January 2026 - Helobubbas - mcs13.brattland.org

The $1.5 Trillion Budget Is the Carrot. The Executive Order Is the Stick.
by mgbrattland＠gerlecreek.com 20 Jan '26

20 Jan '26

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2026/01/20/the_15_trillion_budget_ is_the_carrot_the_executive_order_is_the_stick_1159730.html

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Latest on Taiwan's defense
by Marc Liebman 20 Jan '26

20 Jan '26

The TPP – Taiwan People’s Party – is, I believe a mouthpiece for the PRC. https://understandingwar.org/research/china-taiwan/china-taiwan-update-janu… Marc Liebman https://www.marcliebman.com https://www.facebook.com/marcliebmanauthor/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_sDoFQM5wupNaCeGIvKL1g Author of: Cherubs 2 Raider of the Scottish Coast Big Mother 40 Carronade Render Harmless Death of a Lady Forgotten Last Battles Inner Look For a Few Francs Moscow Airlift Predators The Simushir Island Incident Fight We Shall Flight of the Pawnee Failure to Fire Insidious Dragon The Red Star of Death Member of: The Author’s Guild Military Writers Society of America Association of Texas Authors North American Snowsport Journalists Association --

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FW: : For all you rotorheads .. or wannabe rotorheads!!
by mgbrattland＠gerlecreek.com 19 Jan '26

19 Jan '26

From: randall abshier <abshierr(a)cox.net> Sent: Monday, January 19, 2026 3:12 PM To: Mike Brattland <mgbrattland(a)gerlecreek.com>; Dick Catone <dickcatone(a)bellsouth.net> Subject: Fwd: : For all you rotorheads .. or wannabe rotorheads!! Just got this from my flight surgeon(HS-15, early 70s). Sent from my Subject: For all you rotorheads .. or wannabe rotorheads!! 1. Once you are in flight, it is way too late to wonder if this is a good idea.. 2. It is a fact that helicopter tail rotors are instinctively drawn toward trees, stumps, rocks, etc. While it may be possible to ward off this natural event some of the time, it cannot, despite the best efforts of the crew, always be prevented. It's just what they do. 3. The engine RPM and the rotor RPM must both be kept in the Green. Failure to heed this commandment can affect the morale of the crew. 4. Decisions made by someone above you in the chain-of-command will seldom be in your best interest. 5. The terms Protective Armor and Helicopter are mutually exclusive. 6. Sometime being good and lucky is still not enough. 7. "Chicken Plates" are not something you order in a restaurant. 8. The BSR (Bang Stare Red) theory states that the louder the sudden bang in the helicopter, the quicker your eyes will be drawn to the gauges. The longer you stare at the gauges the less time it takes them to move from green to red. 9. Nomex is not fire-proof. 10 In helicopters there is no such thing as "a good vibration". 11. A free fire zone has nothing to do with economics. 12. The further you fly into the mountains, the louder the strange engine noise becomes. 13. "Pucker Factor" is the formal name of the equation that states that the more hairy the situation is, the more of the seat will be sucked up your butt. It can be expressed in its mathematical formula of S - (suction) + H - (height above the ground) + I - (interest in staying alive) + T - (number of tracers coming your way). 14. Running out of pedal, fore or aft cyclic, or collective are all bad ideas. Any combination of these can be deadly. 15. There is no such thing as a small fire fight. 16. While the rest of the crew may be in the same predicament, it is almost always the pilots job to arrive at the crash first. 17. A billfold in your hip pocket can numb your leg and be a real pain in the ass. 18. It does too get cold in Vietnam. 19. If something hasn't broken on your helicopter, it's about to. 20. Eat when you can. Sleep when you can. Visit the latrine when you can. The next opportunity may not come around for a long time. If ever. 21. A standard opening line for Army instructor pilots instructing on helicopters in the 60's: "There are 25 instruments in front of you, and the only one you can trust is the clock". 22. Hovering ..is for people who love to fly helicopters but have no place to go! 23. Flying helicopters isn't more dangerous. Crashing them is what's dangerous, and it just happens more often. 24. During autorotation at night, turn on landing light. If the terrain looks unsuitable turn the landing light back off... 25. The purpose of the main rotor is to cool the pilot. Watch how he sweats if it slows down a little. 26. There are only two kinds of helicopter pilots: those that have crashed and those who are going to. 27. Always remember that helicopters are different from airplanes. Helicopters are thousands of pounds of parts all flying in opposition to each other, and unlike airplanes, they fly by beating the air into submission.

