Yesterday was a great Radio Control flying day. The winds were mild, out of the West to Southwest. Not the best direction but since the winds were moderate, it made little difference to us experienced flyers.
And the airplane cooperated, not a first, the trim was way off. But now it is trimmed up correctly and fling great. It is still squirrely on take off and I have concluded it is something not just right with the rudder servo. In this plane the rudder servo also drives the tail wheel. I am close to getting it right now and will look at it in detail later today. If necessary, I will swap out the servo.
You never can tell, the first thing I found on the tail wheel was the mounting assembly was loose. I was able to tighten that up and things moderated quite a bit. But I noted the servo just did not seem to be perfect. I checked in flight, two mistakes high, and it was doing just fine as rudder control. I had gone to a dual rod push pull set up because the control rods were very limber. So instead on one rod doubled up with another soldered to it, I went with the push pull dual rod set up. Maybe there is not enough slop in the set up, that is it is to tight. The other control rods to the elevator and both aileron servos have doubled solder rods to eliminate the excessive bending.
Today looks good for flying too but I shall pass. Three days in a row in January is PDG. We had to shed our sweaters, hoodies, etc., it got so warm. And we stayed longer too. Thanks to MLK, the working stiffs could stay with us retired (or as we say retarded) flyers.
Yes, it was great day. Thank you Martin.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Friday, January 16, 2015
Texas Drivers Licence . . .
I received a letter from Texas Department of Transportation saying it was time to renew my drivers license and a lot of other stuff about proving citizenship, identification, what documents are needed and DD-214 if you want veteran acknowledgement on the card. So I set off to the TEX DoT office with a DD-214, the letter and my usual documentation (license, voter registration and Military ID card) to get a renewed license. Usually one can renew by mail but it said not this time, I had go down to the office.
I popped into the door only to greet a line with perhaps 20 some odd people, teenagers getting their first license, new folks to Texas and so on. Fortunately, the office does not issue license plates or it would have been literally over run with people.
In my movement forward I spied a form that they apparently wanted to be filled out. It was "request of new/renewal/ID card". It had a series of questions about health, where you live, your current license number, etc. One question was, "Are you a disabled veteran over 60%, if so the license was free." So I dutifully checked that block.
When I got up to the first person behind the counter, she looked at my current license and then the form. She said where is your VA letter. I said, "No one said I had to have a VA letter."
She said, "Go home and get the letter, it is worth $25 to you."
Well home is 15 miles away so I offered to pay and get it over with. She said no, go get the letter.
So I left and went and got the letter. I made a copy of it on my printer and returned to the office. They sent me well ahead of the line, I had to wait about 10 minutes or so and was called up.
Then they ran in a trainee to do my job with an experienced woman standing over her shoulder. That took a little bit longer but both the letter and the DD-214 came into play. They actually scanned my application, the DD-214 and the VA letter into my record. Next came the picture and then a signature block and finally, new to me, finger prints via a slick optical device. That was new to me. My license was a little different in that (a) I was a veteran and (b) was a disabled veteran.
I had to do the traditional eye test. I did that without glasses for the first time in my life. I passed the test and now no longer have to be concerned about wearing glasses while driving.
Then a received a print out document with my picture on it to verify the address and dates. I did so and they returned the DD-214 and the VA letter to me and said,"You will receive a new license in 8 to 10 days, keep this print out as your interim license."
And there were no fees. I like that. Nice people there.
I popped into the door only to greet a line with perhaps 20 some odd people, teenagers getting their first license, new folks to Texas and so on. Fortunately, the office does not issue license plates or it would have been literally over run with people.
In my movement forward I spied a form that they apparently wanted to be filled out. It was "request of new/renewal/ID card". It had a series of questions about health, where you live, your current license number, etc. One question was, "Are you a disabled veteran over 60%, if so the license was free." So I dutifully checked that block.
When I got up to the first person behind the counter, she looked at my current license and then the form. She said where is your VA letter. I said, "No one said I had to have a VA letter."
She said, "Go home and get the letter, it is worth $25 to you."
Well home is 15 miles away so I offered to pay and get it over with. She said no, go get the letter.
So I left and went and got the letter. I made a copy of it on my printer and returned to the office. They sent me well ahead of the line, I had to wait about 10 minutes or so and was called up.
