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Go Remote Adventures' News and Views |
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THE EMMY® AWARD GALA About five hundred
professional film and media folks were seated at tables at the Grand
Renaissance in St. Louis for the Mid America EMMY®
awards. My acceptance comments following producer Josh Baxter and…
accepting for our main character’s real life experience -- Fighter pilot ACE
Capt. Charles O’Sullivan – were – “
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EMMY® Nominated !
To view the original one minute "Stone
Age" trailer -- Click here:
To view the "new 30 second "Fly By"
trailer" -- Click here:
To Purchase your full length feature DVD
in HD of "Injury Slight, Please Advise" today, Click here: |
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Liberty Belle is Lost One of the few flying WWII B-17's made a good emergency landing in a cornfield only 5 miles after taking off from an airport in Aurora, Ill. on June 13th. All seven of those aboard got out safely ... but the reason for the emergency - an engine fire - remained out of control and destroyed the vintage Flying Fortress before emergency crews could adequately respond. Although two B-17's are currently said to be under restoration to flying condition within the U.S. - their flying number is now fewer than 10 of about 12,000 produced mostly during WWII.
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U.S. Passport Application Changes Proposed The U.S. Department of State has proposed new application inforation that is ... "extreme" to put it mildly. The proposed new format requires: ALL prior addresses, details of your siblings, lifetime employment history including supervisors' names, addresses, phone numbers and more. If you have delayed getting your passport for potential future use - Do it now! Proposed Draft:
http://papersplease.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ds5513-proposed.pdf
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RETURNING FROM AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH on this missing crew. The crew of the Qantas A380, Airbus – acted promptly on the fight deck with various emergency procedures after an engine blew. Although it hasn’t been given much news coverage here in the States, the Sydney Herald Sun newspaper disclosed some details in advance of the official investigation. Listed below are a few of the 18 things listed as going wrong….. The crew could not shutdown the No. 1 engine using the fire switch. As a result the engine's fire extinguishers could not be deployed. Captain Richard de Crespigny, first officer Matt Hicks and Mark Johnson, the second officer, could not jettison the volume of fuel required for a safe emergency landing. With more than 80 tonnes of highly volatile jet kerosene still in the 11 tanks -- two of which were leaking - they made an overweight and high speed approach to Changi Airport. Without full hydraulics the spoilers - the hinged flaps on the front of the wings - could not be fully deployed to slow the jet. The crew also had to rely on gravity for the undercarriage to drop and lock into place. On landing they had no anti-skid brakes and could rely on only one engine for reverse thrust - needing all of the 4km runway at Changi to bring the jet to a stop. Since our flight was one of six Qantas A380’s, and we were already in the air to LAX, I missed being the guest on Qantas for added days in Australia when they grounded their fleet. After our uneventful landing our LAX Airbus was going to be held for a quick inspection – but … two weeks later they are still grounded with the engine problems that were identified. Sometimes long, boring flights are a good thing. After all, how exciting can records research be in 3 differing Australian locations? Ans. Pretty exciting if you locate important files….. and when your A380 holds together on your return flight-- you don’t mind missing added excitement.
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Missing Man Flyover in
Huntsville, AL for the Medal of Honor Society Ceremony
The celebration also recognized US Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger with the American Spirit Award.
Col. Leo Thorsness, current president of the MoH Society.
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| Go Remote, Inc. Adventures Shares Film Award |
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Arion Pictures, LLC of
Hot Springs, AR and Go Remote, Inc. Adventures …Not Vacations, of
Madison, AL were recently notified they have been recognized with a
national film award for their production of Injury Slight, Please
Advise. The film is the accurate account and reenactment of a WWII
fighter pilot’s survival in the wilds of New Guinea. The plane wreck is
largely in tact in a very remote swamp and has been seen by fewer than
10 non natives since WWII. Steve Cushman, of Go Remote Adventures, was
featured in the film and served as guide and the logistics coordinator
for the filming that included hiking miles into the jungles of New
Guinea to film the rediscovered P-38 fighter. |
| Lost New Guinea
Battlefield Found (story and photos) http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/07/lost-wwii-battlefield-found-war-dead-included/
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My friend SSgt Matt Scales was driving to work at the Alabama Air Guard past the Southern Museum of Flight http://www.southernmuseumofflight.org/ near Birmingham airport when he had the idea. Why not paint the markings on the museum’s display Thud exactly like the one Col Leo Thorsness flew in Vietnam? The Thud is the nickname for the F105 fighter – Not famous for its dogfight and turning ability – but used effectively to knock out the SAM’s, surface to air missiles, supplied to North Vietnam by our “good friends” the Soviets. The F105 flights were known as wild Weasel flights, detecting and destroying launch sites to protect our bombers. Of course, the bombers were out to protect infantry grunts like me by stopping the endless flow of war supplies to the south. Weasels, like the fighter pilots of generations before them, used American initiative and fighter pilot “attitude” to figure out flight tactics that worked despite the limits of the aircraft and the type of mission. SSgt Matt had recently read Col Leo’s book – Surviving Hell, A POW’s Journey. I had sent Matt a copy of it after meeting him at Maxwell AFB during research there. The book had just been released by Col Thorsness and he had just resettled in Alabama, so Matt was sold on the accurate replica idea. I convinced Col Thorsness to agree to provide the details and answer the questions… while Matt persuaded the Southern Museum of Flight guys to undertake the marking and ordinance configuration effort both as an accurate preservation of this Thud/fighter with its role in the Vietnam War and as tribute to Col Leo Thorsness. Col Leo is the holder of the nation’s highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, and a former “guest” of the Hanoi Hilton. Army guys, especially Army Infantry guys, are quick to point out – he won The Medal … while seated – in air conditioning… but I guess no Army guy has even done that. Matt and the museum guys are getting every detail right from the pilot who knows. Pretty soon you and future generations – will be able to stop by the museum and see the real deal. -- I love it when history is preserved.
