Innocent Bystander needs our help

[Not My Real Name]

So long IB.  You are missed.

Well done, Boomer.  Thank you.  

The rest of you: this illness/hospitalization and/or dying shit has to STOP. 

Some of us have been kicking around on this platform together for over twenty years now. I was in my early 30s when I got here, now I'm 54. Time, unfortunately, is marching on for all of us.

Larry's time came much too soon, though.

 

[boomer]

Blue Angel's Cockpit Video

 

[Wess]

George Dom a previous commanding officer/flight leader of the Blue Angels gave a talk at a leadership conference. He was also an instructor at Top Gun and a commander of an air wing on a carrier. The best part was all his Blue Angels stories.
 



Told us that the Blue Angels actually fly the "crappiest" jets in the fleet because they feel the pilots flying actual missions should have the best equipment.
 



In one (or more I don't recall) of their maneuvers it is with complete and unquestioning trust in the commander that they navigate. They don't look at instrumentation. They only look at a specific point on the plane next to them; all following the commander. If he phucks up and slams in to a mountain, then they all do. In fact, its happened before to the Thunderbirds.
 



He really emphasized how extremely skilled the mechanics and ground crew were. "They had to be," he said with a big dramatic pause. "Because we flew the schitt out of those airplanes"
 



They fly the legacy Hornets (not Super Hornets). The Navy’s fleet is mostly Super Hornets these days. The Marines are still transitioning to the F-35 and are still mostly legacies. So technically they are flying the oldest model jets in fleet, BUT, what most people don’t realize is the Blue Angels have the highest priority for parts in the entire fleet, including deployed units. So, they may be flying legacy Hornets, but they always get the parts they need. Our “crappiest” planes have the best maintenance supply support hands down, except when Commander Larry Howard was Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Head aboard the USS Nimitz. We wanted him awfully bad and requested him a few times, but NAVAIR had more important roles they wanted him to fill.


Larry who sailed since he was 10 was delighted by the US Naval Academy's sailing program and besides sailing on the 44 yawls and other classes in the Academy's fleet Larry also sailed about the Academy's 54 ocean racer Rage designed by Charlie Morgan. Larry also talked of enjoying time aboard the Shields Class Sloops.

Larry's bio below in March of 2001 at the tail end of his assignment as Executive Assistant to the Commander and Senior Military Assistant to the 3 Star Naval Air Systems Command NAVAIR Commander, Larry was assigned to a DoD Major Program Manager position to Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) as PMA-205, Program Manager, Aviation Training Systems and Tactical Training Ranges for 4 years and 1 month.

Larry then retired after 33 years of US Navy service to join, BAE Systems, Inc. as Director, Flight Test and Operations for 5 years 2 months. Larry then took a position with Coalition Solutions Integrated, Inc as Managing Director of Business Development. After which Larry took over Patuxent River Site Manager for Dayton T. Brown, Inc. for 9 years 5 months, eventually moving up to Vice President of Mission Systems for Dayton T Brown, Inc.

I asked Lynne if she remembered the boat and crew he sailed with in Melborne and when they first met. She said, "While in Melbourne, Larry sailed on Fiji Express, an Adams 41 owned by Ray Crom. We met in 1986 and were married in 1988 in Melbourne. I am going to take a picture of his bio from the Change of Command when he became PMA 205."

Larry said of Lynne - "She's the best thing that ever happened to me."

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Thanks for that.

 

[pbd]

Blue Angel's Cockpit Video

I'm guess'en that was filmed in El Centro CA, the winter home of the BA's

 

[boomer]

I'm guess'en that was filmed in El Centro CA, the winter home of the BA's

Yes pre-season training at El Centro. They fly daily - at the minimum 120 sorties during winter training. They then depart about mid March for Pensacola.

In the vid below arriving at El Centro for winter practice in 2019.

 

[Bus Driver]

Just looked back at some old messages.  IB posted something about sailing on the 44 "Vigilant" in the '75 Annapolis to Newport race.  My next door neighbor sailed with him and remembered him.  Small world.

