Originally Posted by
Gipsy Queen
Senator Blumenthal's questions are typical of those which might be posed by any politician in similar circumstances. They (and the answers thereto) largely are irrelevant to the subject and are given primarily to provide additional exposure and the advancement of a self-aggrandising breed. Sadly, because of his position, he is likely to have an influence in a subject of which he clearly is possessed of very limited knowledge, but 'twas ever thus with politicos.
I flew as a civilian passenger (longitudinal pipe cots) on a C47 before the end of the Japanese war. It has occurred to me that the general level and standard of maintenance applied to these ultimately expendable military machines was likely to be rather inferior to that given to cherished historical artefacts 70-odd years later and operated under stricter procedures. No-one seemed bothered by such considerations then. Years ago, a prospective pax just signing the blood chit provided sufficient indemnity in "off the wall" operations.
The reaction to the Hunter crash at Shoreham (in which there was no fault with the a/c) is characteristic of the knee-jerk response by an authority keen to protect its own empenage. I do hope the US authorities will view things in a broader and more reasonable light.
Well said! It should be remembered that U.S. Senator Blumenthal is the one who on numerous occasions claimed to have served in Vietnam; however, the truth was that although in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, he never left the Continental United States (CONUS).
Cheers,
Grog