Category Archives: Technology

Idaho Wild Fires 2019: MD-87 water bomber, new King Air FAC

23 July 2019-23:43 UTC-07 Tango 06 (02 Mordad 1398/21 Dhu l-Qa’da 1440/22 Xin-Wei 4717)

The fires keep burning in eastern Idaho.  Things got so hot today that evacuations of ‘non-essential personnel’ were ordered near the Idaho National Laboratory’s nuclear jet engine and EBR-1 nuclear-disaster-reactor,  due to the rapid expansion of the ‘Sheep Fire’ (about 85-thousand acres, 34398 hectares).

MD-87 (foreground) and DC-10 (background) tankers rolling in from their latest east Idaho mission. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

The Sheep Fire is just one of dozens of wild fires in Idaho right now so, once again, the little used Pocatello Airport was put to good use by water bombers from 10 Tanker Air Carrier and Erickson Aero Tanker.

Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

A little bird water bomber heads out. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

A new U.S. Forest Service King Air 250 FAC (Forward Air Controller) taking off. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

King Air ‘FAC’: Forest Service buys its first lead plane in almost 40 years

The King Air passes by the incoming DC-10. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

A familiar sight ever since the big fires of 2012. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

Home for the night. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

WILD FIRES 2019: DC-10, IDAHO’S 911

Vehicle I-D: M4 Sherman, WW2 to Iran-Iraq War

March 1981, my father W. L. Hutchins checking out the Sherman in front of the Ely, Nevada, VFW Post.

The M4 Sherman is the iconic U.S. tank from World War 2.  It was also used after WW2 by many countries across the world.  There are many variants, and to make things more difficult for kit bashers there were many field modifications.

1-116th Cav, 1-148th FA, Pocatello, Idaho. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

Video report 03NOV2021, Museum Support Center–Anniston Army Depot is about to attempt to restore a recovered sunken ‘DD’ Sherman from Operation Overlord June 1944:

U.S. Army Central, Sumter, South Carolina, welcomes the arrival of a M4A3(76)W HVSS Sherman tank, 15JUL2021. U.S. Army photo by Michael Clauss.

It was originally on display on Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. U.S. Army photo by Specialist Amber Cobena.

In December 2020, the U.S. Army’s Army Maneuver Center of Excellence used examples of WW2 Sherman tanks to demonstrate the ingenuity/inventiveness of U.S. military personnel.

October 2020 promotional video, the National Army Museum’s Cobra King Sherman:

July 2020, volunteers with the Selfridge Military Air Museum take a restored Sherman for a spin, before parking it for its new ‘gate guard’ duty. Michigan Air National Guard photo By Munnaf H. Joarder.

Harrodsburg, Kentucky, 07MAY2020. The tank memorializes the Harrodsburg Tankers, which were captured by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War Two. Kentucky Army National Guard photo by First Lieutenant Cody Stagner.

Reenactment of Battle of the Bulge, 14DEC2019, Belgium.
U.S. Army photo by Corporal Kevin Payne.

Pennsylvania ‘gate guard’, 05NOV2019. Pennsylvania Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Bryan Hoover.

Texas Military Forces Museum Sherman takes part in a reenactment, 13APR2019. Texas Army National Guard photo by Specialist Tom Lamb.

Chièvres Air Base, Belgium, 11SEP2018. U.S. Army photo by Pierre-Etienne Courtejoie.

Video of ‘IN THE MOOD’ gate guard being moved from Belgium to Germany for restoration, 09JUL2019:

See more about IN THE MOOD: PAINTING & DECALING A 1:1 SCALE M4 SHERMAN

D-Day reenactors June 2019, Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France. U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Ryan Rayno.

U.S. military video by Staff Sergeant Draeke Layman, Sherman Tanks in Mons, Belgium, 2019:

M4A1 Battle of the Bulge commemorations in Belgium, December 2018. U.S. Army photo by Pierre-Etienne Courtejoie.

Sainte Mere Eglise, 04JUN2017. USA photo by First Lieutenant Victoria Goldfedib.

This tank looks ‘crody’ because it was salvaged from the sea off United Kingdom, in 1984. It’s now part of commemorations for Operation Tiger. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Timothy R. Smithers.

