Global Hawk UAV

This is a photo of the Global Hawk UAV that returned from the war zone recently under its own power. ( Iraq to Edwards AFB in CA) - Not transported via C5 or C17.....

Notice the mission paintings on the fuselage.

It's actually over 250 missions.... (And I would suppose 25 air medals).

That's a long way for a remotely-piloted aircraft.

Think of the technology (and the required quality of the data link to fly it remotely).

Not only that but the pilot controlled it from a nice warm control panel at Edwards AFB.

Really long legs- can stay up for almost 2 days at altitudes above 60k.
The Global Hawk was controlled via satellite; it flew missions during OT&E that went from Edwards AFB to upper Alaska and back non-stop.

Basically, they come into the fight at a high mach # in mil thrust, fire their AMRAAMS, and no one ever sees them or paints with radar. There is practically no radio chatter because all the guys in the flight are tied together electronically, and can see who is targeting who, and they have AWACS direct input and 360 situational awareness from that and other sensors.

The aggressors had a morale problem before it was all over. It is to air superiority what the jet engine was to aviation.

It can taxi, take off, fly a mission, return, land and taxi on it's own. No blackouts, no fatigue, no relief tubes, no ejection seats, and best of all, no dead pilots, no POWs?

Hat tip to Mike L!

"Free Speech" Born July 4, 1776 - Died January 20, 2009

"Inappropriate comments that may make other students, staff or families feel unwelcome or uncomfortable in school or on the bus will not be tolerated," Superintendent Kevin Bright said in an e-mail sent to parents Monday, Jan. 12.

The district, he said, expects students and staff to show respect for President-elect Obama and the incoming administration, as well as President Bush and the outgoing administration, and recognize that "while the election is a competitive process, our nation's greatness is displayed when all sides come together for a united country."

Huh? Last year it was diversity is good, now diversity is bad.

This whole thing continues to frighten me. It has never been the Right who forbade free speech, it was always the Left who supported "Speech Codes." It was never the Right who destroyed college newspapers and their stands, it was always the Left. It was never the Right who demanded that some crimes be deemed special and called "Hate Crimes," it was always the Left who claimed special status for some minorities rather than equal rights.

This whole thing with Hussein is spinning out of control. From an election that had McCain running off supporters who called Hussein by his middle name to newspapers banning writers for using the word Hussein to the Left claiming that it was racist for people to equate Hussein with Ayers, a self-identified terrorist and white male, to Comcast in DC making special TV channels available for all Obama, all the time to Verizon telling people to watch the big show....to this. A high school tells the students they must not criticize The Chosen One and that greatness is togetherness.

Huh? If someone had done this about Bush the Lame Stream Media would have been decimated by strokes and heart attacks brought on by uncontrolled rage, yet this barely makes a ripple...

Some, filled with paranoia, have been claiming that Hussein will take over the country.

Hell, he won't have to. The Left is giving it to him.

DaytonDailyNews source