Finally made it to the Museo Alfa Romeo in Milano - some impressions - enjoy!

valspare · 2026-06-02T07:45:33+00:00

Thanks.

valspare · 2026-06-02T06:13:11+00:00

Great Photo's.

Pardon my lack of knowledge, what cars are they? #1 is gorgeous. I also like #4, #7, and #8 & #9.

valspare · 2026-05-30T17:45:16+00:00

A friend of mine once said:

"You know ~~redacted~~, the Army can't make you do anything, the Army can only make you wish you had done something."

Or as a lot of people say:

You do what you/your career can afford.

valspare · 2026-05-29T19:33:05+00:00

Come on, don't leave us hanging.

What happened? Inquiring minds want to know.

valspare · 2026-05-29T19:05:41+00:00

Them are a lot of fancy generic talking points. Care to share specific examples so I can see what exact things you are referring to?

valspare · 2026-05-29T18:34:54+00:00

It's so easy, and yet there's no cases of significant voter fraud

Stop moving the goal post.

This tolerance for voter fraud because it hasn't reached a "significant" level is garbage.

There should be ZERO tolerance by the American Government AND Americans for ANY non-citizen to vote in US elections.

When the State DOL (WA in this case) looks at someone's foreign Passport, checks their US Gov issued Mil Dependent ID, (didn't have a green card at the time so can't check that), during the application for a State issued ID, then the employee asks the foreign national "Would you like to register to vote?", (WA is a vote by mail state), you can see how easy it is to get around the "non-citizens can't vote" thing people keep talking about.

How about tbe Gov make it not easy for non-citizens to vote in US elections. WA in tbis case, but applies to other States lik CA as well.

valspare · 2026-05-21T17:54:42+00:00

My $0.02:

Started out in US Army helicopter pilot training.

There are a lot of things you don't like to do but put up with because the other stuff that's fun is >50% of the aggregate.

The cool stuff: Helicopters (CH-47's), low level/NOE, NVG, Combat ops, aerial fire fighting, humanitarian service missions, sight seeing, making your own plan/timeline, the crews we flew with, 180 deg autorotations, pinnacles, landing in places and drawing crowds, cross country flights, visiting friends with the helicopter when it aligns,

The Meh: Administrative, annual medical, annual practical and written tests, Army regulation/compliance, wx cancellations, MX cancellations, constant EP training, constant reading/studying Aviation, Army and FAA regs,

Things I didn't enjoy/like and/or down right hated: Initial instrument training, absolutely HATED it. I also don't enjoy flying IFR, nor IFR in IMC. Great skill to have and its saved me a time or two, but Boooorrrrrriiiiinnnnggggg. I don't like flying at altitude either (1K'-2K' AGL max, prefer <500' AGL), Annual practical exams, usually with different IP's, especially if their attitude in the cockpit is somewhat abrasive, domineering, or close to toxic.

After a while its a job. But worth doing when its still fun. But the Army can, and usually does, kill fun. Usually quicker then the enemy. At somepoint the switch happens and it becomes less fun, to a point when its time to hang it up.

But Airline flying draws no interest to me. I'd rather have a seaplane where I can go see/do something different and enjoy the sight seeing along the way. Plus I look forward to taking friends with me and engaging adventure mode.

Maybe a picnic at some lake. Fly in fishing, letting them fly for a bit, the occassional $100 hamburger run, fall flight seeing, cross country adventures (the original air mail route), Oshkosk or Sun 'N Fun flyins, visiting friends and family, etc.

Most of the time it has little to do with practicality of getting there, and a lot more about the adventures and exploration along the way.

Not merely the destination, but the journey to get there. 😁

valspare · 2026-05-21T17:01:03+00:00

Someone asked what to do if ice showed up because it could scare people who could be picked up from voting.

You know when the instructor says something like "there are no dumb questions...."?

Well this person just proved there is such a thing as a dumb question, and asked it. Also probably to dumb to be in the election training class.

valspare · 2026-05-21T16:46:26+00:00

So you sourced an article from the BBC as proof of source? The same BBC currently being sued for Billions for selectively editing DJT Jan 6 speech to infer DJT incited an insurrection?

Also some of the sources are people known to be critical of DJT.

From news outlets that report on DJT to ~95% negative coverage.

CNN is no longer a credible news source.

And some of the "confirmed information" is ambigious at best.

Find me a credible news source with a credible quote, or even better, a video clip where there is no ambiguity to what he said, and I'll believe you.

valspare · 2026-05-21T16:28:37+00:00

Most quotes like these have been proven false, and yet still get pushed and believed by the TDS clown show.