Pennsylvania National Guard ‘living’ memorial, February 2016. Pennsylvania Army National Guard photo by Private First Class Hannah Baker.

December 2015, the town of Clervaux, Luxembourg, dedicates a Sherman tank memorial to a little known part of the Battle of the Bulge:

New York National Guard personnel spent 22 months renovating this Sherman. Put on display in Saratoga Springs, September 2015. New York Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Major Corine Lombardo.

Restored Sherman taking part in D-Day celebrations in France, June 2015. USA photo by Sergeant Austin Berner.

Sherman loaded for transport to the Fort Polk Museum, Louisiana, 12SEP2012.

This April 2011 photo shows three versions of the M4 Sherman, taking part in a Texas Military Forces World War Two reenactment on Camp Mabry. Texas Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Josiah Pugh.

A Sherman tank war memorial in Cassino, Italy. Texas Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Daniel Griego, March 2010.

Silent U.S. Army film, dated 23APR1945, Sherman tanks enter the city of Leipzig, Germany.  Combat action, civilians wounded, civilians welcome U.S. troops, German officer surrenders:

New York Army National Guard M4A3 Sherman, Fort Drum, during the 1950s.

An Easy Eight Sherman in Kumchun area, Korea, October 1950.

Believe it or not, this is a 70 years old Iraqi Sherman! It was ‘appropriated’ by U.S. Army forces and ‘repatriated’ to the U.S. towards the end of 2011. The pic was taken on Camp Virginia, Kuwait, as it awaited ship-out.

Iranian M36B1 Jackson version of the Sherman, used against Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. Captured by Iraq and put on display, only to be ‘captured’ by U.S. forces and supposedly ‘repatriated’ to the United States.

A U.S. Marine checks-out a stripped Sherman in Beirut, Lebanon, April 1983.

Photograph from World War Two, 03JUN1944. The Sherman in the foreground has the rounded cast hull, while the Sherman behind it has the welded hull.

USMC vet Kenny White checks out a Marine Sherman gate guard at Twentynine Palms, California, December 2014. USMC photo by Lance Corporal Medina Ayala-Lo.

In Virginia, reenactors playing Marines fighting the Japanese stand aside for an approaching Sherman, August 2013. USMC photo by Corporal Paris Capers.

My grandfather, O.G. Hutchins, on his newly arrived USMC Sherman, sometime before shipping out against the Japanese.

My grandfather O.G. Hutchins, tank commander in the USMC during World War Two. Note the snow tracks used as sand tracks in the Pacific Theater (also indicative of some 75mm gunned Shermans, that is not saying they were the only Shermans that used them, obviously not). Also, notice the final-drive cover is different from the M4 in the above photo. He’s smiling because prior to getting Shermans his USMC unit was using tiny Stuart tanks (note how tall he is, even in the Sherman he had trouble ‘buttoning up’).

My grandfather’s old helmet. O.G. ‘Hutch’ Hutchins.

See my grandfather’s 1st Marine Division unit citations for actions in World War Two and Korea in LAST RIDE FOR 1ST, 2ND & 4TH TANK.

It has become dry and brittle due to decades of improper storage on my father’s property in the Mojave Desert of Southern California.

The hardened leather helmets were called ‘football helmets’ because they were directly based on the old style American football helmet.

Photo by Richard C. Ferguson, September or October 1950. Inchon, Korea, Easy Eight ‘Candy Ass’ decided to take a swim after off-loading from LST. It appears there’s only one cable (attached to front tow hook) keeping Candy Ass from going under.

U.S. Marine Corps photo, dated October 1950. It’s not Korea, it’s a pass-in-review of Shermans and F7F Tigercats at Cherry Point, North Carolina.

Argentinian Shermans waiting for new homes, or the scrapper.

Argentine hybrid-hull Sherman with French 105mm gun in what looks like a Firefly turret, and powered by a diesel motor.

Chile used Israeli M51 Super Shermans as live-fire range targets.

Chilean M60, a M4A4 Sherman with Israeli designed 60mm high velocity gun.

I can’t remember where this photo was taken (Fort Irwin?), sometime mid-late 1990s.  Me in front of a Sherman based Recovery Vehicle.

