Top Gun 2

Looks like Top Gun 2 is getting green-lighted.  See latest buzz here and here.  Can't wait to see who they cast other than TC. Can't imagine they'll bring back Val Kilmer, Rick Rossovich or Tim Robbins. Would love to see a Vice Admiral Tom Skerrit!

At a Bookstore Near You?

On a business trip to the East Coast this week, a good friend of mine texted me these photos from Chicago O'Hare and DFW airports. Already on Amazon.com and Kindle, striving for a bookstore near you next.

And to the readers of "The Last Top Gun" who have written reviews on Amazon, thank you!

The Sierra Hotel Break

The "Shit Hot" Break explained in titillating detail in Fightersweep.com.  The author describes the penultimate carrier break perfected by Mike "Nasty" Manazir, a former F-14 fighter pilot and Landing Signal Officer, now serving as Director, Air Warfare (OPNAV N98).  A great article! 

Review from Warbird News

Review of "The Last Top Gun" by Warbird News here.

Thanks for the promo, warbirdnews.com.  Great site for news, events, books and other aviation-related gee-dunk.  Check them out!

The Last Top Gun Available on Kindle

Not sure why it took so long, but the book is finally available on Kindle for just $2.99.  Click here to order.

Great Summer Read

Ever wonder what it's like to be catapaulted off an aircraft carrier in 2.2 seconds at 175 miles per hour?  Or how about breaking the sound barrier, or visitng exotic foreign ports of call? Ever think what it would be like to be a Top Gun fighter pilot..no, not the Hollywood version, but the real thing?  Then "The Last Top Gun" is for you.  Available on Amazon (coming to Kindle and many bookstores soon). Check 6!

Book Launch!!

Twelve years in the making!  Hard to believe it's finally out in the public domain.  As stated in the forefront:

This book is dedicated to Eddie, Dinger, Furball, TC, Tuna, Tommy, and too many other warriors who died in the prime of their lives. You are not forgotten.

Fifty percent of the profits from the sale of this book are donated to charity organizations that support US active duty and veterans organizations.

Don't Call Them Drones

Leaders of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference in Washington this week tried to persuade media members not to use the word "drone" when describing the various types of unmanned vehicles.  Apparently, "drones" connotes images of killer robots, Mad Max and Terminator. 

The trade group and many of its members prefer the terms “unmanned aerial systems” (UAS) or “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAV) or “remotely piloted aircraft” (RPA) or, as they’re officially known in Europe, “remotely piloted aircraft systems” (RPAS).

Check out the full article here. 

Call them what you will, just get used to their proliferation over the next decade--both for combat operations overseas and surveillance and business operations domestically. You can run, but you can't hide.

Navy to stop SHOUTING in ALL CAPS

Graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy face a future that includes lower-case letters.

In a period of sequestration, spiking sexual assaults and controversial drones, the Navy has decided to make meaningful, substantive change . . . by altering the way its messages are typed. Since 1850, all message traffic and orders have been typed in ALL CAPS.  The Navy is altering this "annoying and rude" format to be less offensive to younger sailors. I didn't make this up; there's an article in today's Wall Street Journal.

Drone Operator Suffers from PTSD

Interesting video of a former Air Force drone camera operator claiming he now suffers from PTSD. 

Brandon Bryant served as a drone sensor operator from 2006 to 2011 at bases in Nevada, New Mexico and Iraq, guiding unmanned drones over Iraq and Afghanistan. Though he didn't fire missiles himself, he took part in missions that allegedly killed 1,626 individuals.

In an interview with NBC News, Bryant provided a rare first-person glimpse into what it’s like to control the controversial machines that have become central to the U.S. effort to kill terrorists.

Gee, it really isn't like Xbox, after all. Real people really die.

Predator Pilots Facing Burn Out

Dateline Nellis AFB (off the Vegas strip) and Eglin AFB (off Pensacola Beach):  The Air Force has conducted studies of its UAV crews which conclude the pilots are suffering burn out at an excessive rate.

According to one such report, "crewmembers in a MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft system (UAS) squadron had significantly increased fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and burnout relative to traditional aircrew."

Recent news articles on the subject supplements older reports that surfaced years ago.

I've said for some time I cannot comprehend how a pilot can wake up in the morning in a suburban home, put on a flight suit and kiss his wife and kids goodbye in the morning, stop at Starbucks on the drive onto the base, sit down at a console for the next 8-10 hours launching Hellfire missiles from a Predator 8,000 miles away which kill people and break things and then return home in time to coach his son's baseball game and drink a Budweiser while eating dinner with the family at home.  Apparently it works...every day, but with some major consequences.

I know I certainly could not have flicked that switch on and off each day while in combat. 

I'm already working on Troll's next story, but for a third, I'm thinking of an element that includes these drone pilots. I'll let you know as I progress on the story line. Till then, check six!

Bush to Launch X-47B

 

The Navy says it will make its first attempt tomorrow to launch Northrop Grumman's X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System drone from an aircraft carrier. The aircraft is scheduled to undergo a catapult launch from USS George H.W. Bush off the East Coast.

 

Rear Adm. Mat Winter, the Navy's program officer for the X-47B, said online Monday that:

Controlled by a mission operator aboard the ship, the X-47B will execute several carrier approaches demonstrating its ability to operate seamlessly within the carrier environment before it flies over the Eastern Shore and lands back at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., where two demonstration aircraft have resided for the past year

Over the coming years, we will heavily leverage the technology maturation, networking advances and precision navigation algorithms developed from the X-47B demonstration program to pursue the introduction of the first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft. This future system will provide 24/7, carrier-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and targeting capability, which will operate together with manned aviation assets allowing the opportunity to shape a more efficient carrier air wing.

