OT - Military Channel

Has anyone else noted that The Military Channel (sometimes called "The
Hitler Channel" due to its fascination with all things Nazi) has
recently demonstrated a program schedule that not only features a lack
of new series, but a decided return to program series and episodes from
around a decade back?
Has "killing people and breaking things" fallen out of fashion again,
like it did towards the end of the Vietnam War?
Well, at least we still have "Dogfights" and "Battle 360" over on The
History Channel, both of which kick ass.
Don't even get me started on The Old Gunny and "Lock And Load". Let's
just say I have a small shrine in my apartment to R. Lee Ermey with
burning cans of whup-ass lighting his photo, and live watermelons being
sacrificed on a weekly basis.
So, are you going to trust your uneaten wiener to anything less than
_real_ Tupperware?
Not if you're smart, you full-metal jerk-off! Let's just say that if you
do that, the only thing that's likely to suck on it tomorrow is a Hoover
vacuum cleaner!: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Lee_Ermey

Pat

On Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:47:09 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

Has anyone else noted that The Military Channel (sometimes called "The
Hitler Channel" due to its fascination with all things Nazi)

Actually, that's The History Channel that has been derided as The
Hitler Channel for its obsession with World War II. I've not heard
Military Channel (which was originally Discovery Wings Channel) called
that. The closest they come is repeats of "Wings of the Luftwaffe" now
and then.

as
recently demonstrated a program schedule that not only features a lack
of new series, but a decided return to program series and episodes from
around a decade back?

They're still producing new episodes of "Great Planes". This week's
episode about the A-26 Invader was new, I think (TiVo said it was
copyright 2009.). But that ex-pilot is a terrible, monotone
host/narrator and all their "great planes" seem to be the ones some
museum in Virginia happens to have.

Brian

On Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:47:09 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

Has anyone else noted that The Military Channel (sometimes called "The
Hitler Channel" due to its fascination with all things Nazi)

Actually, that's The History Channel that has been derided as The
Hitler Channel for its obsession with World War II. I've not heard
Military Channel (which was originally Discovery Wings Channel) called
that. The closest they come is repeats of "Wings of the Luftwaffe" now
and then.

as
recently demonstrated a program schedule that not only features a lack
of new series, but a decided return to program series and episodes from
around a decade back?

They're still producing new episodes of "Great Planes". This week's
episode about the A-26 Invader was new, I think (TiVo said it was
copyright 2009.). But that ex-pilot is a terrible, monotone
host/narrator and all their "great planes" seem to be the ones some
museum in Virginia happens to have.

Brian

Brian Thorn wrote:
They're still producing new episodes of "Great Planes". This week's
episode about the A-26 Invader was new, I think (TiVo said it was
copyright 2009.). But that ex-pilot is a terrible, monotone
host/narrator and all their "great planes" seem to be the ones some
museum in Virginia happens to have.

I'll have to check, that may be a series from many years ago that's
being recycled again, as a lot of its information on more recent
aircraft seems badly dated.
I'll take the monotone narrator any day of the week over the shows that
have the heavy metal soundtrack on them.

Pat

On Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:00:16 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

I'll take the monotone narrator any day of the week over the shows that
have the heavy metal soundtrack on them.

....I'll drink to that. To date, there's only been two tracks that've
been close enough to metal and still be tolerable to go with anything
military: "One Vision" by Queen, and "Dreams" by Van Hagar.


OM
--
]=====================================[
] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [
] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [
] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [
]=====================================[

On Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:00:16 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

I'll have to check, that may be a series from many years ago that's
being recycled again, as a lot of its information on more recent
aircraft seems badly dated.

Maybe we're talking about different shows. "Great Planes" hasn't
really tackled recent aircraft. I think Vietnam-era planes are the
most recent. But the monotone pilot has compared a few of the subjects
to the F-22 (not in detail, just to say "Oh, the F-8 was the first to
use that... the F-22 still does!) so it seems pretty recent.

My main complaint is the selection of "Great Planes". I really
wouldn't consider the F-100, A-7, or A-26 "great".

Brian

Brian Thorn wrote:
On Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:00:16 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

My main complaint is the selection of "Great Planes". I really
wouldn't consider the F-100, A-7, or A-26 "great".

I guess after a while you run out of the obvious ones, and end up with
choices like that.
All three of those aircraft had fairly long and successful operational
histories, and the program on the A-26 was interesting to watch, as it's
not that well known, and they did cover the A-20 Havoc in the same
episode. I had a Monogram model of a Invader as a kid, and frankly
didn't have a clue as to what is was or where it came from...it sure
didn't look like a Marauder of some sort:
http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com...-p6invader.JPG
Which leaves a good question - why exactly was it later given a "B-26"
designation after it had already been used by the Marauder?
My favorite "Wings" episode was the one where the B-17 was credited
with carrying ten _50 mm_ machine guns, which should have made any
German fighter very hesitant about attacking it.


Pat

On Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:44:53 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

My main complaint is the selection of "Great Planes". I really
wouldn't consider the F-100, A-7, or A-26 "great".

I guess after a while you run out of the obvious ones, and end up with
choices like that.

