By Brian Livingston
blivingston@themeridianstar.com
I'm still flying high.
I'm also still a little sore. Since my flight with the Blue Angels #7 and Lt. Frank "Walleye" Weisser, a good number of people have asked me about the video of the flight we had on the Meridian Star website. They wondered, among other things, why I looked like I was in great pain but obviously still enjoying myself. It all has to do with the "hic" technique and flexing of my lower body so I wouldn't pass out during high G turns. Here's how it works.
With the onset of G-forces, pilots are trained to tighten their lower body, butt, thighs and everything else, to constrict blood flow. Because the blood wants to drain from the brain at high Gs, it isn't good for pilots to pass out. The Blue Angels don't wear G-suits developed during the Korean War to help combat high Gs.
At the same time you are constricting your lower body, you also want to tighten your stomach. That is where the "hic" techniqe comes in. Saying "hic" while taking deep breaths helps to keep the blood flow going in the upper portion of your body, mainly to your brain. Now, I'm not used to taking so may Gs so my technique was loud and pretty ugly. Aviators such as Walleye have done this so many times, and are in so much better shape, they can stay awake with minimal effort.
In order to properly constrict my lower body I was told to try and stand up in the 12-point harness I was strapped in. That did the trick. But I was so sore for three days afterward because I wasn't used to the exertion. It was pain I was glad to endure given I had the ride of the my life.
A side note. If you listen later on in the video, I'm actually saying "hut" instead of "hic." Reverting back to my football days, hut just came more naturally and accomplished the same thing. In fact, when I was flying the jet myself, that part isn't in the video, I hardly noticed the Gs even though I was pulling 5.5 to 6.5 on the meter. I just wanted to make sure the plane didn't hit the ground which I'm sure Walleye was watching for as well.
As for the bleeps, I apologize.
I was so pumped that I actually forgot EVERYTHING was being recorded. One person said I was taking the Lord's name in vain. I wasn't. The last time I did that was years ago when I hit my thumb with a hammer. What I was saying was "hot damn!" It was just youthful exhuberence on the part of a 48-year old man. Forgive me.
The Blue Angels put on a great show this weekend as did the rest of the performers. I couldn't help but get misty-eyed while watching the Angels fly wishing I was back up there with them. I know this was my first and last shot and I'm glad I didn't puke in their plane. I was, if you'll forgive me for blowing my own horn, very proud of myself for pulling up to 7.9 sustained Gs. It's a guy thang!
Somebody asked me how I was going to top this.
I had two words for them.
Space shuttle!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Wings Over Meridian ... Best time I've had in a while
I must say, Sunday was one of the best times I've ever had. I don't get out much (usually all I do is work and go home. If I'm lucky, I may get to go to Wal-Mart once a week!) and, like Chris Stewart, I'm not much on crowds — especially 50,000 people. I was nervous all the way out to NAS Meridian just thinking about all the people. We left home early and arrived around 9:10 a.m. — hardly any lines. We had great seats for the show and the food was excellent. My 2 1/2-year-old daughter was excited to see the planes, until the raptor came out. She jumped 10 feet in the air and started screaming! I immediately grabbed her and put my hands over her ears. She didn't want the ear plugs. By mid-afternoon she actually fell asleep in my lap for about 10 minutes with her hands over her ears. All in all everyone in my family enjoyed the show. I didn't even notice all the people as my eyes were glued to the sky. It was amazing!
Helen Reynolds
news editor
hreynolds@themeridianstar.com
Helen Reynolds
news editor
hreynolds@themeridianstar.com
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wings Over Meridian...look for me at the next show...I'll be there.
Okay, I've never had any interest in going to an air show, but the Wings Over Meridian show was freakin' amazing. I think it was one of the greatest local events that I've attended.
I was a little leary about going to the show, because of the crowd and decibel level (a brief background on myself, I don't like big crowds and the older I get the less I like loud noises), but everybody that I ran into was as cool as a fan and I bought earplugs on the way. It seemed like everyone that I ran into was having a good time, which amplified my good time.
