) bargained for. In the ensuing battle, 20 Japanese pilots were shot down, forcing back their defensive force, while the Black Sheep returned home with not a single aircraft lost.

How about John Glenn... Marine fighter ace, first American to orbit the earth in 1962, US senator and the oldest human to fly into space in 1998? Or John Bolt, double-ace? Or, get this... TED WILLIAMS! Hell yeah, the legendary left-fielder for the Boston Red Sox was a decorated Marine fighter bomber in WWII and the Korean War!

Iceman and Maverick don't have s**t on the "Duke of Mukden"

Today, the Corps still flies their older F/A-18s, which will be replaced with the F-35s later on. They still fly their AV-8s (to be replaced by the STOVL F-35 variants) and their Sea Knights and Super Stallions. But the Air Wing's going through a major overhaul. Enter, the UH-1Y Venoms and the AH-1Z Vipers. Oh, and the super-awesome tiltrotor MV-22 Ospreys. This massive update will ensure that years from now, Marine aviation elements will still be relevant to America's war-fighting capabilities and will still be one of the leading forces at the tip of America's military spear.

The Original Aviator's Glasses

Ray-Ban's aviator sunglasses have held the market on lenses for pilots and aviation enthusiasts for years. Having owned a pair of Ray-Ban aviators, I can vouch for their quality, but if you want authenticity, history and durability, I'd strongly suggest you check out American Optical's Original Pilot or General sunglasses! Ultra-comfortable, extremely durable and downright badass, it's sure to give you good protection from the sun's rays and it'll definitely make the ladies swoon over you! Built for bomber pilots in WWII to military specifications, they were later adapted for use by fighter pilots and saw widespread popularity in the military and civilian aviation world.

Fact: American Optical's sunglasses were the first ever shades to land on the moon! Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins all had pairs and they now reside in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. They were popular throughout NASA's Astronaut Corps.

CHECK OUT A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR STORY HERE

BUY THEM HERE!