IDAHO VEHICLE I-D:  1-148 FIELD ARTILLERY GATE GUARDS

Super Guppy be old, but NASA still uses it!

According to press release there were only four Super Guppies made, only one is still being used by NASA.

On 11JUL2019, NASA Super Guppy 914 made a fuel stop at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas:

The following pics are from February 2019, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina:

The following pics are from May 2018, El Paso International Airport: 

Official video explainer of Super Guppy eating a Tyndall AFB, Florida, T-38 in March 2017:

The following pics are from November 2012, March Air Reserve Base in California: 

What’s it like to fly on a Super Guppy?  Here’s a five minute long video to find out:

The following pics are from June 2012, Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington:

Time lapse video of load-up at Houston, Texas:

 

Boeing 377SGT Super Guppy, May 1976, swallowing the X-24 and HL-10 lifting bodies at Edwards AFB (Dryden), California:

A Guppy before it got upgraded to Super status with turbo-prop engines, Edwards AFB (Dryden), October 1962: 

MODEL KIT EC-130J GETS SPECIAL HANDLING BY NATIONAL GUARD!

WILD FIRES 2019: DC-10, IDAHO’S 911

 

Fatal USMC KC-130J crash kept secret?

In December 2018, a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J was refueling a F/A-18 over Okinawa, Japan, when they aircraft made contact.  Both the F/A-18 and KC-130J went down, only one person survived.

It was not until the end of May of 2019 that the KC-130J’s cockpit voice recorder and digital flight recorder, along with human remains.  And it was not until June of 2019 that the information was made public.  As the investigation is still ongoing no further details were released.

Black Letter C-130J; it’s a byatch!

In June 2019, a C-130J in Japan was proclaimed to have achieved Black Letter proficiency; no maintenance problems!

In the official video report, USAF 374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chiefs explain just how hard it is to get the rare Black Letter:

Here’s official Ramstein Black Letter C-130J video report from May 2018:

VEHICLE I-D: LAST ‘SPOOKY’ DAYS OF THE AC-130U GUNSHIP?

Wild Fires 2019: DC-10, Idaho’s 911

15 July 2019-21:32 UTC-07 Tango 06 (25 Tir 1398/13 Dhu l-Qa’da 1440/14 Xin-Wei 4717)

Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

Another year, another round of wild fires, and Pocatello Airport is temporary home (once again) to DC-10 water bombers.  Two were spotted, numbers 911 and 912.

Click the pics (by AAron B. Hutchins) to make them bigger:

SMOKE ’EM IF YOU GOT ’EM, 2017!: POCATELLO AIRPORT FIRE BOMBERS ARE BACK!

U.S. WILDFIRES 2016: DC-10 POCATELLO AIRPORT

IDAHO WILDFIRES 2015: POKEY AIRPORT DC-10 WATER BOMBER

Vehicle I-D: 1-148 Field Artillery gate guards

Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

M1 57mm Anti-Tank gun from World War-2 (clicking the pics makes them bigger:

World War-2 M4A3 Sherman:

Cold War era M109A5(?) Self Propelled Howitzer:

Related: POKEY AIRPORT, IDAHO ARMY NATIONAL GUARD M109

Cold Ware era M548 cargo carrier:

Cold War era M60A3:

116th Cav, 1-148th FA, Pocatello, Idaho. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

Armored Gate Guards: ARMOR MUSEUM FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI

Vehicle I-D: Fury vs Mig

MiG-17 on the left, Fury in the middle, MiG-15UTI on the right. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Tristan Truesdell, 13JUL2019.

In July 2019, the state of Montana was invaded by marauding MiG-15UTI and MiG-17, and a lone FJ-4 Fury came to The Big Sky state’s defense.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Tristan Truesdell, 13JUL2019

MiG-17. USAF photo by Airman First Class Tristan Truesdell, 13JUL2019.

It was part of an air show at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

VEHICLE I-D: MIG 17 V U.S. NAVY FERRARI

POCATELLO AIRPORT 02 AUGUST 2014: MIG-15 UTI & MIG-17

POCATELLO AIRPORT 02 AUGUST 2014: FJ-4 FURY

 

Vehicle I-D: New armored ECM vehicle

Currently known as Electronic Warfare Tactical Vehicle (EWTV), testing began in September 2018 at Yuma Army Proving Grounds, in Arizona.