I also got to try Tommy's Steak & Seafood, and quite frankly I'm sort of mad at myself for not trying their food before, for Christ's sake I've been living in the area all my life. The barbeque pork was perfect...not too salty, but you can taste meat with or without the sauce. I don't eat cole slaw, but I can only assume that Tommy’s is gotta be good. The sausage was "the bomb".
Everyone read or heard about the The Blue Angels experience, but just seeing is reason enough for any homebody to get out. It was amazing, 18 inches apart! The Fat Albert. The Killer Bees. Just go to the next one. You’ll see what I’m talking about.
I'm not gonna go on about the actual show, but I just want to let you know that I'll be there for the next one, and if you want to meet up, we'll collaborate on some good Bar-B-Que joints.
-Chris Stewart (page layout)
cstewart@themeridianstar.com
I was a little leary about going to the show, because of the crowd and decibel level (a brief background on myself, I don't like big crowds and the older I get the less I like loud noises), but everybody that I ran into was as cool as a fan and I bought earplugs on the way. It seemed like everyone that I ran into was having a good time, which amplified my good time.
I also got to try Tommy's Steak & Seafood, and quite frankly I'm sort of mad at myself for not trying their food before, for Christ's sake I've been living in the area all my life. The barbeque pork was perfect...not too salty, but you can taste meat with or without the sauce. I don't eat cole slaw, but I can only assume that Tommy’s is gotta be good. The sausage was "the bomb".
Everyone read or heard about the The Blue Angels experience, but just seeing is reason enough for any homebody to get out. It was amazing, 18 inches apart! The Fat Albert. The Killer Bees. Just go to the next one. You’ll see what I’m talking about.
I'm not gonna go on about the actual show, but I just want to let you know that I'll be there for the next one, and if you want to meet up, we'll collaborate on some good Bar-B-Que joints.
-Chris Stewart (page layout)
cstewart@themeridianstar.com
The Human Body
As I sit here wondering what to write in this blog (our boss made us do, freddie!) plenty of headlines rush through my head. I could write on the Air Show but unfortunately I wasn't able to go. I could write on the biggest story in the AP wire but I just put it on the page. I'm watching Family Guy but I doubt that would be a smart choice for a blog, plenty of laughs but no substance.
An hour and a half in... Alright.... The History Channel
Well, recently with the new beau I have been indulging myself with shows from the Discovery and History channels. Under Ground Cities, How It's Made, Myth Busters, and my favorite THE HUMAN BODY.
If you have not seen this show you must. I just wanted to comment on the brillance of this show. Besides the massive educational information, which is amazing in itself, the graphic elements of this show are beyond appreciating. They show, for example, a woman hiking in the desert up a huge cliff and falls approximately 20-30 feet to the ground. She has broken her leg in about 4 different places. Her ankle, hip, thigh, and shin, all on one side. There is this thing in your brain that controls pain. Your brain tells the rest of your body that it doesn't hurt. (like when you slam your finger in the door and it doesn't hurt for about 8 sec.) This woman crawled 2 hours just using her arms across the desert until she reached help. As soon as she saw the ambulance the pain was unbearable! Her brain kept the pain down for two hours. wow!
The image in your head right now of this story is the exactly how they show it.
This show is a must see! It is called THE HUMAN BODY. and if you didn't know... this show is based off of The Human Body exhibit in Mobile, AL.
Brilliant!
Lindsey Key
lkey@themeridianstar.com
An hour and a half in... Alright.... The History Channel
Well, recently with the new beau I have been indulging myself with shows from the Discovery and History channels. Under Ground Cities, How It's Made, Myth Busters, and my favorite THE HUMAN BODY.