Then they ran in a trainee to do my job with an experienced woman standing over her shoulder. That took a little bit longer but both the letter and the DD-214 came into play. They actually scanned my application, the DD-214 and the VA letter into my record. Next came the picture and then a signature block and finally, new to me, finger prints via a slick optical device. That was new to me. My license was a little different in that (a) I was a veteran and (b) was a disabled veteran.
I had to do the traditional eye test. I did that without glasses for the first time in my life. I passed the test and now no longer have to be concerned about wearing glasses while driving.
Then a received a print out document with my picture on it to verify the address and dates. I did so and they returned the DD-214 and the VA letter to me and said,"You will receive a new license in 8 to 10 days, keep this print out as your interim license."
And there were no fees. I like that. Nice people there.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Another Artic Express . . .
Got up this AM about 6:30 or so, noted that the temperature was above freezing, about 36 degrees. The weather Gurus had said it would be really cold today accompanied by high winds
Judie has to go out for a doctors appointment. I do not have to go anywhere. I may have to set up the propane heater in the garage if I go out there to piddle around. No real reason to go out there either.
Judie has to go out for a doctors appointment. I do not have to go anywhere. I may have to set up the propane heater in the garage if I go out there to piddle around. No real reason to go out there either.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
France . . .
France, the most liberal European country in applying its criminal laws. Yet when it comes to terror they respond appropriately, the kill the person or persons responsible for the terrorist acts. Bang, bang, you are dead.
I like that, no court case, just kill them. That should convey a message to those who are considering that they should follow on with similar acts in France. Don't do it. It is a death certificate all ready for your name. Fill in the blanks and shoot. Identify and shoot. Locate and shoot.
None of that USA Mirandarizing of them, of trying them and of incarcerating them. Just take care of them with a FMJ (in case you did not know what that is, it is a Full Metal Jacket [ergo FMJ] bullet). No wasting of time in courts, in preparation and throwing copious amounts of government money to defense lawyers, none of that waste is involved. Spend a few dollars on good ammo, quicker and a lot cheaper and a final answer.
The attorneys may not like that but that is the way it is in France. Screw the legal system, just hand out quick and final justice.
Works for me!
I like that, no court case, just kill them. That should convey a message to those who are considering that they should follow on with similar acts in France. Don't do it. It is a death certificate all ready for your name. Fill in the blanks and shoot. Identify and shoot. Locate and shoot.
None of that USA Mirandarizing of them, of trying them and of incarcerating them. Just take care of them with a FMJ (in case you did not know what that is, it is a Full Metal Jacket [ergo FMJ] bullet). No wasting of time in courts, in preparation and throwing copious amounts of government money to defense lawyers, none of that waste is involved. Spend a few dollars on good ammo, quicker and a lot cheaper and a final answer.
The attorneys may not like that but that is the way it is in France. Screw the legal system, just hand out quick and final justice.
Works for me!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Now I Know . . .
Now I know my smart phone works. I was warned about this but that's the new way, I guess.
I just got my daily out of the blue call from some one I do not know. I am sure it is some deal cold calling to separate me from my money. I get them from Washington, Vermont, etc. locations of which I have no know friends (or enemies for that matter).
Sets off my LSU ring tone. Nice to hear rev up but with a sense of disappointment, a quick check leads me to the turn off the call button. At least I am learning how to make that small little effort to turn off the caller. I am not going to waste my valuable personal and telephone time to listen to some hair brained sales pitch of a walk in bathtub, hearing aids (I already have those gratis of the VA), and elderly alert systems. I get those on the land line daily anyway.
Makes me question this step into the new world of communications. Perhaps it is a mistake. I am not in business, I am retired. So my communications need is limited. Mostly family, no, all family. I look at a email or two sometimes but usually delay that to when I have a full sized screen to see and full sized key board to respond.
The beat goes on!
I just got my daily out of the blue call from some one I do not know. I am sure it is some deal cold calling to separate me from my money. I get them from Washington, Vermont, etc. locations of which I have no know friends (or enemies for that matter).
