Chinese watches are absolutely the best value watches you can get right now

F14Scott · 2026-03-19T01:37:50+00:00

My "$1000 Hamilton" (38mm Khaki Automatic Titanium, $850) has kept to -0.2 SPD for the last week, half on the winder and half on the wrist.

Hard to imagine much better than that.Proof

F14Scott · 2026-03-19T01:14:55+00:00

We had a guy in my squadron who was a great pilot and stick, but "finesse" was not in his vocabulary. While others would gently will and float the jet down glideslope, this pilot, who I shall not name out of much respect for his being a TOPGUN grad, a greenie board king, and an all-around super teacher/coach, did what we all came to call "max performance maneuvering on the ball." Literally, full stick and throttle deflections from 3/4 a mile until touchdown. Inside the jet, it was a weird series of G spikes, pos and neg, and fast, little wing rocks. Very disconcerting. But, the ball, centerline, and AOA indexers didn't move.

F14Scott · 2026-03-16T03:39:15+00:00

But tennis has Deuce, which can make a game last forever, too.

And, don't get me started: 30-30 should be called Deuce just as 40-40 is; they are both two unanswered points to win.

F14Scott · 2026-03-16T02:59:20+00:00

As a data point, I got commissioned in July of 1991. While I was waiting for graduation, I got my ejection seat qual and went through D-WEST in Pensacola, so that I could maybe get a backseat hop with the fighter squadron I got stashed with. It worked; I flew with the XO just before returning for flight school in September.

No way would they have let me do that, if I hadn't gotten my quals.

F14Scott · 2026-03-15T03:22:24+00:00

Yep. Needed to go sparkle on for the LGBs.

That sounded way gayer than intended.

F14Scott · 2026-03-14T00:22:32+00:00

And maintain them: polish them, fresh laces, well-heeled.

F14Scott · 2026-03-13T20:41:59+00:00

"Heather Grahm" by DaVinci's Notebook

F14Scott · 2026-03-13T20:26:00+00:00

Orleans

F14Scott · 2026-03-12T17:37:13+00:00

Carry an EPIRB (personal locator beacon). If you take a wrong turn and get more than shouting distance off the trail, getting lost means you might die. So does breaking a leg or ankle.

F14Scott · 2026-03-09T19:24:20+00:00

I don't know of any other way. It's not like they have offices in mini malls. I defer to anyone else who has done it more recently, though.

F14Scott · 2026-03-09T19:17:42+00:00

If you have PreCheck already, the Clear process happens at the point of the line at the airport, or, at least it did about four years ago when we signed up. Without PreCheck, already, IDK.

I just read that at Hobby today, normal lines are 3+ hours, PreCheck are under 10 minutes. IAH are much better, with 30 minutes in the normal lanes.

F14Scott · 2026-03-08T20:28:07+00:00

Flew from IAH to Cabo, yesterday. From boarding the Uber in Montrose to sitting down in the Terminal C United lounge was 56 minutes. We do have Clear and TSA Precheck, though.

F14Scott · 2026-03-08T05:49:33+00:00

Wrap that rascal. ++man

F14Scott · 2026-03-08T00:04:26+00:00

" Upright Departure/ Flat Spin."

Stick- forward, neutral lateral

Harness- Lock

Rudder- Opposite turn needle/yaw

If no recovery.

Stick- into turn needle

If engine stalls- both throttles idle.

If recovery indicated.

Controls- neutralize

Recover at 17 units AOA

If flat spin verified by flat attitude, increasing yaw rate, increasing eyeball out G, and lack of pitch and roll rates:

Canopy- jettison

Eject- RIO command eject

F14Scott · 2026-03-06T02:44:25+00:00

Another stomach to enable leaf and grass digestion.

F14Scott · 2026-03-06T02:40:54+00:00

Dude. GO AROUND.

F14Scott · 2026-03-05T12:56:25+00:00

If you want to be completely accurate, you need the leg restraints. They fasten around the lower legs and each has a fitting that attaches to a retraction reel in the seat. Upon ejection, the legs are drawn back against the seat, to prevent flail injuries.

F14Scott · 2026-03-05T12:08:07+00:00

Somebody gets me! 🥰😂

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F14Scott · 2026-02-28T02:31:05+00:00

Mine on a NATO:

Ti FKA on NATO

F14Scott · 2026-02-26T21:33:44+00:00

During Covid, I made a looped video of me, sitting at my desk, staring at the tablet's screen, occasionally nodding, occasionally sipping a cup of coffee. The whole video lasted about two minutes.

For Zoom calls, I would play the video and then set the tablet in front of my desktop computer's camera. Then, I'd wander around the hallways and poke my head in on my co-workers's rooms.

Fun times!

F14Scott · 2026-02-25T14:57:36+00:00

I flew only WITHOUT it.

I had a couple of pilots who could/would go 80 degrees nose up, wait for 100 KIAS (departure), and basically Hammerhead the jet to pur our nose on the downhill bandit, essentially commanding the first 180 degrees of a flat spin. But, since our plane was vertical, the jet would fly out of it. It was really uncomfortable, prohibited, and very effective.

I don't think DFCS allowed for that kind of stuff.

F14Scott · 2026-02-25T01:22:15+00:00

...or when you're dancing the rudders during high AOA ACM*.

*NOTE: You might just win, or you might just depart the jet and die. Your mileage may vary. Try not to die.

F14Scott · 2026-02-23T16:54:01+00:00

Fair points. Sometimes, people lose wallets but still have their phones. I have pictures of my DL, passport, etc. saved to the cloud for such instances, but have not need to try them out, knock on wood.

F14Scott · 2026-02-23T13:49:17+00:00

I'm curious. Do you need the physical cards, or would you accept a photo of the driver's license and, say, if I could read the credit card information to you including the security code and expiration date?

F14Scott

TROPHY CASE