A New Liquid Armor
The researchers have combined this "shear-thickening" liquid with Kevlar to create a new bullet-proof material.
The company is keeping the chemical formula of the liquid a secret, but it works by absorbing the force of the bullet strike and responding to it by becoming much thicker and more sticky.
The BAE scientists describe it as "bullet-proof custard".
"It's very similar to custard in the sense that the molecules lock together when it's struck," explained Stewart Penny, business development manager in charge of materials development at the company.
This beats driving any day!
Me, Todd, Sharon, & Shane
I guess any day that starts with you waking up and being alive is a great day, but today was a really great day! The weather and calendars finally cooperated and I got to take my first small cross country w/ passengers for a late lunch!
We gave the Hawk a run for it's money on the W&B today and had to leave half our gas on the ground but she handled it well for being 43 years old!
We ended up heading to Coles County Airport (KTMO) in Mattoon, IL for lunch at the Airport Steakhouse. If you're ever in the area stop by for the awesome onion rings! Just about everything else on the menu is good.
Had a solid 12kt tailwind on the way down so we throttled back and conserved fuel. Of course we had the headwind on the way back but it wasn't terrible, made less terrible with the tunes we pumped through the intercom.
Good friends, good food, and General Aviation....it doesn't get much better than that!
It's no longer fun to go flying without passengers now that I can finally take some!
Damn it's nice to finally have my ticket!!! 
Click to see my PHOTOS via Picasa
Clear Air Turbulence can ruin your day…
Damaged B-52
January 10, 1964, started out as a typical day for the flight test group at Boeing's Wichita plant. Pilot Chuck Fisher took off in a B-52H with a three-man Boeing crew, flying a low-level profile to obtain structural data.
Over Colorado , cruising 500 feet above the mountainous terrain, the B-52 encountered some turbulence. Fisher climbed to 14,300 feet looking for smoother air. At this point the typical day ended. The bomber flew into clear-air turbulence. It felt as if the plane had been placed in a giant high-speed elevator, shoved up and down, and hit by a heavy blow on its right side.
License To Learn
Check ride passed! I'm FINALLY a Private Pilot - Airplane Single Engine Land!!!
They call it a license to learn, and it is. Just getting to this point was a hell of a lot of learning. Now the learning begins in earnest.
Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, 50 years from today I'll be eligible for one of these, following in the family footsteps.
Winter Flying
Today was one of those perfect winter days where the wind was minimal and the sun was shining. It makes for a good day of flying. I had to pick up the Hawk from Bloomington Avionics after having the biennial pitot static system/transponder certification done. Unfortunately our altimeter failed its check with a leaking case. The shop had an overhauled unit on the shelf so they installed it and finished the certification.
After a thorough pre-flight I called BMI Ground and got in line for departure. I wasn't the only one taking advantage of the great weather we're unaccustomed to during an IL winter. I had almost full tanks so I set out to practice my maneuvers for the upcoming check-ride, taking a few pictures along the way.
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- Odd Shaped Buildings
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- Jorja’s House
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- Contrail
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- Elkhart Coal Mine
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- Tornado Damage Through Snow
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- Corn Cob Processing Plant
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- New ALMH Hospital (Lincoln, IL)
Shadow Warriors
And if they kill me, I have told my family and friends not to complain about anything because I have killed many of them with pride. I am a legitimate target. Because when I stand against them...the desire to stand against them is part of my blood. I belive they are wrong. They are truly forces of darkness.
I hope this guy means what he says. We could use more guys like him on our side over there.
Hell of a story from both guys.
For Christmas I received a book called Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan, which is about the initial CIA/Special Ops infil into Afghanistan. I suspect I'll be reading about Hank Crumpton in the book.
If you can stomach it, waste a few minutes of your life and be entertained by the moronic commentors on the CBS link.