In January 2019, testing shifted to Fort Irwin National Training Center, in California.

Testing is being conducted by the U.S. Army 1st Division’s 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team ‘Greywolf’.  The EWTV is based on a MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected) MaxxPro Dash.

The new vehicle allows ground forces to intercept and jam electronic communications (electromagnetic spectrum) from a ‘safe’ distance.  It will be a good use for artillery units because it can pin-point the source of electronic sources and then call-for-fire on those sources (the modern version of triangulating radio signals).

It can integrate with existing ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) vehicles like the VROD (Versatile Radio Observation & Direction) and VMAX (VROD Modular Adpative Transmit) systems.

VEHICLE I-D: GIANT R-C TANKS SEEN TEARING-UP WASHINGTON STATE!

“ending operations effective immediately.”: U.S. Hi-Tech/Communications breakdown, January 2019

Incomplete list, mainly links to main stream news media reports, of U.S. internet/high-tech/communications job destruction and cyber-chicanery announcements in January 2019:

At the end of January, U.S. led NATO countries converged on Estonia to conduct cyber warfare ops.  Cyber operations included attempted attacks on industrial control systems, physical security systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and maritime surveillance systems, according to U.S. 24th Air Force/Air Forces Cyber.

During the ongoing U.S. meddling in Syrian politics, a female U.S. Navy Cryptologic Technician was killed in Manbij, on 16JAN2019.

Proof of just how dire things have gotten within the media industry, 1-thousand job cuts announced at BuzzFeed, HuffPost and Gannett!

China’s (Taiwan) Foxconn kills 50-thousand contractor jobs across the world, blaming it on crashing Apple iPhone sales!

The looming danger in high-tech car safety systems

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

CALIFORNIA:  Space Exploration Technologies issued a layoff WARN, 577 people in Hawthorne to become jobless in March!  Solid state battery maker Seeo issued a shutdown WARN for its ops in Hayward, 45 jobs gone in March.   Online entertainment company Machinima issued multiple WARNs, at least 81 jobs in Burbank gone in March.  Carlisle Interconnect Technologies issued shutdown WARNs for its ops in El Segundo and Riverside, 338 jobs gone by October!  Automotive pricing and information website TrueCar eliminating 35 jobs by mid-March.  Verizon subsidiary Oath eliminating 71 jobs by the end of March.  Symantec continues killing jobs, this time 14 people were suddenly laid off.   Photonics company Invuity finally revealed to state unemployment officials that it laid off 81 people back in October 2018.  Texas based AT&T issued several WARNs, 78 jobs gone by the end of March.  Software maker VMware issued a layoff WARN for its Palo Alto ops, 126 jobs gone by April!

Helicopters and drones with hi-tech surveillance equipment will ostensibly be used to count how many homeless people live in San Diego County (interesting that apparently nobody has a problem with this, but many people have a hissy about the government counting non-citizens)

Viacom’s Paramount Pictures lays off 20 people

Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group suddenly lays off 22 people

Palo Alto based online home improvement platform Houzz lays off 180!

Elon Musk founded, Palo Alto based Tesla eliminating 3-thousand jobs due to lack of profitable sales!

Elon Musk founded, Hawthorne based Space X eliminating about 7-hundred jobs! 

Mojave based Virgin Galactic lays off 40 employees ahead of transition to New Mexico spaceport

Santa Clara based McAfee suddenly lays off 2-hundred employees!

Cupertino based Apple eliminated 2-hundred jobs from its self-driving car program!

After nine years of hype, San Francisco based online meal delivery company Munchery is now dead: “Today, with a heavy heart, we’re reaching out to announce that Munchery is closing its doors and ending operations effective immediately.”

“They can hear you!”  The new electronic warfare ‘Greywolf’ vehicle spotted at U.S. Army’s Fort Irwin National Training Center, 13JAN2019.

COLORADO: Cable TV company WideOpenWest (aka WOW!) shutting down a call center, 2-hundred jobs gone by March!

