I wonder when I actually learned to drive a car. When did I learn to ride a bicycle? I had a blue Schwinn road bicycle in my storage locker that I was able to ride with ease in 1999 even though all of memories of learning to ride a bicycle are artificial. All of my memories of learning to ride a bicycle, the one with "Westpoint" printed on it, although I don't think I have any association with the West Point, but the symbolism is probably the same, are all symbolic and artificial. It could be that a graduate of the United States Military Academy, known as West Point, taught me to fly helicopters or fighter jets or both. In my artificial and symbolic memory, I had a friend named Patrick Brumfield, when I was a kid and lived in De Queen. I can distinctly "remember" that he told me he and his family had lived at West Point before they moved to De Queen.
In my artificial and symbolic memory, I learned to drive Thedia's white 1978 Pontiac Bonneville, as well as Denzil's gray 1978 Ford pickup that was his company vehice at the gravel pit. Thedia's car had an automatic transmission but Denzil's pickup had a standard transmission and it has always seemed important over the past 9 years that I call it a standard transmission instead of a stick shift, as most people usually refer to a standard transmission.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_transmission
A manual transmission (also known as a stick shift, straight drive, or standard transmission) is a type of transmission used in automotive applications. Manual transmissions often feature a driver-operated clutch and a movable gear selector. Most automobile manual transmissions allow the driver to select any gear at any time, but some, such as those commonly mounted on motorcycles and some types of racing cars, only allow the driver to select the next-highest or next-lowest gear ratio. This second type of transmission is sometimes called a sequential (manual) transmission.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stick
stick
Aeronautics. a lever, usually with a handle, by which the longitudinal and lateral motions of an airplane are controlled.
The control device of an aircraft that operates the elevators and ailerons.
a lever used by a pilot to control the ailerons and elevators of an airplane
From 3/3/1959 to 7/27/1972 is: 13 years, 4 months, 3 weeks, 3 days
1-34-33
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-15_Eagle
Maiden flight 27 July 1972
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15 Eagle is an all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It was developed for the U.S. Air Force, and first flew in July 1972. The F-15E Strike Eagle derivative is an all-weather strike fighter that entered service in 1989.
http://www.boeing.com/history/mdc/eagle.htm
F-15 Eagle Tactical Fighter
First flight: July 27, 1972
They obviously did a very good on 4/14/1986 of breaking me out from where I was being held as a Prisoner of War.
From 4/14/1986 to 12/11/1986 is: 3 days, 34 weeks
3-3-4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-15E_Strike_Eagle
Maiden flight 1986-12-11
The F-15E Strike Eagle is a modern United States all-weather strike fighter, designed for long-range interdiction of enemy ground targets deep behind enemy lines. A derivative of the F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter, the Strike Eagle proved its worth in Desert Storm, carrying out deep strikes against high-value targets and providing close air support for coalition troops. The F-15E Strike Eagle can be distinguished from the F-15 Eagle by its darker camouflage and the presence of the conformal fuel tanks attached to the aircraft's fuselage.
I recognize the date 5/1/1967 as when I first flew a fighter jet by myself.
From 5/1/1967 to 12/21/1970 is: 3 years, 33 weeks, 3 days
3-3-3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-14
Maiden flight 21 December 1970
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable geometry wing aircraft. The F-14 was the United States Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor and tactical reconnaissance platform from 1972 to 2006. It later performed precision strike missions once it was integrated with LANTIRN.[2] It was developed after the collapse of the F-111B project, and was the first of the American teen-series fighters which were designed incorporating the experience of air combat in Vietnam against MiGs.
This is similar to that serial number for the first F-16 Falcon prototype. The '1567' reminds me of 1 May 1967.
From 3/3/1959 to 3/19/1989 is: 1567 weeks, 5 days
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-22_Osprey
Maiden flight 19 March 1989
The V-22 Osprey is a joint service, multimission, military tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing capability (STOL). It is designed to perform missions like a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. The V-22 was developed by Bell Helicopter Textron, which manufactures it in partnership with Boeing Helicopters. The initial operators are the U.S. Marine Corps and United States Air Force. The FAA classifies the Osprey as a model of powered lift aircraft.
From 7/2/1976 to 6/18/1981 is: 59 months, 16 days
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-117
Maiden flight 18 June 1981
The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is a stealth ground attack aircraft flown solely by the United States Air Force. As a product of the Lockheed Have Blue stealth prototype program, it became the first operational aircraft initially designed around stealth technology.
From 7/24/1969 to 11/9/1978 is: 3395 days
3-3-9-5 <<< >>> 5-9-3-3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AV-8_Harrier_II
Maiden flight 1978-11-09 (YAV-8B)
The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL jet multirole aircraft of the late 20th century. British Aerospace rejoined the project in the early 1980s, and it is currently managed by Boeing/BAE Systems since the 1990s.
That serial number '1567' for the first F-16 Falcon fighter jet prototype reminds me of 1 May 1967. I'm not sure when the U.S. Navy began using the F-16, but I think it was designed originally for the U.S. Air Force, so it is curious that this fighter jet has a relationship with a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.