Fair winds, IB.

 

[pbd]

On 5/6/2021 at 3:14 PM, boomer said:

Yes pre-season training at El Centro. They fly daily - at the minimum 120 sorties during winter training. They then depart about mid March for Pensacola.

In the vid below arriving at El Centro for winter practice in 2019.

Parents used to spend some snowbird time just down the road from the base.  When they initially arrive the formations have them 10's of yards apart from one another, by the time they leave the spacing is feet apart.

 

[boomer]

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? 

 

[Snaggletooth]

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? 

Practisse, practisse, practisse..............                 

 

[pbd]

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? 

Fly an F-18 Hornet?

 

[boomer]

Snag's already nailed it - one of DC's favorite quotes decades ago in "Sail like a Champion".

 

[Burning Man]

High Flight


Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air…

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew –
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

 

[boomer]

The sonnet by John Gillespie Magee, Jr is a fitting tribute to Larry.

Flying a plane is a freeing, reverent and awesome experience.

Many hard lessons can be learned through flying a plane.

Death is a peaceful and simple experience met by all human beings.

John Gillespie Magee Jr.

 

[Foxtrot Corpen]

Rest in peace, Larry... old friend, shipmate, crewmate.  Rest in peace.

...FC

 

[Cruisin Loser]

One year ago today. Raising a glass to our Larry. Please join me. 

 

[00seven]

To missed friends....

 

[Slick470]

Thanks for the reminder CL. Larry was one of the good ones. 

 

[boomer]

One year ago today. Raising a glass to our Larry. Please join me. 

Indeed CL! We lifted a glass for Larry yesterday.

Lynne and family gathered and remembered him yesterday as well.

Lynne later said,"Remembering, celebrating and honoring Larry. A loved husband, father, grandfather and friend. A life well lived."






 
He was an exceptionally extraordinary man and gentlemen.
For Larry mediocrity would never do. He was capable of and strove for something better.
He knew that perfection is not attainable, but knew if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
 
The world needs more like him.

 

[MoeAlfa]

Saw this thread had been bumped and figured I’d add something for Larry’s “jahrzeit.”

Here’s a photo Tim Ford took during the 2015 Marion-Bermuda race on Cruisin‘ Loser’s boat. We were going upwind, away from Bermuda, in a horrible sea and a whole lot of breeze while we fixed broken shit on the bow. Larry did that race with bum knees and advancing diabetic neuropathy, but steered all day like a god.

I was sick and scared as usual. He saw me at other low points too and still somehow thought I was a good shipmate. Today, preparing for yet another Bermuda race, he is very much in my thoughts and will be, especially if it gets tough.

And we’ve got his ashes for luck!

 

[Throatwarbler-Mangrove]

Saw this thread had been bumped and figured I’d add something for Larry’s “jahrzeit.”

Here’s a photo Tim Ford took during the 2015 Marion-Bermuda race on Cruisin‘ Loser’s boat. We were going upwind, away from Bermuda, in a horrible sea and a whole lot of breeze while we fixed broken shit on the bow. Larry did that race with bum knees and advancing diabetic neuropathy, but steered all day like a god.

I was sick and scared as usual. He saw me at other low points too and still somehow thought I was a good shipmate. Today, preparing for yet another Bermuda race, he is very much in my thoughts and will be, especially if it gets tough.

And we’ve got his ashes for luck!

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I got to meet Cruising Loser last week while he took a pit stop in Marion. Odd that we have been hanging out on SA forever, are members at the same club, and have a lot of friends in common, but didn’t actually shake hands until Wednesday. So unlike IB and so many others, I won’t ever have to regret not meeting him.

Looks like you have a fantastic ride to Bermuda! Good luck!

PM me if you do Marion to Bermuda next year… you are another Anarchist who I don’t want to regret not meeting.

 

[hobot]

Vale IB.