Gallons Burned: 220.1
Caffeinated Drinks: 37
Finally a decent WiFi hot spot!
I stopped in Pensacola to see my buddy Eric who is just finishing up his first step of sub-specialization training to become a fight officer on the carrier-based F18 Growler. It is a super-sonic electronic warfare bird that is replacing the EA-6 Prowler.
Before I go on, I must say Florida is a peculiar place. The night I got in town a storm hit. End of the world rain. The lightening was nothing like the bolt or two Seattle storms boast. Each 1.21 gigawatt blast turned night into day. The whole sky turned white, illuminating everything. Very cool weather. As my friend Elliott says, "5 minutes of Florida weather is like a whole year of Seattle weather." (Seattle weather is possibly the most boring in the USA, after San Diego and LA's sun on sun with sun weather).
How about some pictures:
While I was staying with Eric, he got his official Naval Aviator Leather Jacket (NALJ in Navy jargon...just kidding). It is THE cool thing that makes naval aviators different from everyone else in the services (Along with the over sized Ray-Ban sunglasses). For the Marines its the intense sense of being awesome. For the other members of the Navy they have ships which are cool. The Air Force has the sweet terror of the enemy. The Army has...well I'm sure the Army's mom will send some cookies or something. Just kidding, I have the highest respect for the Army. Here's Eric:
Quick question: What is this? It was next to my car.
So one of the days in Pensacola, I dodged rain showers on the white sand of a beach...and blew stuff up. This is an M255 "Vixen" from that Alabama Fireworks store.
Don't worry I picked up after myself and this particular barrier island had plenty of water to extinguish any accidental fires.
Eric and I grabbed lunch at the Cubi Bar and Cafe in the Naval Air Museum on the naval air station. This whole decor of the cafe was relocated from the Philippines (various plaques, statues, etc that the navy guys left to commemorate their stay at Cubi Point). I liked this one, the eagle doesn't have an olive branch and arrows, rather AMRAM missiles and a 1000lb bomb.
I took a little time to myself in the cemetery, just thinking back over all those who have held the line.
The Museum was really top notch. It was about as good as Seattle's Boeing Air/Space Museum, however it was not even in the same hemisphere of win as the Dayton Air Force Museum (Please you all must go and see Dayton before you die!). This F14 Tomcat is the best example of US Naval Air supremacy, period (It carried an air-to-air missile that could hit you from 110 nautical miles: the Phoenix).
A retired F/A-18 hornet Blue Angle waiting to be added to the indoor museum collection.
The Japanese built a great World War II front line fighter in the Zero.
A retired A-4 Blue Angel Jet which is in its proper home here on the Blue Angel's home base.
The A-6 Intruder is a great all-weather, multi-mission platform from 1963, soon to be fully retired.
This Huey was an example of the Marine Corp's ability to make things work outside of specification. Notice the "Duct-taped" rocket pod.
The F7U Cutlass (circa 1950) was a transitional plane that eventually led to the F14 Tomcat.
Who doesn't love this chain-gun toting sweet hart (the Cobra attack helicopter) that has watched many a Marine's back.
Next time I'll tell you about my Gator beach experience on St. George's Island.
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