General Discussion 5

[Fireand'chutes77]

Link to GD 4: http://www.globaljusticealliance.com...hread.php?t=49

It's also pretty humorous when Stewart takes a recent comment from someone like Cheney, and proves it false with three or four other contradictory videos (of the same person!) he runs in quick succession.

[lunchmeat]

It will be interesting to see if he is equally adept with the other side, there is much fertile ground there.

[TransWarpDrive]

Two of the best political satirists I ever saw in the cartooning field are Garry Trudeau of Doonesbury; and Berke Breathed, in his comic strip Bloom County.
Trudeau's still doing Doonesbury; Breathed's only doing his weekly strip starring Opus the Penguin from Bloom County. Most of his time's now spent writing children's books.
Those two guys were wonderful - not only did they skewer politicos from both sides of the fence, but they made me laugh while they were doing it.

[lunchmeat]

Many of the TV news people have become self-lampooning, I keep wondering when Chris Mathews and the Anointed One will start dating......

[TransWarpDrive]

Many of the TV news people have become self-lampooning......

Even the local broadcast teams are, for that matter. There was one news show that went by the name "Action News." They had one team of anchors for the five o'clock broadcast in the evening, and another for the six P.M. show. When it came time for the teams to change places for the later show, the six P.M. team would come jogging onto the set and exchange high-fives with the five o'clock crew, before taking their seats as the five o'clock anchors went jogging off.
(I'm not making this up; I swear. I read it a few years ago in a newspaper or magazine article about TV news shows, and what lengths the stations would go to in order to boost their ratings. )

[lunchmeat]

Interesting development amongst the presidents of some major universities. The Amethyst Initiative sounds like a return to sanity.
http://www.amethystinitiative.org/statement/

Also, 1812, USS Constitution defeats HMS Guirrierre earning the name "Old Ironsides".

[Fireand'chutes77]

General question - how old do you have to be to fly our nation's fighter jets? (That is, what is the age our newest recruits to the USAF can begin flying our F-22s, F-16s, and F-18s off runways and aircraft carriers, and doing all the fancy fighter-pilot aerobatic stuff?)

I'd think it'd be 18, since that's the age of drafting, and in case of a direct threat to the homeland, you'd need butts in those birds ASAP.

[TransWarpDrive]

General question - how old do you have to be to fly our nation's fighter jets? (That is, what is the age our newest recruits to the USAF can begin flying our F-22s, F-16s, and F-18s off runways and aircraft carriers, and doing all the fancy fighter-pilot aerobatic stuff?)

I'd think it'd be 18, since that's the age of draft, and in case of a direct threat to the homeland, you'd need butts in those birds ASAP.

Well, since the draft age is indeed 18 years, then that's the minimum age to learn to fly fighters since the recruits (or draftees) are already that old.
I do know for a fact that in order to learn to fly civilian aircraft, the minimum age is 16 years before you can solo an airplane (fly it by yourself); 14 years old to operate a balloon or glider; and 17 before you can be issued a pilot certificate.
So I imagine one could be recruited into the Air Force, get into Officer Training (necessary to fly aircraft), then go on to flight school; and become qualified to fly a fighter before age 21. It all depends, of course, if the recruit in question "makes the grade" in these various programs, and how quickly he/she's able to make progress during training.

[lunchmeat]

One needs a four year degree to obtain a commission in the regular Army and Navy, since all pilots in those services are officers the typical age for entry into the program is around 22.
The Guard and to a lesser extent the reserves have different requirements, accepting people for commission with two years of college, so one could, theoretically start flight school as early as 19 depending on when one graduated from high school. This is more common with the Guard than the reserves, but with the available pool of pilots leaving the regular services this is a much less viable option than it used to be.
If memory serves the warrant helicopter pilot program has the two year college requirement.
The reasoning behind the degree requirement is that the aircraft have become more technical, demanding a capacity for study to master. Additionally, to advance in the officer ranks of the services graduate degrees and study at the war colleges and staff courses is a pre-requisite. Succesfully completing a 4 year degree is an indicator of the ability to pass such classes.
Before anyone brings up Wade: he's too short. The ergonomics of the cockpits of military aircraft are designed for a height range of 5' 10" - 6' 3", so he couldn't reach the rudder pedals.

[campy]

Before anyone brings up Wade: he's too short. The ergonomics of the cockpits of military aircraft are designed for a height range of 5' 10" - 6' 3", so he couldn't reach the rudder pedals.

Not a problem. I'm sure Wade could whip up a computerized control system for any aircraft in a few minutes. :P