Sets off my LSU ring tone. Nice to hear rev up but with a sense of disappointment, a quick check leads me to the turn off the call button. At least I am learning how to make that small little effort to turn off the caller. I am not going to waste my valuable personal and telephone time to listen to some hair brained sales pitch of a walk in bathtub, hearing aids (I already have those gratis of the VA), and elderly alert systems. I get those on the land line daily anyway.
Makes me question this step into the new world of communications. Perhaps it is a mistake. I am not in business, I am retired. So my communications need is limited. Mostly family, no, all family. I look at a email or two sometimes but usually delay that to when I have a full sized screen to see and full sized key board to respond.
The beat goes on!
Saturday, January 3, 2015
VA Math, etal . . .
Unless you are a US military veteran, you would not be concerned with this essay. On the other hand it may be interesting to you for a sort of common interest perspective. It comes under the things that apply to us kind of issue. It does not apply to everyone, only to a specific person who so qualifies.
To qualify for Veterans Administration benefits one has to have served for some period of time in the military and receive a valid DD Form 214 ~ that is an Honorable Discharge from a US military service. In my case the service is the USAF.
You would be sort of surprised at just how much a military career uses up you physical body. It is generally a great deal depending on how long and what kind of exposure you have occur to you. In my case it is 26 years and 21 days of service. It encompasses two tours in a war zone (and the decorations and ribbons that go with that) and total of almost seven years of duty outside the United States of America.
I have no regrets but I am now bouncing along with all these hurts and pains and diseases that I live with. And I do receive compensation from the military retirement and the VA for those issues. I also earned my Social Security as all military personnel are required to pay into the SSN system (that was done because (a) the military can not complain and (b) they needed the additional base of contributing participants. Sounds a little like Obamacare, doesn't it. Makes you think about where Obamacare financing ideas originated.)
The way the VA does its calculations for disabilities dates from the American Civil War. So the concept is not new and has survive years of analysis and change yet essentially remains the same. Only the numbers seem to change.
The VA says all personnel are 100% or "whole men." So if they award a Service Connected (SC) disability of say 30% it is subtracted from the base of the whole man or 100%. That leaves you as 70% of a whole man. If you get another SC of lets say 20% (and here is where VA math gets hokie), they then calculate 70% remaining times 20%. And that would be now 14% and you subtract that from the 70% and you would get a total disability of 44%. No it is not 30% plus 20%. So now you are introduced to the whole man concept. The nice thing that goes with that is the VA only has total ratings in whole 10% ranges, like 30% or 80%, etc. So a rating of 44% rounds off to the nearest 10% increment or 40%.
Should you get lets say another SC at 10%, then the math would be 44% minus 100% which is 56% remaining of the whole man times 10% or 5.6%. Then you subtract the 5.6% from the 56% and that would be 50.4% or rounded off to the nearest 10% increment is 50%. You will note that this is a declining rate kind of calculation, or a lot of small ratings return small total rating increases keeps the overall number down a bit. That means you have have either larger ratings for SC or a lot of small ratings to make the whole man number decline. Getting to the 100% total disability is a big deal and usually that person has something extremely serious going, like a leg missing or an arm missing and so on. A loss of an organ (an arm for instance) is usually 60%. If you are missing both, well you can see that it gets to 100% PDQ.
Compensation is base on tables that are stacked at 10% increments and take in consideration of whether one is married and has young children (less than 18 years of age). One has to get his or her numbers and go to the table to figure out what the compensation will be. The good news is the compensation is totally tax free!
My VA file is running close to 4 inches thick now days. That includes medical histories during my service as well as after my service. Pretty soon with Obamacare a touch of button will call up all that data. No secrets no more! VA care and TRICARE and Medicare are all exempt from Obamacare. So if you have TRICARE, you do not need to have Obamacare and so on. Since we are over 65 we have Medicare as a primary and TRICARE as a secondary medical coverage. Doctors love us not because we pay well, but because we pay right now, cash money so to speak. They make one filing and it is taken care of.
Of course Obama wants to raise the rates for Medicare and TRICARE. But that is not gonna happen very quickly. Congress controls the purse and it is not about to dis the veterans and active duty troops. It will be a while before any big issues will hit us and now that Congress is totally Republican he'll not get much change.
VA care for SC is free. Other stuff is not. But if your total disability rating is above 50% and mine is, then you can get free care there. But I would rather pay a bit and get good civilian care. If things get too tough, then maybe we would consider VA care and yes, my spouse would get the same coverage due to my disability ratings.
