We need more car discussion on this forum.

[AeroF16]

Hello All,

I learned a long time ago as a young naval officer there are the Twin Taboos. Politics and Religion. You can take a group of talented people who share common interests (cars, winning sea battles, etc.) and who have a high regard for each other and turn them into enemies overnight delving into these sensitive, by definition, "with me, or against me" areas. Who in their right mind would want to spend six months sailing around the world, dependent on each other for their survival, and hating on each other? No CO worth their salt would permit it. This same avoidance philosophy was important even for a four day trip in the airline piloting profession. And...there have been instances when pilots got so pissed off at each other in an asymmetric authority environment (captain and first officer) that safety was compromised. Piss off your FO and instead of his monitoring your approach to landing he's looking out the window wondering how such a jerk ever got to be a captain. Or...maybe it's the FO who's totally the jerk. The point is neither would feel that way about the other if they just stayed away from the Twin Taboos.

In our current political world disagreements about allocation of resources by government (i.e., tax revenue in, better roads and services to people out stuff), which should be a reasonably calm, and especially a rational discussion, has morphed into incredibly emotionally-charged "us" versus "the other" thinking. Both the left and the right political camps are guilty of doing this, and as someone who is neither far left or far right I find it discouraging we're so easily at odds. Tolerance for other viewpoints on politics and religion - codified in our Constitution in the First Amendment (but don't forget - it mostly applies to what the government agencies can't do, and not your employer) - is what makes America great in the historical context of intolerance. I've found that usually both sides of an argument or point of view have some degree of truth - enough to concede that truth while still not compromising your position. So a call by Speedy to refocus on car talk, and the many seconds, is really a call to the brotherhood/sisterhood of car enthusiasts. This difficult political and viral disease time will pass - as all previous difficult periods in America have - to become another interesting chapter in our history.

In a funny aside I retired six weeks ago from flying for a living - and I've never felt busier! I think it was the giant bow wave of to-do items I've finally started getting around to - and so I missed this thread until today. But I did make time to do two road course weekends in October! I will respond to DGatzby's difficulty in getting responses from Parker/Zach at aadperformance.com in his thread "Aftermarket parts - what works and what is a waste of cash? - as my AAD installment/learning curve has also been a journey. And it isn't over.

Best,

Finface

I learned long ago to never trust a Naval Aviator :

Me, briefing the SEAD gameplan: "So you knew where you are going to hold and push from, what altitude block you have, and what time you need to push?"

Navy Growler: "Yes."

Me, 2 minutes prior to the Vul: "Why is Growler 2 flying around in the middle of the airspace, pointed West when he should be pointed East, across the marshal limit line prior to the Vul, and out of his block?"


Oh yeah, back to talking about cars. I drove mine today, it was awesome.

 

[Finface]

I learned long ago to never trust a Naval Aviator :

Me, briefing the SEAD gameplan: "So you knew where you are going to hold and push from, what altitude block you have, and what time you need to push?"

Navy Growler: "Yes."

Me, 2 minutes prior to the Vul: "Why is Growler 2 flying around in the middle of the airspace, pointed West when he should be pointed East, across the marshal limit line prior to the Vul, and out of his block?"


Oh yeah, back to talking about cars. I drove mine today, it was awesome.

AeroF16,

Lol! No doubt a true story. But what can you expect from a plane (EA-6B Growler) with one pilot and three back seaters, almost always one of them senior to him and Mission Commander, telling him what to do? That's practically a helmet fire for any pilot, even one from our vaunted Air Farce.

I was west coast A-7E after jet training - stayed in the Lemoore, CA, Light Attack community for 10 years (proudly called myself a Le-moron and happily indulging my mild case of OCD by spending hours strip-charting low levels). Single seat, pride of the fleet. Got out to pursue a more normal family life, if the airline business can ever be called normal.

Now I'm back in student naval aviator mode, sucking up the wisdom on this forum. A huge reason I got a Hellcat is my neighbor let me drive his...and here I am.

Glad you checked in.

Do you know what NFO - Naval Flight Officer - the guys in the back who are not pilots - stands for?

Best,

Finface

 

[Stl376]

Lol! Good point! IS it rational to buy a Challenger?

People have favorably commented on the Plum Crazy Purple color. I say I got it because "you have to be plum crazy to buy this car!"

Pretty rational.... I can fit a carseat in the back and it runs 10's!

 

[BULL]

I learned long ago to never trust a Naval Aviator :

Me, briefing the SEAD gameplan: "So you knew where you are going to hold and push from, what altitude block you have, and what time you need to push?"

Navy Growler: "Yes."

Me, 2 minutes prior to the Vul: "Why is Growler 2 flying around in the middle of the airspace, pointed West when he should be pointed East, across the marshal limit line prior to the Vul, and out of his block?"


Oh yeah, back to talking about cars. I drove mine today, it was awesome.

Listen Propeller Head... Battle plans were meant to be distorted...

 

[Finface]

I think the catch can is worth every pennie. The beer wasn't bad either. As long as it gets empty regularly it works.

Especially if a pretty woman pointed to it and said, "What's that?", and you lean back and say, "That? Oh, that's my oil catch can. That right there adds 37 horsepower."