From 2/2/1974 11/11/1989 is: 15 years, 9 months, 9 days
9 / 30 = 0.3 month
From 2/2/1974 11/11/1989 is: 15 years, 9.3 months
1-59-3
http://www.navysite.de/cvn/cvn72.html
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72)
USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN is the fifth ship in the NIMITZ - class of nuclear powered aircraft carriers.
Commissioned: Nov. 11, 1989
http://www.f-16.net/timeline.html
F-16 Timeline
2 Feb 1974
Official first flight of the YF-16 protoype (#72-1567), with test pilot Phil Oestricher at the controls, reaching 400 mph and 30,000 feet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
16th President of the United States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-16
Maiden flight 1974-02-02
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force.
The last day Apollo 17 was on the Moon compared to the official first flight of the F-16 prototype.
From 12/14/1972 to 2/2/1974 is: 59 weeks, 2 days
7 * 0.3 = 2.1 days
From 12/14/1972 to 2/2/1974 is: 59.3 weeks
59-3
From 11/11/1966 to 8/11/1972 is: 5 years, 9 months
'59'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_F-5
Maiden flight
11 August 1972 (F-5E)
The F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of widely used light supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the United States, beginning in 1960s.
The USAF made a combat evaluation of the F-5A under the Skoshi Tiger ("skoshi" is derived from the Japanese word sukoshi, meaning "little," thus the program was "Little Tiger" [2] [verification needed]) program in 1965. 12 aircraft were delivered for trials to the 4503rd Tactical Fighter Wing (subsequently the 10th Fighter Commando Squadron), redesignated F-5C. They performed combat duty in Vietnam, flying more than 3,500 sorties from the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Bien Hoa in South Vietnam. Two aircraft were lost in combat. The program was short-lived, more a political gesture than a serious consideration of the type for U.S. service.
The F-5E eventually received the official popular name Tiger II.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_12
Launch: November 11, 1966
Landing: November 15, 1966
Gemini 12 (officially Gemini XII) was a 1966 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the 10th manned Gemini flight, the 18th manned American flight and the 26th spaceflight of all time (includes X-15 flights over 100 km).
Crew
Jim Lovell (2), Command Pilot
Edwin Aldrin (1), Pilot
*Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual, prior to and including this mission.
By the time of the last Gemini flight, the program still had not demonstrated that an astronaut could work easily and efficiently outside the spacecraft. In preparation for Gemini XII, new, improved restraints were added to the outside of the capsule, and a new technique—underwater training—was introduced, which would become a staple of all future space-walk simulation. Aldrin's two-hour, 20-minute tethered space-walk, during which he photographed star fields, retrieved a micrometeorite collector and did other chores, at last demonstrated the feasibility of extravehicular activity. Two more stand-up EVAs also went smoothly, as did the by now routine rendezvous and docking with an Agena which was done "manually" using the onboard computer and charts when a rendezvous radar failed. The climb to a higher orbit, however, was canceled because of a problem with the Agena booster.
Many documentaries afterward largely credit the spacewalk innovations, including the underwater training, to Aldrin himself.
Gemini 12 was designed to perform rendezvous and docking with the Agena target vehicle, to conduct three Extravehicular Activity (EVA) operations, to conduct a tethered stationkeeping exercise, to perform docked maneuvers using the Agena propulsion system to change orbit, and demonstrate an automatic reentry.
Insignia
The patch's unique orange and black colors are a link to the flight's original scheduled date close to Halloween. The Roman numeral XII is located at the 12 o'clock position on the face of a clock, with the Gemini spacecraft pointing to it like the hour hand of a clock. This represents the position of Gemini 12 as the last flight of the Gemini program. With the Apollo project following this last flight of the Gemini program, the ultimate objective -- the moon -- is symbolized by the crescent on the left.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princeton_university
Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. It is one of eight colleges and universities that belong to the athletic conference known as the Ivy League.
Colors:
Orange and Black
Mascot:
Tigers
From 9/17/1946 to 9/10/1948 (Thedia Newman) is: 1 year, 359 days
1-359
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Tilghman
Shirley Marie Tilghman (born Shirley Marie Caldwell, September 17, 1946) is the president of Princeton University (the first woman to hold the position).
A leader in the field of molecular biology, Tilghman served on the Princeton faculty for 15 years before being named president. She is renowned for her pioneering research in mammalian developmental genetics, her national leadership on behalf of women in science and promoting efforts to make the early careers of young scientists as meaningful and productive as possible.
From 3/4/1959 to 2/11/1989 is: 1 week, 359 months
1-359
http://www.navysite.de/cg/cg59.html
USS Princeton (CG 59)
Commissioned: February 11, 1989
About the Ship's Name, about the Battle of Princeton:
On January 3, 1776, the Battle of Princeton took place during the War of Independence. In the Battle of Trenton that took place on December 26, 1776, the troops under General George Washington defeated the British-Hessian troops. One week later the British under General Charles Cornwallis moved forward along the Delaware River against the troops of Washington. At the morning of January 3, 1777, Washington moved forward to Princeton where he beat a British department that wanted to move to Cornwallis. Cornwallis moved his troops to Brunswick, NJ. After the British defeat the American self-confidence increased.
