EC-121T: Aircraft History Lesson of the Day

EC-121T at Peterson AFB, CO

I find aircraft intriguing, perhaps that is why I joined the Air Force when I was younger. The other day I ran across a venerable old reconnaissance aircraft on display at the Peterson AFB, Colorado, museum. It is an EC-121T. 

I have been especially lucky on previous visits the museum to receive a personal tour of the interior of this Cold War warrior. Not on this trip however. 

This aircraft is impressive and is the largest on display at the museum. She has an impressive history and I even know at least one person who admits to being a crew member on the aircraft. 

This aircraft is one of only 22 of this model that were built and coincidently, it carried a crew of 22. I took a pretty good image of the information placard to capture at least some of the history.

But what about the deeper history of this aircraft and the men who manned the stations in its interior. I enjoy thinking about the missions that this aircraft flew--recovering safely after every one with its precious cargo of brave airmen. They were on the front lines of the Cold War between Russian and the United States. They were also on the front lines of the Viet Nam conflict. I am sure there were some very impressive or even downright scary missions completed by this aircraft and its crew.

Although my favorite aircraft of all time are the B-17G and B-52G aircraft, I really appreciate all of the different aircraft I see, and I remember their names and missions. During this trip I had the opportunity to see some other old favorites, an F-102 Delta Dagger and an F-104 Starfighter. Seeing these fighters reminded me of times gone by during the Cold War. I wonder how many missions each of them flew before retiring to be permanent displays stirring the yearning for jet flight in the hearts of little boys and old men?

They certainly stirred memories in me. I remembered being a young Second Lieutenant some decades ago and supporting the 49th Fighter Interceptor Squadron equipped with F-106 Delta Darts while at my first duty assignment of Griffiss AFB in upstate NY. They were fast and they were loud.

During November 2012, I wrote about a KB-50 refueling aircraft that I ran across during a visit to MacDill AFB, Florida. Another old Cold War warrior on display. I received a really great input form the Tanker Association which provided a lot of additional information about the specific aircraft and how it was one of only two remaining out of 112 which were converted.

It is good to pause for a moment and remember. So many men and women have gone before us it is easy to forget the sacrifices they both they and their families made to bring us to where we are today.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Denver, CO
   (Home of the next Super Bowl Champions!)

What I did on your snow day

I was fortunate not to be back East suffering through yet another Nor-Easter blowing up the coast, pounding the land and dropping tens of inches of snow on my family and friends. 

Pikes Peak

But, because I was not there I had to work and did not get a free pass for a day off.  Which is really OK because I had some important work to do, people to see and people to meet.

I did, however, enjoy 60 degree temperatures and awesome blue skies. I enjoyed scenery that included the Front Range behind Denver and an awesome image of Pikes Peak framed by some evergreens outside the restaurant window where I enjoyed some lunch.

No, it was not out my hotel window--but it was outside the restaurant. 

And it was awesome!

-- Bob Doan, not in Maryland

What did you do on MLK Day?

It was a holiday for me! And the weather, it was fabulous. 

I did have to do some preparations for the expected blizzard like arctic conditions coming later today. We went out for snow melt and ensured the car was full of gas. Ready for the onslaught.

First Grilled Dinner of 2014
January 20, 2014

But, it was an awesome weather day in advance of the storm. So nice, that I took the time to grill dinner and enjoy the moderate (for the season) temperatures, at least for the day.

The sun was warm and I was actually outside in a T-shirt and doing alright temperature-wise as long as I was in the sun.

There was no snow and the knowledge of the storm on the horizon made the grilling experience that much better.

So what did I do on MLK Day? 

I enjoyed the sunshine and dreamed of summer once again.

-- Bob Doan, writing from where the snow isn't

Monday Musings - January 20, 2014

1. 2014 is already 20 days old! Wow! It is flying by.

2. It is entertainment awards season with Oscar nominations and Screen Actors Guild awards and so many other awards and shows that it is hard to keep up with it. I wonder if I will watch any of the movies that I haven't seen just because of award nominations. But if I do, there are even recommendations on which films to see. Check out this link for suggestions: Four films to see.

3. I think the news media has declared open season on politicians.

4. The NFL had got to do something about terrible officiating! I was watching the 49ers-Seahawks game and could not believe the number of game changing calls that were missed or botched.

5. Another Arctic cold-wave is headed into the area just to ensure that I am aware that it really is winter and that springtime is still a long way off.

6. Super Bowl. Broncos and Seahawks. I choose, Broncos!

7. Lately, it seems that the new media is avoiding real news and becoming more of an outlet for network advertising. I could not believe that one whole segment of the Today Show on Saturday was devoted to a new cast member on Saturday Night Live.

8. There is some interesting Super Bowl trivia regarding number 1 seeds. The game between the Broncos and the Seahawks will only be the second Super Bowl between number one seeds since realignment in 2002. The other was between the Colts and the Saints (won by the Saints) during 2009. Only one other number one seed has won the Super Bowl: Patriots during 2003. Number one seeds have on 2 of 11 Super Bowls. This one will make it 3 of 12. What does this mean? The number one seed is the team with the best record, but may not be the best team. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

It was a cold, but sunny Saturday

The bone chilling cold returned to Maryland and I was greeted with a dusting of snow yesterday as I allowed the dogs to head into the yard for their morning business. I think even they were a bit shocked at the temperature change. And yes, I wrote dogs, plural. We are dog sitting for Ben this weekend and so I have my pair-o-Kees (or two keeshonden) for the weekend.