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| "Surviving Hell, A POW's Journey" |
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My basis of comparison for “normal” as a fighter pilot is that one of my life’s very best friends was also a fighter pilot, the late Larry Counts, so I know it’s really hard to tell if any of them are what the military, retired military or even civilians call “normal” people. Col Leo seems “normal” enough… friendly, soft spoken, cheerful and he has a charming wife, but he isn’t normal. I suspected he wasn’t normal when I learned some of his background. After a bit of time around him – I started to think he was … “normal,” aside from some of his physical scars visible in summer Alabama attire. He makes light hearted reference to fun things like “going fast” and of taking care not to say the word “cockroach” aloud during a party at the bar (It’s a bar game all true fighter pilots “perform” – don’t say it aloud in a group of them with spirits) and he makes reference to good days when you can see door knobs on the inside. He asks you questions. But I learned he isn’t normal, after I heard him speak more formally. He spoke mostly about fellow POW’s and about life. Nothing about winning America’s highest military award but…he can bring tears to your eyes…talking about life, making his point about the service of others … and, indirectly, about his own incredible service to this nation. Col Leo Thorsness proves there are heroes among us. If you aren’t a liberal wimp who thinks: A. there is no evil in the world. B. you can just “talk to’em” and C. you don’t realize there are those who endure to serve this nation - BUY his book. On second thought, maybe the liberal wimps need to read it most of all. Checkout Col T's new page - done by his friends - and order his Great book. www.leothorsness.com
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New Guinea Native Storyboard The native storyboard above was done by a native tribesman on the north coast of New Guinea. New Guinea is known to have over 700 different tribal languages and few of them are written. A common factor among the remote native tribes is the strong tradition of verbal history or story telling to “record” significant events, tribal battles or other incidents that have taken place in the family or tribe. These carved storyboards are a means of recording events. The carvings are sometimes on other items and I once admired very old, hardwood carvings on the sides of log drums in a native tribal longhouse that a museum would love to display. One other thing about the storyboards is that they work best as an outline reminder of story elements … when you already Know the story. Our great and accommodating dive operator hosts, Lesley and Tim, had this native storyboard made for us when we were in Papua New Guinea filming the WWII wrecked P-38 for “Injury Slight, please advise ”. You may already be aware that producer Josh Baxter’s film title originated from the brief message sent weeks later by the WWII pilot following his crash and escape from natives after shooting a tribal leader with his .45 to avoid becoming dinner. It is an incredible survival account. During our remote jungle trek in to the P-38 wreck site we shot an additional Hi Def video interview with a native who had been a boy in the village near the WWII crash site. The amazing accuracy of the verbal tribal history tradition became apparent when the elderly native told the story with details that matched EXACTLY with what the surviving pilot had recounted. (Both Josh and I had made it a point to follow the guidance of an anthropologist on the area and pretended not to know the pilot or the story. We did not want to contaminate the story, and we did not forget the pilot had almost been…. dinner. ) I would argue that parts of New Guinea continue to be the wildest places in the world. Tribal wars, at times with bows and arrows, continue to be fought over important things, like stolen pigs, gardens or even …women. Almost 2 out of 3 we would not, or not often, do in the “civilized” world. Even our translator was surprised when the native’s story included his comments, … and they found his boots, “like his” – he said, pointing to my hiking boots as we shot the interview in the rocks and sand of a river’s edge. We knew the pilot has removed his boots in hope of making less noise as he was chased during his escape from the natives. It was but one aspect of the verbal history that confirmed the details of the pilot’s escape and the location. (To learn the added details, view full length documentary, “Injury Slight…Please Advise”.) The storyboard shows, at upper left, not just an airplane, but a twin engine, twinboom square tailed P-38 fighter, our request of that detail was followed by the native carver. It was shown flying above native huts, then crashing near the river into trees and grass. Note the second image of the P-38 fighter, to the right of the first image, is into the trees and has a broken right propeller, thus a crashed plane. The American “soldier” with the helmet goes near the river, with fish, and makes initial contact with the native tribe. He later contacts the Australians that are depicted with helmets that have cap bills – an effort lost in the translation that Australians wore cowboy style bush hats with turned up brims… Oh well – close enough that we “got it”. Later still, out of view in the photo, he goes to a western style “box” house as symbol of his return “home”. Conveniently, not included in the storyboard, is the part where the pilot was jumped by the natives and forced to shoot his way out at close range with his .45. Initially chased/tracked into the jungle and surviving for weeks. Although there is substantially more to the story … we got it from the tribal view and despite the native carver’s distance from the crash site and chase region… it is politically correct and the natives do not lose face...or tribesmen. More information on Baxter’s production made in close collaboration with the ace pilot who is the featured character of the WWII documentary is on the “Injury Slight” page at www.injuryslight.com. Go Remote
runs adventures… This storyboard account is just one aspect of the unique
experiences and memories that Go Remote adventures offer. Don’t take
another “everyone’s been there” vacation. Go Remote for a real adventure.