So you ask what is my total rating. It is 93.48% rounded off to 90% total disability. Can it change and the answer is yes, sometimes goes up and sometimes goes down. But after a period of time they can not change the ratings. I think the number is 10 years or maybe 20 years. So far no one has challenged me on my ratings.
To qualify for Veterans Administration benefits one has to have served for some period of time in the military and receive a valid DD Form 214 ~ that is an Honorable Discharge from a US military service. In my case the service is the USAF.
You would be sort of surprised at just how much a military career uses up you physical body. It is generally a great deal depending on how long and what kind of exposure you have occur to you. In my case it is 26 years and 21 days of service. It encompasses two tours in a war zone (and the decorations and ribbons that go with that) and total of almost seven years of duty outside the United States of America.
I have no regrets but I am now bouncing along with all these hurts and pains and diseases that I live with. And I do receive compensation from the military retirement and the VA for those issues. I also earned my Social Security as all military personnel are required to pay into the SSN system (that was done because (a) the military can not complain and (b) they needed the additional base of contributing participants. Sounds a little like Obamacare, doesn't it. Makes you think about where Obamacare financing ideas originated.)
The way the VA does its calculations for disabilities dates from the American Civil War. So the concept is not new and has survive years of analysis and change yet essentially remains the same. Only the numbers seem to change.
The VA says all personnel are 100% or "whole men." So if they award a Service Connected (SC) disability of say 30% it is subtracted from the base of the whole man or 100%. That leaves you as 70% of a whole man. If you get another SC of lets say 20% (and here is where VA math gets hokie), they then calculate 70% remaining times 20%. And that would be now 14% and you subtract that from the 70% and you would get a total disability of 44%. No it is not 30% plus 20%. So now you are introduced to the whole man concept. The nice thing that goes with that is the VA only has total ratings in whole 10% ranges, like 30% or 80%, etc. So a rating of 44% rounds off to the nearest 10% increment or 40%.
Should you get lets say another SC at 10%, then the math would be 44% minus 100% which is 56% remaining of the whole man times 10% or 5.6%. Then you subtract the 5.6% from the 56% and that would be 50.4% or rounded off to the nearest 10% increment is 50%. You will note that this is a declining rate kind of calculation, or a lot of small ratings return small total rating increases keeps the overall number down a bit. That means you have have either larger ratings for SC or a lot of small ratings to make the whole man number decline. Getting to the 100% total disability is a big deal and usually that person has something extremely serious going, like a leg missing or an arm missing and so on. A loss of an organ (an arm for instance) is usually 60%. If you are missing both, well you can see that it gets to 100% PDQ.
Compensation is base on tables that are stacked at 10% increments and take in consideration of whether one is married and has young children (less than 18 years of age). One has to get his or her numbers and go to the table to figure out what the compensation will be. The good news is the compensation is totally tax free!
My VA file is running close to 4 inches thick now days. That includes medical histories during my service as well as after my service. Pretty soon with Obamacare a touch of button will call up all that data. No secrets no more! VA care and TRICARE and Medicare are all exempt from Obamacare. So if you have TRICARE, you do not need to have Obamacare and so on. Since we are over 65 we have Medicare as a primary and TRICARE as a secondary medical coverage. Doctors love us not because we pay well, but because we pay right now, cash money so to speak. They make one filing and it is taken care of.
Of course Obama wants to raise the rates for Medicare and TRICARE. But that is not gonna happen very quickly. Congress controls the purse and it is not about to dis the veterans and active duty troops. It will be a while before any big issues will hit us and now that Congress is totally Republican he'll not get much change.
VA care for SC is free. Other stuff is not. But if your total disability rating is above 50% and mine is, then you can get free care there. But I would rather pay a bit and get good civilian care. If things get too tough, then maybe we would consider VA care and yes, my spouse would get the same coverage due to my disability ratings.
So you ask what is my total rating. It is 93.48% rounded off to 90% total disability. Can it change and the answer is yes, sometimes goes up and sometimes goes down. But after a period of time they can not change the ratings. I think the number is 10 years or maybe 20 years. So far no one has challenged me on my ratings.
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