Woah that's big.

That's what she said! Haha, sorry, couldn't resist.

For those of you who've never been near a supercarrier before, you're probably wondering... is it really that big? Or are the pictures taken at angles or from a crazy perspective to make them look that way? 

Well, the above is a pretty cool picture I found a while ago of a B-52 Stratofortress doing a low pass near the USS Ranger, circa 1990. There were 2 B-52s in the vicinity of the carrier, during a military exercise. The pilots asked the carrier air boss if they could perform a fly-by and were granted the approval. When the BUFFs were 9 km out, the observers on the carrier's island still couldn't see the big grey birds. Till they got closer. Then only were they able to make out the shape of these massive planes, right above the water; their engines kicking back a spray from the ocean. 

If you've ever been up close to a B-52 at an air show, you'll know it's a pretty big plane. Now, look at the picture. Woah. Right? 

Rant time?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand it's time for me to ramble on about something that's been poking at me like a thorn in my side for a while now.

Dreams.

I find it a weird combination of hilarious and pathetic at the same time, when people dream about doing one thing, but are too lazy and unmotivated to put themselves of the path to get there.

Take for example, the aviator.

I once heard that the vast majority of pilots today dreamed of flying when they were younger. True enough, right? Flying isn't exactly something that pops into your head all of a sudden. It isn't the kind of thought that gives you that spur-of-the-moment motivation, cementing itself firmly in your mind. Well, these pilots dreamed. And they DID.
What do I mean by that? I mean, they put their heart and soul into becoming pilot material. They put their nose in the books, figured out that awful flight computer (for some reason, I still have trouble with that stupid piece of plastic to this day, though I've had 4 years worth of practice. I guess I'm a slow learner in that respect haha), and disciplined themselves. These kind of men (and women) are DOERS.

They set their mind to something, then go about getting it done.

Then, you have the other extreme. The DREAMERS.

Don't get me wrong, dreaming is never a bad thing, just as long as you have your feet set firmly on the ground. Be realistic. Fantasies never got anyone far in life. The problem occurs when you just keep dreaming and you don't start doing.

Yeah, I know this all sounds like one of those self-help speeches that those motivational speakers give, but hell, I'm no Tony Robbins. I'm just speaking from logic and from the heart.

Dream. Dream about flying fighter jets for the military, while you slack off in school, don't maintain your grades, aren't physically fit, and consistently make excuses to "allow" you to continue in you patterns of laziness, negligence and indiscipline.

Do. Do the work, get active, stay at the top of your class, build a discipline that'll last you a lifetime, turn yourself into the ideal candidate.

Dreamers or Doers. Which one are you?

Iceman out.

Can we pretend that airplanes

In the night sky, are F-80 Shooting Stars?

I could really use a wish right now...

National Air and Space Museum

I've referenced it previously, but I've never actually spoken a whole lot about the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Located in Washington, DC., and part of the Smithsonian Institution, it is home to the world's largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft. It's actually a set of two museums, one on the Mall and one at Dulles Intl. Airport. Both house amazing exhibits and showcase pieces of aviation history, including the Wright Flyer, the Enola Gay (the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima), ballistic missiles, fighter aircraft, a space shuttle, a lunar lander, and a whole lot more! The best part about the museum is that it's fun for all ages. Kids can enjoy the fun, adventurous atmosphere, while adults can enjoy the the finer aspects of the history behind each aircraft/spacecraft.

One of the most fun parts about the museum is the guided tours. The docents offer a very interesting insight into the histories of each of the aircraft featured, and the aviators who flew them. You'll definitely leave the museum knowing a whole lot more about aviation than you did when you entered! For a guy like me, who's obsessed with anything to do with airplanes, it was a heavenly experience!

Iceman's Answers: How do I know which branch is right for me?

Okay, let's start off with the most basic question of them all:

"Which branch do I join?"

There's no easy answer to this. Time and time again, potential recruits need to be reminded that joining the military is a decision that THEY must take, not their parents, friends, significant others, family, etc. By the time you turn 18, you can go right ahead and sign the line on the papers, raise your hand and take the oath. Your parents and friends aren't the ones who should be dictating to you the branch you'll serve in and what you should be doing.

Here's the issue: recruits are confused by the wide array of jobs available, and the different branches that offer these jobs. I've seen confusion between the Marines and the Army, and what exactly they do. The same goes for the Navy and Coast Guard, the Navy and the Air Force, etc.

It all depends on what you want to do. Each branch has it's own set of unique jobs. Let's take aviation, for example. The Navy and Marines usually fly off aircraft carriers. The Air Force is strictly land-based.
If you feel that becoming a fixed-wing pilot is your goal, then you've got 4 options: The Air Force, Navy Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Since there are a variety of fixed-wing type aircraft, let's streamline that a little further to a fighter pilot. Now, that list gets narrowed down to the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. If you don't, for example, want to be a carrier pilot, then the Air Force is the way to go.

Of course, there will always be the motivation to join the branch that seems the best, regardless of what it can offer yo. What I mean by that, is joining, say the Marines over the Army, because everyone says the Marines are the best of the best, and the Army's full of kids who wanted to get their hands on guns, just to have a little fun. Not entirely true. The Marine Corps is an outstanding institution, older than the United States itself! But, that doesn't mean that you don't have half-wits or slackers joining it. The Army also has their fair share of slackers and soldiers who don't do their jobs right, but, is actually very similar to the Corps in terms of jobs and training.