Except they haven't had very many episodes. They just started Season 2
in July. I checked their website and they do have episodes on the
F-15, F-16, and F-18. I haven't seen them, though. Last night, they
had an episode about the P-39. Yes, the Bell P-39 Airacobra. A "Great
Plane"? I don't think so, and very little of the discussion in the
episode supported the "Great Plane" moniker. What's next, the TBD
Devastator as a "Great Plane"? Meanwhile, they haven't done an episode
on the Spitfire, F4U, SBD, DC-3, B-52, F-86, 707, Lancaster...

All three of those aircraft had fairly long and successful operational
histories, and the program on the A-26 was interesting to watch, as it's
not that well known, and they did cover the A-20 Havoc in the same
episode.

Yeah, I liked that too. You don't see the Havoc on TV all that often.

I had a Monogram model of a Invader as a kid, and frankly
didn't have a clue as to what is was or where it came from...it sure
didn't look like a Marauder of some sort:
http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com...-p6invader.JPG

I had that model, but it was in different box art by the time I bought
it in the 70s.

Which leaves a good question - why exactly was it later given a "B-26"
designation after it had already been used by the Marauder?

The Air Force put the A-26 back in service after the Widowmaker, um...
I mean Marauder had been retired. By that point, the Air Force had
discontinued the A (Attack) designation, so the Invader went back into
service under the B-26 designation. When the DoD standardized
designations in 1962 or so, "A" was reinstated and the Invader went
back to A-26.

My favorite "Wings" episode was the one where the B-17 was credited
with carrying ten _50 mm_ machine guns, which should have made any
German fighter very hesitant about attacking it.

I wish they'd re-run Wings somewhere, even if its 3:00am ET.

Brian

On Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:44:53 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

My main complaint is the selection of "Great Planes". I really
wouldn't consider the F-100, A-7, or A-26 "great".

I guess after a while you run out of the obvious ones, and end up with
choices like that.

Except they haven't had very many episodes. They just started Season 2
in July. I checked their website and they do have episodes on the
F-15, F-16, and F-18. I haven't seen them, though. Last night, they
had an episode about the P-39. Yes, the Bell P-39 Airacobra. A "Great
Plane"? I don't think so, and very little of the discussion in the
episode supported the "Great Plane" moniker. What's next, the TBD
Devastator as a "Great Plane"? Meanwhile, they haven't done an episode
on the Spitfire, F4U, SBD, DC-3, B-52, F-86, 707, Lancaster...

All three of those aircraft had fairly long and successful operational
histories, and the program on the A-26 was interesting to watch, as it's
not that well known, and they did cover the A-20 Havoc in the same
episode.

Yeah, I liked that too. You don't see the Havoc on TV all that often.

I had a Monogram model of a Invader as a kid, and frankly
didn't have a clue as to what is was or where it came from...it sure
didn't look like a Marauder of some sort:
http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com...-p6invader.JPG

I had that model, but it was in different box art by the time I bought
it in the 70s.

Which leaves a good question - why exactly was it later given a "B-26"
designation after it had already been used by the Marauder?

The Air Force put the A-26 back in service after the Widowmaker, um...
I mean Marauder had been retired. By that point, the Air Force had
discontinued the A (Attack) designation, so the Invader went back into
service under the B-26 designation. When the DoD standardized
designations in 1962 or so, "A" was reinstated and the Invader went
back to A-26.

My favorite "Wings" episode was the one where the B-17 was credited
with carrying ten _50 mm_ machine guns, which should have made any
German fighter very hesitant about attacking it.

I wish they'd re-run Wings somewhere, even if its 3:00am ET.

Brian

"Pat Flannery" wrote in message
dakotatelephone...
Brian Thorn wrote:
On Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:00:16 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

My main complaint is the selection of "Great Planes". I really
wouldn't consider the F-100, A-7, or A-26 "great".

I guess after a while you run out of the obvious ones, and end up with
choices like that.
All three of those aircraft had fairly long and successful operational
histories, and the program on the A-26 was interesting to watch, as it's not
that well known, and they did cover the A-20 Havoc in the same episode. I had
a Monogram model of a Invader as a kid, and frankly didn't have a clue as to
what is was or where it came from...it sure didn't look like a Marauder of
some sort:
http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com...-p6invader.JPG
Which leaves a good question - why exactly was it later given a "B-26"
designation after it had already been used by the Marauder?
My favorite "Wings" episode was the one where the B-17 was credited with
carrying ten _50 mm_ machine guns, which should have made any German fighter
very hesitant about attacking it.


My dad flew over 70 missions in a B-24, and got a share of exactly one Jap
fighter
in all that time. I'd rather be in a fighter, a 20mm cannon has a much longer
range
and destructive power than a fifty.

I always wondered how he flew so many missions when I thought 25 was
the requirement. Then I paged through his log book, most missions read
something like....couldn't find the target....clouds over the target....got lost
.....mechanical trouble....too much flak, too many fighters....it took that many
to get in 25 'completed' missions.

And looking at the pictures of the mud covered runways they had to use
in the Pacific theatre, it's a wonder he made it throught 70 take-offs
and landings. Let alone missions.




Pat