I read this lil blurb in the AFA's Daily Report this morning...
Low Flyers: The Air Force is considering establishing a low-altitude tactical navigation (LATN) area in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. The LATN, which is pending an environmental impact assessment, would provide airspace for C-130s and CV-22s to conduct air combat maneuvers and low-altitude tactics training. If approved, the Air Force would fly about two sorties a day, or about 688 sorties a year. The aircraft could fly as low as 200 feet at 250 knots through the mountainous countryside. "The proposed LATN area in Colorado and New Mexico was selected due to the varied topography and weather, proximity to Cannon AFB[, N.M.,] and lack of large civilian populations," according to a Cannon release. The training would enable Cannon's 27th Special Operations Wing to "provide air combat support and would sustain combat-ready crews for worldwide deployment," states the release. Officials also are considering an alternative proposal, which includes a smaller section of airspace.
Some ranchers and oilmen are gonna be treated to their very own up-close-and-personal airshows in the near future. Dang! I live in the wrong part of New Mexico...
(image from The Wiki)
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In other news... from a recent e-mail conversation with SN3:
Oh... just the usual.so whats going on in Portales?
You may or may not have heard about the tsunami that wiped out the south side of town Friday night. No one was hurt, though, as everyone (except me) was at the opening game of the high school football season and the stadium is on the north side of town. The media never showed up to cover the massive property loss and destruction because no one died. They're like that (the media), yanno?
Saturday an AC-130 from Cannon AFB put seven 105mm cannon rounds into a convoy of milk trucks right outside of Beautiful La Hacienda Trailer Park. Three trucks were destroyed but once again: no one was hurt. The clean-up went remarkably quick, as EVERY feral cat in Beautiful La Hacienda Trailer Park was on the scene in minutes... and they lapped up all the milk. But there are all those new pot-holes from the cannon rounds that need to be fixed, but we can drive around those. There's an investigation pending; early info sez the crew had a flashback and thought the milk trucks were full of Taliban. Me? I'm worried about all those overly fat kitties. They can hardly walk now... they kinda waddle instead.
I was kidnapped and held for ransom Sunday evening by a gaggle of scantily-clad co-eds from Eastern NM U. But I convinced them to let me go with a promise of all the free beer they could drink. They took me home, wiped out the beer supply in my fridge, and then staggered back to their trailers. That was a close call.
Yesterday I made a beer run and re-supplied all the beer those crazy co-eds drank up. And I cleaned up the mess on the verandah. Those girls just couldn't hold their beer, yanno? I think they need more practice and we've arranged for a re-match/advanced drinking lesson (it's a 500-level course) this coming weekend. A couple of 'em are actually pretty friendly for kidnappers.
Aside from that... nothing much. What's going on in Fort Collins?
I obviously don't share everything that happens around here with you, Gentle Reader. But you're updated now.
Mercy! I think you may need a nap!
ReplyDeleteBuck, Two comments.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if those C-130s and CV-22s will be flyin any of those sorties right along the edge of the US-Mexico border? That might be interesting.
I truly laughed out loud (thus the reason for spelling it out) several times at your catalog of recent happenings in Portales and near the old Casa. Thanks, I needed some laughs today.
Portales is certainly the hot spot, except for missing the up close and personal air shows. Maybe you should move to Northern NM. I happen to know that people up there blow things up and love to get drunk.
ReplyDeleteLOL!! Love the Pville happenings! Not that far off the mark, either. haha!
ReplyDeleteMoogie: I did and I did. ;-)
ReplyDeleteDan: I don't think Cannon will be flying down by the border... at least not publicly. Thanks for the kind words!
Lou: You don't know HOW many times I've thought about moving. But Inertia is a harsh mistress.
Jenny: This is stuff you just don't see in the PNT, innit? ;-)
Ha! I think you've overdosed on imagination! Entertaining, though.
ReplyDeleteThey've had a handful of Ospreys parked at Kirtland for a couple of years now. I've seen one in flight exactly once in that time. It would be nice to see them go over on a regular basis. Usually the most exotic bird out of the ABQ side of the runway is a slurry bomber.
ReplyDeleteYou're better off in Portales. Central and northern NM are too crowded with knuckleheads for the most part. Oh to be an ENMU kidnap victim! ;)
Katy: I had to give SN3 SOME reason to think P-ville is glamorous. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnon: I've seen Ospreys in the air exactly twice since the first one arrived at Cannon a couple o' months ago. I see AC-130s every day, OTOH.
I hear ya about being a kidnap victim!