And waffling…

Again.

Are you surprised? I’m not

(FAIRFAX, VA) – The National Rifle Association today issued the following statement: 


“In the aftermath of the evil and senseless attack in Las Vegas, the American people are looking for answers as to how future tragedies can be prevented.  Unfortunately, the first response from some politicians has been to call for more gun control.  Banning guns from law-abiding Americans based on the criminal act of a madman will do nothing to prevent future attacks.  This is a fact that has been proven time and again in countries across the world.  In Las Vegas, reports indicate that certain devices were used to modify the firearms involved. Despite the fact that the Obama administration approved the sale of bump fire stocks on at least two occasions, the National Rifle Association is calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law.  The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations.  In an increasingly dangerous world, the NRA remains focused on our mission: strengthening Americans’ Second Amendment freedom to defend themselves, their families and their communities.  To that end, on behalf of our five million members across the country, we urge Congress to pass National Right-to-Carry reciprocity, which will allow law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families from acts of violence.”


I don’t own, nor do I have a need for, a Bump Stock. Having said that, it isn’t about NEED. I have no use for one, they seem like an easy and quick way to turn money into smoke and noise. Waste of ammo, cause it is hard to hit anything after the first shot. But some folks like ’em and don’t hurt anyone using them.

Had this dude in Vegas used one of his 2 planes and crashed into the crowd, it would have killed more folks,and injured many more. Had he bought a large truck and used it to run folks down, it would have resulted in a similar tragedy.

He used a gun, modified with a LEGAL, ATF approved item, to spray bullets down on a large group of people.

Would regulating these items out of existence have prevented the tragedy? Nope. Would it have lessened it? Maybe, but doubtful.

I am disgusted that the NRA is so quickly willing to cave on something like this. It isn’t what I give them my yearly dues to do. It isn’t what I expect them to do as a “gun rights” organization.

I am disgusted by their actions and the thought process that led to those actions.

ETA: And so far, for the past 12 hours, their “feedback” page has a runtime error, so I can’t connect to them (and they probably don’t care) about this matter. 

So I’m at Ground School. (6 PM to 8 PM) and at the end of the class, one of the instructors found that she had locked her keys in the car.

I go outside and find these 20 Somethings trying to see inside the car with the flashlight apps on their phones.

“What’s up” sez I?

“Locked her keys in the car” came the answer.

I take the (actual) flashlight out of my pocket and look through the widshield. Sure enough there are the keys. The window is down about a half inch and I can see that the car has electric locks.

“No problem,” I say, “someone go inside and see if you can find a hangar”

One of the 20 Something trots off and I go to my truck, open it, toss my bag inside, open the center console and pull out a headlamp, open the toolbox in the back and pull out a pair of pliers.

I get back to the car and the kid runs up  as I am putting on the headlamp. Hands me a hangar.
A white plastic hangar.

Dude, Seriously? Headdesk. Facepalm. If I’d have had both hands free it woulda been a double facepalm.

Sigh.

“No, a wire hangar”

“Oh!” I can see he hadn’t thought it through until now.

Runs back inside, returns with a WIRE hangar.

I untwist it, straighten it and they all look at me as if I am some kind of shaman or magician as I slide the hangar into the car and pull the little tab marked “lock” and the doors all go “click!”.

She thanked me and they all disperse. I put the pliers back and the headlamp back and started the truck and drove home.

If these young men are the future, we, as a culture, are DOOMED,

She: “He’s a good person, even if he is a highly intelligent, mostly in control psychopath.”.

Me, to myself:  “yeah, true, but that describes many of my friends”.

1 Good, 1 Meh, 1 Better.

Weather was marginal when I left the house at 0900. scattered at 1800, overcast 2400. It improved when I got to the airport at 0945.

Preflighted the plane, then a quick briefing, a stop at the desk for a hood, and we taxied to the end of 27 and did the run up.

Wind was 240 at 10. Scattered at 2000 ceiling at 2400.

A good takeoff, and departed to the north. Climbed to 2400 just so I could see what it was like, then descended to 2000 and I put on the hood. (damned thing didn’t fit very well).

Flew simulated instruments for about a half hour at 1800. It wasn’t too hard to hold level flight, but straight  was a bit of a challenge. I kept drifting ’cause of the wind. Smaller control inputs helped.  But I got that figured out and we flew a bit instruments only, then turned back south and found the airport.

Entered the pattern and flew a good approach. Wind was 260 at 11, steady.