ILLINOIS:  Cable TV company WideOpenWest (aka WOW!) issued a layoff WARN, 56 jobs in Warrenville gone by March.  Audio/video equipment maker Harman International issued a shutdown WARN for its Vernon Hills ops, 59 jobs gone in March.

MARYLAND: On 04JAN2019, the U.S. Navy Reserve created a new Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group (NCWDG) Reserve unit: “There is a growing demand for Reservist skill sets from all designators. This is where it all comes together. Regardless of their designator, they have impressive skill sets from their civilian work they can apply to Navy needs.”-Captain James Lee, commander of new unit

In the following official USAF video report, new recruits are told that modern warfare IS about creating better video games:

MICHIGAN:  Reprise Media issued a layoff WARN for its ‘Search, Social, Mobile Media’ ops in Birmingham, 92 jobs gone. Also in Birmingham, global media advertiser Universal McCann Worldwide issued a WARN, 116 jobs gone!  Once again in Birmingham, ‘communication, media and technology specialists’ Mediabrands issued a shutdown WARN for its I-T ops, effective in March.

MINNESOTA: ‘Backup’ security software maker Code42 suddenly laid off 55 people due to crashing global sales

NEW YORK:  Concentrix-Convergys issued a shutdown WARN for its call center in Watertown, between 114 and 540 people affected by the end of April!  Sun & Earth Energy company issued a layoff WARN, between 47 and 58 jobs goneMonolith Solar issued a layoff WARN, as many as 23 employees affected.

App ‘savant’ kills self with cocaine and heroin!

NYC based global communications company Ketchum warns of Double-Digit Job Cuts

NYC based Verizon eliminating 8-hundred jobs!

No longer NYC based Lionsgate Lays Off 25 as part of its Escape from New York to California operation

Washington state founded, yet headquarters based in NYC (news media still says its based in Washington, for some reason), online make-up seller Julep suddenly lays off 102 people and goes bankrupt busted!

Texas based AT&T shutting down Syracuse call center, 150 jobs gone!  (the official WARN says 155 jobs gone as operations are Escaping from New York to Florida)

NORTH CAROLINA: Conduent to lay off 61 employees

More proof the housing market isn’t doing well, iconic tech giant IBM laying off 310 people as it gets out of the mortgage processing business!

OHIO:  Teleperformance shuts down Fairborn facility, 334 layoffs!

OKLAHOMA: Online children’s clothing boutique, T’Dazzled Too, bankrupt-busted due to owing customers thousands of dollars

OREGON: Bend based Western Communications now chapter 11 bankrupt-busted

TEXAS: Official report about taxpayer funded ‘Hack-of-the-Drones’ involving personnel from the U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy:  DVIDS_News_306568_791ccf518d402d1c6fe40a3ebe93e655210305df63065fd0dc3cec6e2e893243

Dallas based AT&T boasted about how many people they’ve hired, then admitted they were going to have to eliminate an undisclosed number of jobs

Dallas Morning News suddenly laid off 43 people due to crashing revenues

WASHINGTON: On 11JAN2019, the U.S. Army created the new Intelligence, Information, Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Space unit (known as I2CEWS) at Joint Base Lewis McChord: “Today we’ll activate the Army’s first I2CEWS detachment, which is the critical unit in the Multi-Domain Task Force and the centerpiece of how the Army will conduct Multi-Domain operations in the future.”-Lieutenant General Gary Volesky, I-Corps

Boeing, a company that’s been proven to have major hi-tech software malfunctions of its aircraft, is now switching to computers to conduct quality control inspections!

WISCONSIN: Mail order/online gift gourmet food seller Figi’s suddenly halted some operations and will layoff 276 people by March!  For proof brick-n-mortars are not the only companies suffering declining sales, Figi’s reps said that despite investing millions of dollars into their ops, profits keep falling. 

In four years, Rhinelander based Drs. Foster and Smith (DFS) went from the largest online seller of pet products in the country to out of business, the final 289 jobs killed by brick-n-mortar competitor PetCo!

U.S. Tech/Communications breakdown, December 2018: “UNFORTUNATELY OUR RENT IS TOO HIGH”