Chantilly Shooter

The Japanese just retired their last F-4s. The squadrons are transitioning to...the F-35! I can't imagine what a leap that must be for all involved, and in every way imaginable. For further nerdery, take a look at the article below. It discusses attempted and executed upgrades to the F-4. The concept and history are relevant as the USAF moves toward procuring the F-15X and the USMC invests money in putting AESA radars in legacy Hornets. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/1980s-israel-developed-heavy-hammer-f-4-super-phantom-what-happened-44702 Awesome jet. Thanks for sharing.

Can't speak for the USAF, but something similar exists in the USMC (and USN to my knowledge). With a prior request from the squadron, senior aviators will sometimes get a water arch to taxi through. The local crash crew parks a couple trucks on the line facing each other, and fires the water cannons to create an arch. Once the pilot gets out, pressurized water spray bottles are used to douse them (in the resource-scarce USMC, we routinely just fill buckets and dump them on the person...). Some folks even pull the cords and inflate the flotation device on their flight gear. We spray down anyone leaving the squadron at all, though the water arch is reserved for senior members.

I'm yet to come across one who does want to wear the male uniforms. There is more complaining about the constant changing of the uniforms- be they dress, service, or working- then there is about what they might look like. Buying all of those new uniforms items costs a pretty penny. The servicewomen I know don't exactly find ANY uniform flattering. While male uniforms mimic civilian clothing that would be worn by a male, female uniforms don't. However, they are certainly better for females than the male uniforms are! It's also worth noting that all of the working uniforms (NWU, MARPAT, coveralls, etc) are gender-neutral. If you're here to work, put on your clothes, and do your job. If you want another shock, search some pictures of female Marine officers wearing the male dress blue jacket and cover...!

I used to live in Pensacola about three years ago. I worked on base, and lived not 30 seconds outside the back gate referenced above as the required point of entry. There's a shopping center about a mile up the road, straight out the gate, with a Target, Walmart, and a couple of other stores where you could easily park your car inconspicuously and call an Uber. That being said, I don't know if you can call an Uber onto the base at the end of your visit, so a taxi might be a safer bet. You should definitely not, under any circumstances, attempt to bring the firearm aboard base. Inevitably you would encounter a gate guard named 'Murphy,' and he has a law he has to follow... I'll add to the above with another enthusiastic recommendation for making the museum trip happen somehow. There are a lot of great artifacts, tons of information, and plenty of retired aviators around as docents to answer questions and generally shoot the breeze. Best of luck with the trip!