(Some adventure
applications require outdoor skills, but most require only good health and
an adventurous spirit.)
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39th Fighter Squadron at Maxwell Air Force Base |
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It was recently my privilege to attend the 39th Fighter Squadron Assn. Reunion and to introduce producer Josh Baxter and the reenacted HD video documentary of the incredible New Guinea jungle survival account of the historic squadron’s own ace, Captain Sullivan. (See the added photos on the Go Remote main page or on the “Injury Slight, please advise” page at http://www.injuryslight.com for details. Some readers are already aware the title of the WWII P-38 fighter pilot’s film was repeated from a part of the brief radio message “Sully” sent to the 39th FS from an Australian radio outpost after escaping natives and 30 days of jungle survival, with no boots.) Josh and I noted that no one left the large banquet room during the entire showing. Our jungle footage must have been “old news” to the vets in the room but we were pleased to have captured some of it. Josh and I gained a whole new outlook for the New Guinea jungle difficulties when we made the difficult 14 hour jungle trek in to the rediscovered crash site of the P-38 to film it last year. Of course, we had a translator and local native guides with permission to make the trek. Josh has added the footage of the wreck to the account. During that trek we located an elderly native who witnessed “Sully” in the village and recounted his escape through a translator in startling detail. Although natives of New Guinea don’t often have written languages among their more than 700 different languages, their common practice is accurate verbal tribal history. We had followed the advice of an anthropologist for the area and made no indication we knew the story … or Sully. We knew what almost happened to Sully. The banquet evening at the Maxwell Officers’ Club was made more unique since I was seated among both currently active members of the 39th (based in Texas) and the WWII vets who flew various fighters – including P-38’s. It was a once in a lifetime event for me – as a retired Army guy and VN vet. There I was, seated at a table with current “Cobra in the Clouds” squadron instructors of pilots and with Blue 2, call sign of Lew Lockhart, the WWII P-38 wingman of ace “Sully.” Table conversation was the current pilot quizzing of the vets about air engagement tactics, airplane capabilities, Japanese targets… etc. Given the age of these veterans, it is not an event that will often be repeated before both topics and the vets fade into history. The evening was a history lesson – current and past – I wish that every American would experience.
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A Golden Knight with the U.S. Army lands near the
Blue Angels at the Huntsville, AL air show.
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Army Parachute Team, The
Golden Knights - |
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| B-25, WWII warbird |
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| AH-64D, (Apache) with M230, (machine gun) Hellfire and Hyra 70 (missiles/rockets); Three target acquisition systems - approx $18 mil ... without munitions. | |
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The newest CH47 "F" Model |
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U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Demonstration Flight Team |
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TSA Prohibited Items List Here's a link to TSA's
ever-changing Prohibited Items List - some things may surprise you. http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm |
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| The Smithsonian Magazine
story on an attempted recovery of the B17, Swamp Ghost, in Papua New Guinea
tactfully identifies why wrecks - often worth millions of dollars - are not
being recovered.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/swamp.html
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The Hanoi Taxi (tail #66-0177) was retired from active service in May 2006. She was the last of the 285 C-141s built by Lockheed to leave active service. She flew 100 POWs out of Hanoi on 12 February 1973, some of them tasting freedom for the first time in six years. Each POW put their shot-down date on the face of the oxygen panel during their flight to Clark AB in the Philippines . For her retirement ceremony, the POWs she brought home were brought back for the ceremony and one last flight by this gracious lady.
Most of them are old
men now but their enthusiasm, emotions, and excitement were
evident during this flight and retirement ceremony. She was then flown
to
Dayton , OH where she will spend her final days in the
Air Force Museum.
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Don't take another "Everybody's been there" vacation
Steve Cushman, President and Adventurer
USA (800) 824-8628 Anytime
adventure@goremote.net