If you have not seen this show you must. I just wanted to comment on the brillance of this show. Besides the massive educational information, which is amazing in itself, the graphic elements of this show are beyond appreciating. They show, for example, a woman hiking in the desert up a huge cliff and falls approximately 20-30 feet to the ground. She has broken her leg in about 4 different places. Her ankle, hip, thigh, and shin, all on one side. There is this thing in your brain that controls pain. Your brain tells the rest of your body that it doesn't hurt. (like when you slam your finger in the door and it doesn't hurt for about 8 sec.) This woman crawled 2 hours just using her arms across the desert until she reached help. As soon as she saw the ambulance the pain was unbearable! Her brain kept the pain down for two hours. wow!
The image in your head right now of this story is the exactly how they show it.
This show is a must see! It is called THE HUMAN BODY. and if you didn't know... this show is based off of The Human Body exhibit in Mobile, AL.
Brilliant!
Lindsey Key
lkey@themeridianstar.com
McCain's visit - the short version
Presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain made a campaign stop in Meridian this week to kick off his biographical "Service to America" tour, in which he will visit places where he has lived in a military-related capacity. Here's a brief overview of his visit:
Yesterday, McCain appeared at the Wings Over Meridian air show just in time for the performance by the Blue Angels. Campaigning on a military base is illegal, so he shook hands but didn't make any speeches. He also attended a reportedly $1,000 per person invitation-only dinner last night.
This morning, McCain gave a speech at the Riley Center, talking about his family's heritage in Mississippi and speaking nostalgically about his parents and grand-parents. He went on to talk about the government's role in parenting, saying that the government "can't just throw money at public education" without accountability, and that "a welfare check can't give a parent a sense of purpose." Though he talked profusely on his family's past role in Mississippi, he did not shed any additional light on the purpose of his visit to Meridian.
Reportedly, McCain was scheduled to visit Hope Village for Children after his Riley Center speech.
Check tomorrow's Meridian Star for more on McCain's speech at the Riley Center
- Jennifer Jacob
jjacob@themeridianstar.com
Yesterday, McCain appeared at the Wings Over Meridian air show just in time for the performance by the Blue Angels. Campaigning on a military base is illegal, so he shook hands but didn't make any speeches. He also attended a reportedly $1,000 per person invitation-only dinner last night.
This morning, McCain gave a speech at the Riley Center, talking about his family's heritage in Mississippi and speaking nostalgically about his parents and grand-parents. He went on to talk about the government's role in parenting, saying that the government "can't just throw money at public education" without accountability, and that "a welfare check can't give a parent a sense of purpose." Though he talked profusely on his family's past role in Mississippi, he did not shed any additional light on the purpose of his visit to Meridian.
Reportedly, McCain was scheduled to visit Hope Village for Children after his Riley Center speech.
Check tomorrow's Meridian Star for more on McCain's speech at the Riley Center
- Jennifer Jacob
jjacob@themeridianstar.com
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Flight of fancy
By Brian Livingston
blivingston@themeridianstar.com
It was absolutely the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on!
Flying in, and actually being able to take the stick in a high performance fighter jet such as the F/A 18 Hornet was an adrenaline rush like I've never felt before. It was also the culmination of years of dreaming of what it must feel like to pull massive Gs and live to tell about.
The media flight I took courtesy of the US Navy's Blue Angels Wednesday afternoon was made all the more memorable because of Lt. Frank "Walleye" Weisser. He is a combat vet and air show narrator for the Blue Angels. He was also like a brother in the front seat as we cut up the sky doing most anything the jet is capable of doing. Simply awesome!
Understand, I'm 48 years old and when first told I might have a chance to do this made the weeks prior to Wednesday drag by like a bad movie. I had several fears rolling around in my head namely if I'd even pass a physical. In the back of my mind I knew I wasn't a young guy anymore. I still get aches and pains from playing a round of golf or mowing the yard so I was really questioning myself as to if I could take 2 Gs much less six or seven. I certainly didn't want to throw up in the cockpit.
