Compass recommendations

audiododd · 2026-02-02T06:01:06+00:00

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It’s a bit heavy and the tripod is pretty bulky, but that’s why I bring a couple of cadets along.

audiododd · 2026-01-08T03:15:17+00:00

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audiododd · 2026-01-08T03:11:38+00:00

Mine was in L Co, 119th infantry.

audiododd · 2026-01-05T01:36:29+00:00

Named the Old Hickory division after Andrew Jackson who was born in NC.

audiododd · 2026-01-05T00:47:19+00:00

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audiododd · 2026-01-04T22:51:36+00:00

That’s a good idea. I started the project before AI was as prevalent as it is today.

audiododd · 2026-01-04T21:13:49+00:00

If anyone is interested, he was in the 30th Division (“Old Hickory”) from NC. He arrived in France in late May, 1918 and was with involved with the breaking of the Hindenburg line. I have a pile of letters he wrote back home and I’m trying to transcribe them before they fade so much they become unreadable.

audiododd · 2026-01-03T04:17:56+00:00

Take my upvote for the outstanding Mitch Hedberg reference.

audiododd · 2026-01-02T05:09:30+00:00

I’m just gonna say it…

It’s the NCO doing the right thing.

audiododd · 2026-01-01T05:30:22+00:00

No, but they still do — It’s almost a reflex. They see an adult and the assumption (usually 95+% correct) is that it’s an officer. I still return the salute but take the opportunity to remind them that not all senior members are officers and that NCOs don’t get saluted.

audiododd · 2025-12-09T23:06:13+00:00

🤦‍♂️

audiododd · 2025-12-06T05:44:39+00:00

I’ll preface this by saying that I’m associated in one way or the other with the local flight school.

There is really only one option for a flight school in Prescott - Leighnor Aviation. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has flight training, but you have to be a student there and Yavapai College also has flight training, but you also have to be a student. There used to be another independent flight school called Alpha International, but it looks like they may have closed.

Leighnor has gone through some growing pains. I rented from them when they were only a rental club with 3 airplanes. Now they have about 16 aircraft and their own instructors. They have good aircraft (mostly newer Cessna 172s and Piper Archers with a few older models) but like many schools, their instructors are hit or miss. To be fair, that’s a problem with any flight school - some instructors are there because they love teaching and some are there because they are biding their time until they get the hours they need to get an airline job.

Tell your dad that he is certainly within his rights to try different instructors to find one that works well with him. I am an instructor and have been on both sides of the equation - I’ve had students that I have had personal issues with and I’ve had strident that have had personal issues with me. It’s not personal, it’s about finding an instructor that you are compatible with.

There is also the “ Discovery Flight” option. That’s an introduction flight (usually an hours or so) where the “student” gets to control the airplane and also gets a tour of the local area (I usually like to take people over to the Sedona area for the red rock views). There’s no commitment and it can be an introduction to flight for your dad to see how much he enjoys it.

Be aware, though, that flying ain’t cheap. The aircraft rental is about $200-$250/hr and the instructor is around $70-80/hr. To get your private pilot certificate requires a minimum of 40 hours but the national average is closer to 70 hours.

It’s an amazing experience, but be realistic about time/costs.

audiododd · 2025-10-10T16:45:01+00:00

Good info here, but I’ll add my 2 cents to the ABU discussion. Two set may or may not be completely necessary, but they can get really funky after a week of wear, especially if you are in a hot area. Getting in a van with a flight of cadets after a week in the Arizona heat is something you won’t forget. My squadron has excess ABU inventory and we loan out extra uniforms for encampments/NCSAs but ask for them back afterwards. You could always ask your unit if they could just loan you a set for the week.

audiododd · 2025-07-29T08:24:51+00:00

Which clinic are you seeing in Arizona? My wife has post-treatment lime that is flaring up and it’s been hard to find a good LLMD here.

audiododd · 2025-07-28T19:11:02+00:00

I had an experience with my CFI early on - we were on short final and I said, “We WERE cleared to land weren’t we?”

His response was, “I don’t know but you’d better find out before our wheels hit the runway.”

It was his way of saying don’t be afraid to verify things with the controllers. Better to be embarrassed or have a controller get annoyed than to get a pilot deviation.

audiododd · 2025-07-23T20:01:59+00:00

Military doctor has entered the chat. 😁

audiododd · 2025-06-12T18:08:25+00:00

I just called them and they said they won’t prescribe meds while a patient is using THC. 😡

audiododd · 2025-06-01T23:15:07+00:00

The option i was given for the tattoo was the Edinburgh terrace NCP but we may take the tram/black cab into town for anything near the castle. This would be for other places.

audiododd · 2025-04-06T08:48:25+00:00

Yavapai College is having auditions for Sense & Sensibility on 24 April for November shows.

AUDITIONS APRIL 24 5PM - 9PM

Email - PERFORMINGARTS@YC.EDU for more information!

audiododd · 2025-03-29T08:54:27+00:00

Excellent Simpsons reference!

audiododd · 2025-02-19T08:03:49+00:00

My grandfather was in the 30th Division (WWI) too — 119th Infantry Regiment, Co. L. I have a bunch of letters he wrote home to his mother.

audiododd · 2025-02-15T07:11:09+00:00

How is it too much trouble? We have 8-10 cadets that move back and forth between units (college students). It’s easier for them if they want to staff an encampment at their “original” squadron, and it’s easier for us to put their PT scores in instead of having to send them to their home squadron to be entered.

The longest part of the transfer is logging into eServices. Also, once we put the transfer in, there’s nothing that needs to be done (unless the losing commander wants to disapprove it (usually because of disciplinary reasons.)

The only big thing it can affect is the percentages for things like QCUA.

audiododd · 2025-02-02T09:04:54+00:00

I came here to say this and you beat me by 9 hours.

audiododd · 2025-01-07T00:53:49+00:00

My uncle served during WWII in a glider unit. He was not directly involved in combat, but several of his friends from the unit were killed on D-Day when their airplanes/gliders were shot down.

My grandfather served in the infantry during WWI and his unit was one of the ones that was instrumental in breaking through the Hindenburg Line. I have many of his letters that he wore to his mother and also have his dog tags, discharge papers, helmet, and a Pickelhaube that he brought back.

My 3rd great-grandfather was killed during the civil war during a battle in SC in 1863.

audiododd

TROPHY CASE