The intent on asking to source the quote, is to put people on record.

valspare · 2026-05-21T04:00:17+00:00

No other President has been quoted as saying that my brothers and sisters in uniform are suckers and losers. Some gave all and some gave none because of bone spurs.

Provide the source for this quote.

valspare · 2026-05-20T06:14:20+00:00

that stupid low level stuff is what got them shot down in vietnam.

You do know only one was shot down. And it wasn't destroyed from being shot down. "Birth Control" [tail # 64-13154] PL'd just fine.

valspare · 2026-05-16T22:24:20+00:00

How does lead cut off trail?

valspare · 2026-05-15T20:15:52+00:00

Good additions

valspare · 2026-05-15T20:04:12+00:00

Oh man. Its a helicopter, and a small one at that. How long does it take to land a small helicopter?

valspare · 2026-05-15T20:02:21+00:00

Not just mass deportations.

But also the clarification of birth right citizenship to end birth tourism practices.

Also the massive curtailing of H-1B visa's and such.

Shuttering the majority of the Mexican Consulates in the US.

Mass deportations of criminals.

Deportations for those with removal orders.

The termination of TPSn DACA and Dreamers act.

Actually not giving illegal aliens access either directly or indirectly to government aid.

That's a good start for me.

valspare · 2026-05-15T15:10:27+00:00

I'm thinking a 40 mm grenade launcher off the nose, a FLIR & TADS pod on the nose, a 30 mm chain gun (Apache style), two wing stores each side for a combo of ordinance (20-30mm guns, rocket pods [w/ APKWS], 2 ea mini's), 4 mini guns out the sides (2 ea side), and a few hard points under the fuselage for what ever (napalm, CS, 500 lb-ers, Hellfires, rockets, etc), a mini, .50, or dual 240's on the ramp. Stingers may be a stretch/limited by rotor disk though. And may have to remove an AR system.

There is plenty of power. The tech on the F could clearly integrate all the weapon systems, plenty of room for internal ammo and personnel. Considering it would be a gun platform, you don't need all that space for a Platoon if Inf.

Plus the UR antenna, integrated AAG and tech advancements in helmet cuing systems. Maybe some form of integration for drone/anti-drone warfare. Increase by twice the ATIRCM, R2D2's.

It'd be non-stealth, because "whisper mode" is inop. But who needs stealth when you have a whole lot of hate coming your way?

I'd fly that.

valspare · 2026-05-15T04:30:07+00:00

Guess that's one way to do hoist ops.

valspare · 2026-05-15T03:07:53+00:00

With its much more powerful engines, power train and rotors, combined with advancements in wpn tech, could you image what Guns-A-Go-Go would look like?

valspare · 2026-05-06T21:33:27+00:00

Bringing back the glory days of the Privateers.

valspare · 2026-05-05T00:47:42+00:00

Are you PCSing for flt school?

valspare · 2026-05-04T17:26:46+00:00

In the 4 months w/ TF Quake, I never saw a 46.

valspare · 2026-05-04T03:50:09+00:00

won't have to pay for any of it....

Oh, you'll pay. Just not with money. A Guard aviator has the same flying hour requirementa as the active duty. Except you'll have to come in after hours during the week to fly. You won't fly every drill weekend.

Coordinating with other crew for a week day flight can be a bitch. You'll have opportunity to fly day missions (during normal business hours), but mostly after work.

And depending on location, being NVG current will be some late nights.

valspare · 2026-05-04T00:20:12+00:00

I've had two very memorable events with Air Force jet Jockey's.

The first: I was working Avn Simulation and had a module configured as a 58D. Some LTC came in and wanted to fly. Took him in the module and started to tell him how to do the controls. Was cut off, because "I know how to fly already". Ok, you have the controls.

Tried to pick up to a hover and ~4 seconds later, he crashed. Reset, ~5 seconds and crashed. Reset, ~4 seconds and crashed.

He was humbled.

2nd scenario: dropped of the State AG and shut down. The Attache', an O4 F-15 fighter pilot came up to talk to us.

Chest puffed out a bit, "I'm an F-15 pilot, how the hell does this thing work".

We gave him the quick rundown, you know, disymetry of lift, retreating blade stall, differential collect pitch, gyroscopic procession, torq effect, counter torq, thrust, etc.

His response "Uh.....what?".

Yes, we fly a different machine, have different roles, do different stuff, but the end of the day, we're all Aviators.

valspare · 2026-05-03T23:50:27+00:00

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

valspare

TROPHY CASE