I not only saw this opportunity as fulfilling a lifelong dream of flying a fighter but I wanted to know if I still "had it" or some semblance of moxie I used to have when I was much younger. Aging makes you wish for the days of youth. I wanted to see if I was man enough to take it.
I've flown in a lot of different aircraft from helicopters, both civilian and military, civilian, commercial and military planes but nothing on the scale of a high performance fighter jet such as the Hornet. I've also had the utmost respect for all pilots who break the bounds of gravity and fly. Even civilian pilots who take off on weekend flights have to be on their toes and not get too complacent. Bad pilots don't fly for very long.
With an elite aviator such as Walleye in the front seat I was surprisingly calm as we taxied out Wednesday at NAS Meridian. All the anxiety had gone once I sat down in the seat and got strapped in. I was ready, I hoped.
You are taught in the briefing, and the lessons are gone over again by Walleye in the air, to try and stand up in the seat whenever high Gs are coming. You are in a 12-point harness system and can hardly breathe much less stand up but try you do and it helped me out a great deal. Trying to stand up tightens all those lower body muscles as we weren't wearing G-suits. This keeps the blood flow to your brain so you don't black out. You also have to take deep breathes while saying the word "Hick." This also helps keep blood flow to your brain and upper body. As I watched the cockpit tape today I noticed I wasn't saying Hick but instead, Hut! I guess that's the old football player in me. Whatever it was it helped.
The flight itself was simply awesome. Very few people get to do what I did so I remain very thankful to the Blue Angels for picking me to fly.
After years of playing combat flight sims on the home PC I often wondered what it felt like to pull serious Gs. I'm here to tell you it is serious work while at the time trying to fly and fight. Kudos to all combat pilots, Navy, Marine and Air Force, who have to endure these effects on their bodies as they fight for their lives.
You also have to be a math wiz, which Walleye is. That is why I didn't go into flying seriously out of high school. I was horrible at math but I was also smart enough to know that. Walleye said from the time he gets into the cockpit to when he leaves he is constantly doing the math in his head. It's intensive.
We went from flying .98 mach at low level to doing loops, rolls and much more at 8,000 feet. The awesome power of the twin engined Hornet at your fingertips was mind blowing. At the flick of a wrist you could go from 200 knots airspeed to afterburner to mach whatever. It took us about 15 seconds to transistion from 120 knots to a hair under the sound barrier. In fact you could feel just a little buffeting as the Hornet flirted with Mach 1. But alas, we weren't cleared for supersonic flight so we reluctantly backed off.
High G turns, such as the one over NAS Meridian as we prepared to land in which I pulled 7.9 Gs without blacking out, is like having an elephant sitting on your chest. Almost eight times my weight of 190 pounds. You do the math, I can't.
I didn't sleep at all Wednesday night. I was replaying the flight over and over in my head. I was wishing I did more when Walleye handed me the stick but I have to admit I was a little tentative and conservative. That was OK because during some of my higher G turns, somewhere in the 5.9 to 6.5 G range, Walleye admitted he had to do some Hick technique so he wouldn't start to gray out. That made me feel good.
Walleye, I just can't say enough about him. I couldn't have picked a better front seater for this dream come true. The man is built like a statue. While we were all sweating and panting when we landed, he popped out the jet and walked around like he was at the Bonita Lakes Mall. I didn't see the guy sweat one time! But he's young, in excellent shape and confident. Bullet proof? Oh yeah.
I have to admit I've been walking around today with a bit of that aviator swagger. It's not arrogance or anything like that. It stems more from the fact I faced one of my lifelong challenges and came out a winner. I was 18 years old again standing in the middle of the football field I played on in southeast Arkansas celebrating a state championship in 1977. When Walleye told me about hitting the 7.9 G mark, he was as ecstatic as I was. He said I was a G-monster and had done better than any media rep who has flown with him. Now, this guy is super nice and he may have been telling me that to make me feel good but I doubt it. I think he was sincere and I appreciate that.
