Wingman

Wired.com ^ | August 18, 2003 | Michael Abrams

[Erasmus]

Ah Ft Benning where the Army takes 6 hours of training and crams it into 3 weeks.

Radio training session 1: Push to talk.

Radio training session 2: Release to listen.

[Lazamataz]

(old man voice) 1.5 miles an hour is too durn-fangled fast, yah kid yah! Stay off my lawn, yah! (waving fist)

[fish hawk]

If God wanted man to fly he would have given him a pea sized brain!

[Lazamataz]

Uh-oh, YBMTI.

Yellow Butter Melts Toward Incinerator?

[Lazamataz]

If God wanted man to fly he would have given him a pea sized brain!

So what you're saying is, G-d wants liberals to fly.

[Bubba_Leroy]

So what you are saying is that God only wants democRATs to fly?

[Bubba_Leroy]

Damn, you beat me to it.

[Lazamataz]

Damn, you beat me to it.

(blows smoke off my keyboard and puts it back in my holster)

[AngryJawa]

"The Segue is about as risky as I am getting, pal."

Riding a Segway is dorky-looking enough, why would you wear wings too? Hmmmmmm?

[ko_kyi]

To Infinity....And Beyond!

[NerdDad]

Student: Sergeant, after we leave the aircraft, how long do we have to open our chute?


Wait for it....



Sergeant: The rest of your life, son.

[Charles Henrickson]

Dädalus

Deadalus.

[Timesink]

Oh boy! A whole NEW way to die!

[yhwhsman]

Me too, that looks like it'd be a blast.

I'm already working towards a date with a parachute, by the time I can do it hopefully these will be common. Woo Hoo

Yhwhsman

[NerdDad]

"It's like an arrow." Bull's-eye.

Hmmm. Replace the parachute with a C-4 pak. Stand-off distance is how far? Drop one Islamakazi from the plane XX distance from the target--say a nuke plant--you have just made a cruise missile with next to no radar cross-section to fulfill the ambitions of those who wish our destruction.

If some halfwit computer geek can dream up this scenario upon seeing the article, you can bet smarter people than me with more nefarious ambitions have already seen the possibilities too.

On a more personal note: I'd want to see how this thing bleeds off airspeed. I've had the honor of flying a couple times in USAF trainer jets. The parachute is strapped on very tightly at the crotch. I've had the added honor of discussing the opening of said chutes with those who have been unfortunate enough to have to use them. The jolt on the nuggets when the chute opens is described as somewhat unpleasant(/understatement). Based on that anectodal evidence, I would bet that opening a chute at 186 mph would create 2 to 3 separate parts from what was a happy flyer.