Is it just me, or does development of the X-47B seem to be on the fast track?  Guess the Navy wants to challenge the Air Farce for UAV funding.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

If it weren't so egregious, it would almost be comical...

Air Force's Sex-Abuse Prevention Chief Charged with Sexual Assault. The US Air Force's official in charge of its sexual-assault prevention program was arrested yesterday for allegedly groping a civilian. As shown in the mug shot, looks like the victim got in a few good shots of her own.

As best said by Forrest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does." But seriously? You simply can't make this stuff up.

Unconventional Path to Publication

Yesterday marked a milestone in publication of The Last Top Gun. Rather than follow the traditional path: write a book, contact agents, keep fingers crossed, obtain an agent, contact publishers, keep two fingers crossed, sign major book deal; as an unpublished writer, I decided to take the road less travelled.

I wrote the book, then created a website, this blog, Twitter and Facebook sites to promote and gauge interest in the project. I was thrilled to see hundreds of visitors a day visit these various The Last Top Gun web platforms. People also check out videos on YouTube and the website.

An unknown writer who does not want to self-publish can only get so far on his own. Yesterday, I took the next step by reaching out to two accomplished literary agents. I look forward to finding an agent who shares my passion, character and entrepreneurial spirit. And yes, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Stopping Terminator and Skynet

Future Tech reports debate beginning on autonomous weapons systems. Preparing for a future in which robots may be given a tad more independence, an international coalition of humans rights organizations including Human Rights Watch are banding together to propose a treaty ban on "killer robots."

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots publicly launched April 23 with the goal of bringing the discussion about autonomous weapons systems to regular people, not just politicians and scientists.

In a world with when Google cars guiding themselves through the streets of San Francisco, algorithm powered stock trading accounts crash markets based on keywords and many weapons systems already semi-autonomous (e.g., Predator, Phalanx, Patriot), good luck putting that genie back in the bottle. 

Getting Out There!

I just posted a video on YouTube to help get the word out.  Let's turn the publishing world on its head!  Check it out below:

Thanks!

What is a Plankowner?

I've had several questions asking what is a "plankowner." A plankowner is an individual who is a member of the crew of a Navy ship when that ship is placed in commission. Historically, the term applied only to crew members that were present at the ship's first commissioning. Today, however, plankowner is often applied to members of newly commissioned units, new military bases and recommissioning crews as well.

Become a Plankowner of "The Last Top Gun" and obtain a personal inscription at no additonal charge when you purchase the book. It's easy and free...click here.

Yoga and Breast Feeding...Pleease!

Having grown up with so many brothers, Ariel is very uncomfortable around women, especially the sorority-like wives of her fellow squadronmates. Making friends with other women has never been easy for her and she is much more comfortable with straight talking men that show so much less emotion. All her friends are male and she has never had a close female friend. She doesn't see herself as better than them (well she doesn't think she does), it's more that she imagines herself doing something so much more important than pushing a baby stroller.

LTJG Grace "Ariel" Miller champions helping women stand out as equals to men so that she and her peers are seen and treated with equal respect and yes, she secretly enjoys the intimidation factor. But...at the end of the day, when she takes off her uniform and strips down to her Jockey underwear and climbs into bed, she wonders if she'll ever get married. She wonders what kind of guy would put up with her way of life or live up to the man that she is? He would have to be very strong minded or incredibly weak and neither sounds like a good option. She wonders if the fight to get a foothold in the male-dominated world she lives in is worth it, but at the same time, what else would she do? Yoga and breast feeding? Pleease!

Pentagon Handles Sequestration Somewhat in Stride

Though the Department of Defense appears to have planned reasonably well for the 9% across-the-board cuts that go into effect midnight tonight under sequestration, there are some troubling consequences: suspended Navy deployments, cancelled air shows, and even shortages of toilet paper. For a group that routinely adopts ConOps (Contingency Operations), it is far from surprising to hear the Pentagon has been planning for sequestration -- not to mention dealing with shortfalls brought on by Congress’s failure to pass a federal budget -- for months. As one defense department official reported to Stars and Stripes, the threat of sequestration is closer to a spreading “fiscal cancer” than sudden cardiac arrest.

Cost-cutting measures are under way: travel budgets have been cut, temp workers dismissed, managers across the DoD have been told to conserve funds. Service members have reported difficulty freeing up funds to buy items as seemingly necessary as toilet paper. Really, toilet paper? It almost makes us long for the $3,000 P-3 Orion toilet seats made famous under Beltway largess of the 80s.

Though the Pentagon appears to be a good soldier and taking sequestration in stride, I'm disappointed to see that Congress is sacrificing defense of our nation in favor of bipartisan politics. Sailors and soldiers are resourceful and can find alternatives for TP shortages, but cancelling the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN aircraft carrier's deployment to the Middle East, that's big news.

Come on Congress and POTUS, roll up your sleeves and work through this budgetary morass!

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who has submitted such wonderful comments regarding the launch of the website. I agree, the creative folks at MoPro did an outstanding job!

If you would help a budding author find an agent, please "Like" our Facebook page and sign up as a Plankowner for an inscribed copy of the book when it is published. No cost. No spam. 30 Seconds.  Thanks!