It's not often we get to realize our dreams. Many dreams and goals fall by the wayside as we try to eke out a living and raise our families. We get older and believe we can't do some of the things we wish we could. Well, here's to reaching out and meeting the challenge. I'm not going to pretend I'm a fighter pilot on par with all those serving our nation's military. I'm far from it. But I have tasted the life and I like it. I've felt the power I'm addicted. Thanks Walleye, Blue Angels and everyone who helped me reach my goal.
blivingston@themeridianstar.com
It was absolutely the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on!
Flying in, and actually being able to take the stick in a high performance fighter jet such as the F/A 18 Hornet was an adrenaline rush like I've never felt before. It was also the culmination of years of dreaming of what it must feel like to pull massive Gs and live to tell about.
The media flight I took courtesy of the US Navy's Blue Angels Wednesday afternoon was made all the more memorable because of Lt. Frank "Walleye" Weisser. He is a combat vet and air show narrator for the Blue Angels. He was also like a brother in the front seat as we cut up the sky doing most anything the jet is capable of doing. Simply awesome!
Understand, I'm 48 years old and when first told I might have a chance to do this made the weeks prior to Wednesday drag by like a bad movie. I had several fears rolling around in my head namely if I'd even pass a physical. In the back of my mind I knew I wasn't a young guy anymore. I still get aches and pains from playing a round of golf or mowing the yard so I was really questioning myself as to if I could take 2 Gs much less six or seven. I certainly didn't want to throw up in the cockpit.
I not only saw this opportunity as fulfilling a lifelong dream of flying a fighter but I wanted to know if I still "had it" or some semblance of moxie I used to have when I was much younger. Aging makes you wish for the days of youth. I wanted to see if I was man enough to take it.
I've flown in a lot of different aircraft from helicopters, both civilian and military, civilian, commercial and military planes but nothing on the scale of a high performance fighter jet such as the Hornet. I've also had the utmost respect for all pilots who break the bounds of gravity and fly. Even civilian pilots who take off on weekend flights have to be on their toes and not get too complacent. Bad pilots don't fly for very long.
With an elite aviator such as Walleye in the front seat I was surprisingly calm as we taxied out Wednesday at NAS Meridian. All the anxiety had gone once I sat down in the seat and got strapped in. I was ready, I hoped.
You are taught in the briefing, and the lessons are gone over again by Walleye in the air, to try and stand up in the seat whenever high Gs are coming. You are in a 12-point harness system and can hardly breathe much less stand up but try you do and it helped me out a great deal. Trying to stand up tightens all those lower body muscles as we weren't wearing G-suits. This keeps the blood flow to your brain so you don't black out. You also have to take deep breathes while saying the word "Hick." This also helps keep blood flow to your brain and upper body. As I watched the cockpit tape today I noticed I wasn't saying Hick but instead, Hut! I guess that's the old football player in me. Whatever it was it helped.
The flight itself was simply awesome. Very few people get to do what I did so I remain very thankful to the Blue Angels for picking me to fly.
After years of playing combat flight sims on the home PC I often wondered what it felt like to pull serious Gs. I'm here to tell you it is serious work while at the time trying to fly and fight. Kudos to all combat pilots, Navy, Marine and Air Force, who have to endure these effects on their bodies as they fight for their lives.
You also have to be a math wiz, which Walleye is. That is why I didn't go into flying seriously out of high school. I was horrible at math but I was also smart enough to know that. Walleye said from the time he gets into the cockpit to when he leaves he is constantly doing the math in his head. It's intensive.
We went from flying .98 mach at low level to doing loops, rolls and much more at 8,000 feet. The awesome power of the twin engined Hornet at your fingertips was mind blowing. At the flick of a wrist you could go from 200 knots airspeed to afterburner to mach whatever. It took us about 15 seconds to transistion from 120 knots to a hair under the sound barrier. In fact you could feel just a little buffeting as the Hornet flirted with Mach 1. But alas, we weren't cleared for supersonic flight so we reluctantly backed off.
High G turns, such as the one over NAS Meridian as we prepared to land in which I pulled 7.9 Gs without blacking out, is like having an elephant sitting on your chest. Almost eight times my weight of 190 pounds. You do the math, I can't.
I didn't sleep at all Wednesday night. I was replaying the flight over and over in my head. I was wishing I did more when Walleye handed me the stick but I have to admit I was a little tentative and conservative. That was OK because during some of my higher G turns, somewhere in the 5.9 to 6.5 G range, Walleye admitted he had to do some Hick technique so he wouldn't start to gray out. That made me feel good.
Walleye, I just can't say enough about him. I couldn't have picked a better front seater for this dream come true. The man is built like a statue. While we were all sweating and panting when we landed, he popped out the jet and walked around like he was at the Bonita Lakes Mall. I didn't see the guy sweat one time! But he's young, in excellent shape and confident. Bullet proof? Oh yeah.
I have to admit I've been walking around today with a bit of that aviator swagger. It's not arrogance or anything like that. It stems more from the fact I faced one of my lifelong challenges and came out a winner. I was 18 years old again standing in the middle of the football field I played on in southeast Arkansas celebrating a state championship in 1977. When Walleye told me about hitting the 7.9 G mark, he was as ecstatic as I was. He said I was a G-monster and had done better than any media rep who has flown with him. Now, this guy is super nice and he may have been telling me that to make me feel good but I doubt it. I think he was sincere and I appreciate that.
It's not often we get to realize our dreams. Many dreams and goals fall by the wayside as we try to eke out a living and raise our families. We get older and believe we can't do some of the things we wish we could. Well, here's to reaching out and meeting the challenge. I'm not going to pretend I'm a fighter pilot on par with all those serving our nation's military. I'm far from it. But I have tasted the life and I like it. I've felt the power I'm addicted. Thanks Walleye, Blue Angels and everyone who helped me reach my goal.
How's your 2008?
Joy Henson
Jhenson@393mag.com
While sitting in the doctors office yesterday morning, I was asked by a complete stranger..."how is your 2008 going?" Not feeling so well, I replied "good I guess." Thankfully, my name was the next name called to see the doctor. Usually I'm all about visiting with people but, feeling the way I was feeling, I just wanted to be left alone. Thirty minutes later I was getting my diagnosis of strep throat.
After leaving the doctor's office I got to thinking, how is my 2008 going? To be honest, it's flying by. I can't believe April is around the corner. I am, however, looking forward to the pollen disappearing and the wonderful smell of hamburgers grilling on the grill.
My top 5 of 2008 (in no particular order), so far...
1 - Seeing snow for the first time in years...
2 - Hosting family and friends over to my new home...
3 - Meeting new faces...
4 - Spoiling my nieces...
5 - Enjoying every aspect of my job...
So I ask you...How's your 2008?
Jhenson@393mag.com
While sitting in the doctors office yesterday morning, I was asked by a complete stranger..."how is your 2008 going?" Not feeling so well, I replied "good I guess." Thankfully, my name was the next name called to see the doctor. Usually I'm all about visiting with people but, feeling the way I was feeling, I just wanted to be left alone. Thirty minutes later I was getting my diagnosis of strep throat.
After leaving the doctor's office I got to thinking, how is my 2008 going? To be honest, it's flying by. I can't believe April is around the corner. I am, however, looking forward to the pollen disappearing and the wonderful smell of hamburgers grilling on the grill.
My top 5 of 2008 (in no particular order), so far...
1 - Seeing snow for the first time in years...
2 - Hosting family and friends over to my new home...
3 - Meeting new faces...
4 - Spoiling my nieces...
5 - Enjoying every aspect of my job...
So I ask you...How's your 2008?
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