I flew a good final and did a good landing. Without the wind gusting, I did OK and so we did another takeoff and went around again. Good approach, but I wandered a bit after the flare and didn’t stay as straight as I should have (gotta pay attention to the rudder!) once on the ground. (hey, it’s a wide runway, why not use all of it?) Took off and went around twice discussing what I did wrong. There was another plane that entered the pattern  close in front of me, so I went long before turning base and then I was low. Intercepted the glide path lights at about 1500 and flew a good final approach and a decent (much better!) landing.

Full stop.

Taxied off the runway and to the ramp.

Without the gusts, I could pay attention to the actual approach and flare. I finally got it right. More than once, in fact.

I’m much happier today. Gotta pay more attention to the pattern altitudes and speeds, and I need a LOT more landings.
But this time, Ma Nature chose to smile upon me and give me less complicated landing conditions to deal with. I’m still overcontrolling, but not as much, and I’m much happier with myself.

1.5 and 3 landings.

I’m beginning to think I can do this. 

“Democrats had a surge of hope”

A direct quote from CBS about Gun Control.

And their coverage has been as if every gun owner had rolled in offal, the facial expressions, the choice of words, the way questions are asked to form the answer….”There is no way for the ATF to know when a person purchases multiple rifles”.

“The state of Nevada doesn’t require licenses or registration so a person can have as many as they want“.

And the kicker:

“This is good news for Gun Control… the Silencer legislation is dead”.
Scary thought process to enable anyone to say that

Temporary poverty vs Permanent poverty.

It is my opinion that most folks who live in “poverty” (note that the definition changes often) generally do so by choices they make. Many tines over and over. It is a culture, a thought process, and a lack of learning….a failure to connect behavior now with results later.

I employed many folks with the “poverty mindset”….”cant pay the rent, but look at my new tattoo”……”Car needs tires and I can’t afford ’em….hey, are you gonna meet us at the bar on Friday night”? Etc etc, wash/rinse/ repeat.

My father says that “Poverty is a state of mind”.  The older I get, the smarter he seems.

HERE.

you’ll smile. 

I thought the rate of fire was low for an Auto.

Gunman had “Bump Stock” (warning, autoplay video)

Still doesn’t answer the other questions though.

on the news media at all about Stephen Paddock’s political affiliation, one has to wonder: Is he a leftist? I mean, if he had posted anything Pro-Trump, even once, the media would have found it and would be waving it in our faces right now…

So is he a DNC supporter and they just aren’t saying anything about it?

Or is there simply nothing to report: He has no Social Media footprint and no one knows?

Either is possible. I do believe that if he leaned Right they’d have told us about it already. 

Back in the 150. Think i’m gonna stay there.

Flew for about 20 min refamiliarizing myself with the type.

Then did several simulated landings above a road. Wind was at 190 at 10 gusting to 18.

Was a warning about drone activity 1.5 miles north of runway 18.

Entered the pattern. Did ok there. Was turning base when I saw the helicopter.   About 1000 feet AGL, and about 1 mile off the end of the runway, maybe less. Wasn’t happy, it startled me. Kinda in my way. No position calls from them and I admit, it shook me up. Then after we avoided ’em, a belated call warning about helicopter activity. Not sure if it was the helicopters making the call or someone else. But I went around the pattern instead of trying to land that time. I did complain on CTAF that they should have announced themselves when I called my intentions. Yes, I know it is my responsibility to avoid collisions. Still.

They moved north. Seems they were searching for some lost kids.

Entering the pattern again got a warning call about ANOTHER helicopter. Then someone else complained on CTAF that they should announce their positions as they moved around since they were close to the active runway…. Anyway, I saw him, and he was not in my way, so I did a decent approach, but fought the wind. And a gust blew me off the runway centerline just before landing.

Go around. Shit. Again.

Next time, they were both back. We left the pattern to the east and flew a few circles around a point for practice ’til the cop choppers called that they were clear of the pattern.

Then again, a nice approach and a failed landing as again, the wind blew me far off the centerline. I was overcontrolling at the end of the approach.

Go around.

We asked, and the cops were gonna be there for a while, so did another circuit then decided to cut it short.  Mike did the landing. He too had to fight the gusts but kept it close to the centerline to land.

I need a decent day with not too much wind to do a landing or 6 and get myself more confident.

I can FLY ok, I’m comfortable doing that, and I am ok with wind once at an altitude… I can take off. I’m getting better at taxiing…I can do approaches.The last 50-75 feet are a bitch.

I gotta get this landing shit together.