I admit, yesterday proceeded at a much slower pace than some recent Saturdays that I have written about. We two basketball games, but thankfully they were back-to-back which made for a much more efficient use of time while allowing us to focus on each grandson's efforts individually.

But the real question soon became--what to do on a cold but sunny Saturday.

Food court at the Annapolis Mall
January 18, 2014

Why, let's go to the mall of course!

And so off we went to the mall--in Annapolis. One of the biggest malls in the area. 

It turned out that many other people had the same idea--get out of the house but find somewhere warm to spend the day. Their decision, like ours, was to head off to the mall. 

And it was a good thing we sojourned to the mall because we had one gift card with an approaching expiration date. I bought a new shirt using that gift card and so it wasn't all bad.

Today, escaping the cold will be a bit easier because of the football playoffs. They don't start until a bit later than normal--but the games should be exciting. 

I still dream of being on a hot beach with a cold drink in my hand baking in the Caribbean sun. Now that would be a great Saturday!

Maybe next year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Overcomplexifying Wine

I decided to explore this word for one more day.

It seems that I have moved down the road in my enjoyment of wine into the realm of overcomplexifying. Yup, no longer is it enough for me to just like a wine.  

Gone are the good old days when I just considered whether I liked the wine or not. Now, whether I like it or not, I am pulling the wine apart and deciding why I like it or what could be improved in the wine to make me like it.

Is is balanced? Is there a complex flavor and aroma presentation? How does the wine feel? How are the tannins? The acidity? The minerality? What aromas are present? Currants or grapefruit or flowers or cherries or leather to whatever flavor you can imagine. I tasted a wine once where the winemaker described hints of bubblegum. 

And I look at how the wine appears in the glass. Is the color good--be it red or white. Does the color go with the kind of grape? 

I have overcomplexified wine drinking and enjoyment.

Even when someone asks what my favorite wine is I find myself unable to give a straight answer? Do you mean for drinking with cheese? Or sitting around the pool on a hot summer afternoon? Or enjoying with pizza, or hamburgers, or salmon, or a hunk of beef? Red or White? 


It used to be so simple--my favorite wine was an Australian shiraz.  But now it comes out something like a 2005 Axios Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. I can't afford to drink it very often, but it is my favorite. On the other hand  depending upon the day, my favorite wine might be an Americana Vineyard Apparition, if I'm in the mood. 

Perhaps that is why life is all about. We take simple things and overcomplexify them, just to make ourselves feel better.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Overcomplexifying

An associate at work came up with the word "overcomplexifying" yesterday to describe the problem solving approach used by some people. I actually found the word "overcomplexify" in the Urban Dictionary. I think the second definition is really funny and too true, but I can't print it in my blog do to some raw language. So click the link and scroll down to the second definition. I think there are four definitions total, but the fourth seemed a bit redundant.

Overcomplexifying is actually so true that it is almost funny, if it weren't so tragic.

Some people have the gift of being able to take simple concepts and make them impossible to understand. 

In retrospect, overcomplexified was how I viewed my day yesterday. I am beginning to loathe Thursdays. They are my busiest day of the week. 

I had meetings at 8, 9, 10, 1030, 11, 12, 1PM and 3 PM. Ugh! I missed the 1030 meeting because I wasn't out of the 1000 meeting yet.

Is it Saturday yet? Maybe I can sleep in until 6 AM and get this week out of my head!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tail lights stretching into the morning fog

I pulled onto the foggy highway yesterday morning in my pick-up truck and was greeted by three rows of red tail lights stretching into the distance as far as I could see driving at a walkers pace.

Traffic was jammed solid. Three lanes across. Trying to survive in the fog.

It took an extra fifteen minutes to get to work, but I arrived alive despite the dense fog which was doing a good imitation of the mist in the movie by the same name.

The fog slowed the traffic and I am sure contributed to many ulcers among drivers who left too late and didn't account for the expected dense traffic conditions. 

We have had a lot of fog lately. The changeable weather has contributed to most of it. Cold ground and warm air. 

Maybe this morning will be better, traffic wise. Less fog and higher speeds.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Family, family, family

Jeremy, Patrick, Dad, and Nicole

I have been reminded this past week of the value of family.

Last evening, we had an unplanned, impromptu dinner with Mom and Dad, Jeremy, Nicole, Lucas and Patrick.

It was awesome for us to be together on Mom and Dad's last evening in Maryland before heading off today for Houston to escapee the cold months. 

Sunday, during the football games, I was able to snap an awesome image of my kids on Dad's lap. Wow. That hasn't happened in a long time. 

Memories. 

It seems to me that sometimes we spend too much time on other people and forget that families are the most important part of life. Yes, I have great friends, and I love them. I think of most of them as family, too. But our problem is that sometimes we place other people (who are not even friends) and activities before family and friends.

Families rock. We just need to spend time together to know that.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Picture on the Milk Carton

I remember when it was fairly common practice to put pictures of missing people on milk cartons. I wonder whatever happened to that practice? It seems milk is now delivered in plastic containers that are made up of mostly empty space and there is no place for a picture.

Antique Milk Bottles

It is kind of sad that we have lost touch with milk cartons. And I remember that before milk cartons there were milk bottles. I remember the bottles, both the half gallon size and the smaller ones that we drank milk from during school. They had little paper caps in the tops that with a small tab on them that I never could seem to manage to get off without pushing them down into my whole milk which usually had a layer of cream on top. Mmmm.

I was given the small sign in the picture this weekend as a remembrance of the milk carton days. It is really very true--I think there are more wine bottles around than milk cartons these days. Maybe we need to place a picture of a milk carton on a wine bottle.

But the truth is, more people of my friends will see a wine bottle than a milk carton. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD