Jay and Megan are living their childhood dreams of becoming F-14 Tomcat fighter pilots in the Navy. This film follows their harrowing two year journey through pilot training and simulated dogfights, night landings on aircraft carriers and finally, active duty combat in Iraq.
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Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
February 28, 2009
January 29, 2009
Dr. Strangelove: 45 Year Anniversary
Two immediate notes about this classic: it’s a black and white movie, and the B-52 bombers are still flying today!!
The US Library of Congress considered Stanley Kubrick’s dark comedy about the Cold War as culturally significant and preserved it in the National Film Registry…just about the time the Cold War ended.
Much of the movie takes place in the War Room and an Air Force Base, but it also follows the flight of a B-52 crew led by Slim Pickens as Major T.J. “King” Kong. You can even see a young James Earl Jones as the bombardier.
Many of the exterior flying sequences show a primitive shot of a simple model airplane. It’s a little annoying that such a great movie uses a trite little toy in its special effects. Or maybe that’s the point. Maybe we’re supposed to see this one toy airplane as the fulcrum between peace and mutually assured destruction.
Anyway, it would have been cool if Kubrick could have ordered the B-52 exterior to be re-shot with modern special effects as George Lucas did with the original Star Wars series.
On the other hand, the bomb-drop scene could not be any better. It’s hilarious and horrific and impossible to forget.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Peter Seller’s stellar performance in three different roles: a British officer, the American president and Dr. Strangelove. George C. Scott is awesome, as always.
Also known as, "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb."
~Matt Thomas
The US Library of Congress considered Stanley Kubrick’s dark comedy about the Cold War as culturally significant and preserved it in the National Film Registry…just about the time the Cold War ended.
Much of the movie takes place in the War Room and an Air Force Base, but it also follows the flight of a B-52 crew led by Slim Pickens as Major T.J. “King” Kong. You can even see a young James Earl Jones as the bombardier.
Many of the exterior flying sequences show a primitive shot of a simple model airplane. It’s a little annoying that such a great movie uses a trite little toy in its special effects. Or maybe that’s the point. Maybe we’re supposed to see this one toy airplane as the fulcrum between peace and mutually assured destruction.
Anyway, it would have been cool if Kubrick could have ordered the B-52 exterior to be re-shot with modern special effects as George Lucas did with the original Star Wars series.
On the other hand, the bomb-drop scene could not be any better. It’s hilarious and horrific and impossible to forget.I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Peter Seller’s stellar performance in three different roles: a British officer, the American president and Dr. Strangelove. George C. Scott is awesome, as always.
Also known as, "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb."
~Matt Thomas
January 16, 2009
Time Fighter
Fly with the mouse, left click to shoot. Press Space Bar to drop bombs. Bonus: you start off flying a Davinci-style ornithopter!!
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| Add Games to your own site | |
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January 12, 2009
Disney-Pixar’s UP – For the Kid in All of Us
Carl Fredricksen is a grumpy old guy that spent his life dreaming of exploring the world, but never managed to make it happen. Enter Russell, an 8 year old Cub Scout and an unlikely twist of fate that launches them both skyward to encounter far-away lands, jungle creatures and sneaky villains.
Release date: May 29, 2009
This reminds me of a true story that my grade-school principal told me about a man who attached helium balloons to his lawn chair and went flying. After a harrowing descent and landing, he emerged unhurt, but was later fined by the Federal Aviation Administration.
I wonder if the FAA will fine our heros in the Disney version.
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Release date: May 29, 2009
This reminds me of a true story that my grade-school principal told me about a man who attached helium balloons to his lawn chair and went flying. After a harrowing descent and landing, he emerged unhurt, but was later fined by the Federal Aviation Administration.
I wonder if the FAA will fine our heros in the Disney version.
Don’t see a video screen? You can
1. try disabling ad blockers and refresh this screen or
2. see the blog directly or
3. update your Flash player
December 2, 2008
San Fran Zeppelin
We’ve often thought our Cessna 172 is the perfect machine for scenic flights, but how about a zeppelin?
Airship Ventures is now offering the first zeppelin flights in North America since 1937. This is a genuine zeppelin from the German Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik company, an offshoot of the original 20th century zeppelin manufacturers. Specifically, the modern version is a Zeppelin NT for New Technology, and it’s filled with helium, not that scary hydrogen stuff.
A one-hour flight around the San Francisco Bay area is $495 per person, or $5750 if you want to rent all 12 seats in the gondola.
Airship Ventures’ website is packed with info and a history of how this unique service evolved…and don’t miss the videos.
It’s hard to imagine the original Zeppelins sailing across the skies in the 1930’s. They were larger than any flying machine that anyone alive has ever witnessed. This website shows the comparative lengths of a modern Boeing 747 (231 feet) and the Hindenburg (804 feet). The Hindenburg was over three times longer than a Boeing 747! Airship Ventures’ Zeppelin NT is 246 feet long.
At the time of the Hindenburg disaster, zeppelins had a far better safety record than airplanes. Indeed, zeppelins far surpassed airplanes of the 1930’s in terms of lifting power, range, endurance and speed. But the newsreel images of the Hindenburg engulfed in flames spelled the end of the zeppelin dynasty. It is one of the most recognized film clips in history. One can wonder if the zeppelins would have endured if the Hindenburg accident hadn’t been caught on film.
Here’s an account of the first media flight with Airship Ventures.
Airship Ventures is now offering the first zeppelin flights in North America since 1937. This is a genuine zeppelin from the German Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik company, an offshoot of the original 20th century zeppelin manufacturers. Specifically, the modern version is a Zeppelin NT for New Technology, and it’s filled with helium, not that scary hydrogen stuff.
A one-hour flight around the San Francisco Bay area is $495 per person, or $5750 if you want to rent all 12 seats in the gondola.Airship Ventures’ website is packed with info and a history of how this unique service evolved…and don’t miss the videos.
It’s hard to imagine the original Zeppelins sailing across the skies in the 1930’s. They were larger than any flying machine that anyone alive has ever witnessed. This website shows the comparative lengths of a modern Boeing 747 (231 feet) and the Hindenburg (804 feet). The Hindenburg was over three times longer than a Boeing 747! Airship Ventures’ Zeppelin NT is 246 feet long.
At the time of the Hindenburg disaster, zeppelins had a far better safety record than airplanes. Indeed, zeppelins far surpassed airplanes of the 1930’s in terms of lifting power, range, endurance and speed. But the newsreel images of the Hindenburg engulfed in flames spelled the end of the zeppelin dynasty. It is one of the most recognized film clips in history. One can wonder if the zeppelins would have endured if the Hindenburg accident hadn’t been caught on film.
Here’s an account of the first media flight with Airship Ventures.
November 16, 2008
Dogfights is “History”
The History Channel cancelled its popular Dogfights Series. When Dogfights first premiered on the History Channel we actually had parties where we would watch an episode of Dogfights, then climb in the flight simulators and fly the same missions in the same airplanes. How’s that for interactive entertainment?
The History Channel’s decision to cancel Dogfights after two seasons is the target of hundreds of critical comments on the official forums. According to the fans of the show, Dogfights was one of the History Channel’s most popular programs. Several of the angry comments are directed at the show that replaced Dogfights – Ice Road Truckers, which is not a historical documentary, but rather a “reality” show like those on other channels.
It seems there was an overall change of programming at the History Channel, and shooting down Dogfights was just part of the larger shift towards shows of little historical content. The History Channel still has history, but it also has programs like Human Weapon, Tougher in Alaska, UFO Hunters and Monster Quest. Things you definitely would not find in a history book.
Dogfights Season 1 and Season 2 are on Amazon.
For what it’s worth, the Dogfights official website is here. It’s interesting to note they had their own flight simulator game.
If you want to stick it to the man, here’s some YouTube clips from the popular series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EadMxLadg18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI3dkZ0qBnE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZmnVqkKapI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdCm5z2RpI8
The History Channel’s decision to cancel Dogfights after two seasons is the target of hundreds of critical comments on the official forums. According to the fans of the show, Dogfights was one of the History Channel’s most popular programs. Several of the angry comments are directed at the show that replaced Dogfights – Ice Road Truckers, which is not a historical documentary, but rather a “reality” show like those on other channels.
It seems there was an overall change of programming at the History Channel, and shooting down Dogfights was just part of the larger shift towards shows of little historical content. The History Channel still has history, but it also has programs like Human Weapon, Tougher in Alaska, UFO Hunters and Monster Quest. Things you definitely would not find in a history book.
Dogfights Season 1 and Season 2 are on Amazon.
For what it’s worth, the Dogfights official website is here. It’s interesting to note they had their own flight simulator game.
If you want to stick it to the man, here’s some YouTube clips from the popular series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EadMxLadg18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI3dkZ0qBnE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZmnVqkKapI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdCm5z2RpI8
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