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Just Sayin
by Robert Miller 19 Jan '26

19 Jan '26

On January 7, 1967, John Steinbeck was in Pleiku, Vietnam, flying a UH-1 Huey helicopter with Troop D, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry. He wrote the following about helicopter pilots: “I wish I could tell you about these pilots. They make me sick with envy. They pilot their vehicles like a man controls a beautiful, well-trained draft horse. They zigzag along streambeds, rise like swallows to clear trees, turn, twist, and dive like swifts in the evening. I watch their hands and feet on the controls; the delicacy of their coordination reminds me of (Pablo) Casals’s sure, seemingly slow hands on the cello. They truly are musicians’ hands, and they play their controls like music, and they dance them like ballerinas, and they make me jealous because I so long to do the same. Do you remember your childhood nighttime dream of perfect, free, and wonderful flight? It’s like that, and sadly, I know I never will.” My hands are too old and forgetful to receive orders from the command center, which speaks of updrafts and crosswinds, drift and changes of direction, or ground attacks indicated by a small puff or a flash, or a bang, and all these commands must be obeyed by the musicians' hands instantly and automatically. I must express my desire in admiration and joy at seeing it. Sorry for the ecstasy leak, Alicia, but I had to get it out or I'd explode.

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NHA Old Furniture Giveaway
by mgbrattland＠gerlecreek.com 18 Jan '26

18 Jan '26

If anyone in the San Diego are is looking for some good steel shelving for their garage or other bits of furniture, have a look at what NHA is trying to find a home for below...All free..come and get it..Info and guidance on the web link below..mgb https://www.nhahistoricalsociety.org/nha-old-furniture-giveaway/ CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) <mailto:mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> mgbrattland(a)gerlecreek.com <mailto:mgbrattland@brattland.org> mgbrattland(a)brattland.org Admin/Moderator SanDiegoCarGuys List & Calendar of Events <mailto:sandiegocarguys@brattland.org> sandiegocarguys(a)brattland.org 619 454-0496 '38 Willys 2 Dr Sedan Webmaster for <http://www.brattland.org/> www.brattland.org <http://www.overthehillgang.com/> www.overthehillgang.com <http://www.overdrivehotrodnews.com/> www.overdrivehotrodnews.com <http://www.gerlecreek.org/> www.gerlecreek.org <http://www.helobubbas.com/> www.helobubbas.com <http://www.prowlers.org/> www.prowlers.org <http://www.gerlecreek.com/> www.gerlecreek.com <http://www.ford6vcarburetion.com/> www.ford6vcarburetion.com <http://www.westcoastwillysclub.com/> www.westcoastwillysclub.com <http://www.nssha.org/> www.nssha.org <http://www.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> www.nhahistoricalsociety.org <https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/

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Canadian Tactical Helicopter Replacement
by mgbrattland＠gerlecreek.com 17 Jan '26

17 Jan '26

https://ottawacitizen.com/public-service/defence-watch/new-canadian-forces-h elicopters

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Israeli CH-53 Dropping Stricken UH-60 During Sling-Load Mishap Caught On Video
by mgbrattland＠gerlecreek.com 16 Jan '26

16 Jan '26

Interesting, Israel has ordered ex Navy SH-60Fs for its Navy according to the story. Someone unintentionally hit the button on the cyclic or some other electrical glitch happened since the external lift looks pretty good. https://www.twz.com/air/israeli-ch-53-dropping-stricken-uh-60-during-sling-l oad-mishap-caught-on-video CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) <mailto:mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> mgbrattland(a)gerlecreek.com <mailto:mgbrattland@brattland.org> mgbrattland(a)brattland.org Admin/Moderator SanDiegoCarGuys List & Calendar of Events <mailto:sandiegocarguys@brattland.org> sandiegocarguys(a)brattland.org 619 454-0496 '38 Willys 2 Dr Sedan Webmaster for <http://www.brattland.org/> www.brattland.org <http://www.overthehillgang.com/> www.overthehillgang.com <http://www.overdrivehotrodnews.com/> www.overdrivehotrodnews.com <http://www.gerlecreek.org/> www.gerlecreek.org <http://www.helobubbas.com/> www.helobubbas.com <http://www.prowlers.org/> www.prowlers.org <http://www.gerlecreek.com/> www.gerlecreek.com <http://www.ford6vcarburetion.com/> www.ford6vcarburetion.com <http://www.westcoastwillysclub.com/> www.westcoastwillysclub.com <http://www.nssha.org/> www.nssha.org <http://www.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> www.nhahistoricalsociety.org <https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/

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Ghost Hawk
by mgbrattland＠gerlecreek.com 16 Jan '26

16 Jan '26

https://x.com/Jonnywithacam/status/2011988840148283417?s=20 CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) <mailto:mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> mgbrattland(a)gerlecreek.com <mailto:mgbrattland@brattland.org> mgbrattland(a)brattland.org Admin/Moderator SanDiegoCarGuys List & Calendar of Events <mailto:sandiegocarguys@brattland.org> sandiegocarguys(a)brattland.org 619 454-0496 '38 Willys 2 Dr Sedan Webmaster for <http://www.brattland.org/> www.brattland.org <http://www.overthehillgang.com/> www.overthehillgang.com <http://www.overdrivehotrodnews.com/> www.overdrivehotrodnews.com <http://www.gerlecreek.org/> www.gerlecreek.org <http://www.helobubbas.com/> www.helobubbas.com <http://www.prowlers.org/> www.prowlers.org <http://www.gerlecreek.com/> www.gerlecreek.com <http://www.ford6vcarburetion.com/> www.ford6vcarburetion.com <http://www.westcoastwillysclub.com/> www.westcoastwillysclub.com <http://www.nssha.org/> www.nssha.org <http://www.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> www.nhahistoricalsociety.org <https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/

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ISW's analysis of Putin's calculus vis a vis Venezuela
by Marc Liebman 16 Jan '26

16 Jan '26

https://understandingwar.org/research/adversary-entente/russias-non-respons… Marc Liebman https://www.marcliebman.com https://www.facebook.com/marcliebmanauthor/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_sDoFQM5wupNaCeGIvKL1g Author of: Cherubs 2 Raider of the Scottish Coast Big Mother 40 Carronade Render Harmless Death of a Lady Forgotten Last Battles Inner Look For a Few Francs Moscow Airlift Predators The Simushir Island Incident Fight We Shall Flight of the Pawnee Failure to Fire Insidious Dragon The Red Star of Death Member of: The Author’s Guild Military Writers Society of America Association of Texas Authors North American Snowsport Journalists Association --

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Navy Has A Plan To Attack Embarrassing Rust Caked On Its Warships
by mgbrattland＠gerlecreek.com 16 Jan '26

16 Jan '26

https://www.twz.com/sea/navy-has-a-plan-to-attack-embarrassing-rust-caked-on -its-warships CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) <mailto:mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> mgbrattland(a)gerlecreek.com <mailto:mgbrattland@brattland.org> mgbrattland(a)brattland.org Admin/Moderator SanDiegoCarGuys List & Calendar of Events <mailto:sandiegocarguys@brattland.org> sandiegocarguys(a)brattland.org 619 454-0496 '38 Willys 2 Dr Sedan Webmaster for <http://www.brattland.org/> www.brattland.org <http://www.overthehillgang.com/> www.overthehillgang.com <http://www.overdrivehotrodnews.com/> www.overdrivehotrodnews.com <http://www.gerlecreek.org/> www.gerlecreek.org <http://www.helobubbas.com/> www.helobubbas.com <http://www.prowlers.org/> www.prowlers.org <http://www.gerlecreek.com/> www.gerlecreek.com <http://www.ford6vcarburetion.com/> www.ford6vcarburetion.com <http://www.westcoastwillysclub.com/> www.westcoastwillysclub.com <http://www.nssha.org/> www.nssha.org <http://www.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> www.nhahistoricalsociety.org <https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/

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