A rare Shemya day

[db99577]

Great Shemya day
Col. Johnson, boss of remote Alaska sites, asked the Air Force band, Tops in Blue, to Shemya. They arrived Friday by C-17 and then prepared for the show.
The band toured the island on a rare, calm, clear Saturday morning. Luckily the island is short and narrow, and so they saw it ALL before the after-lunch snows.
The C-17 crew did the “Double-Dip” on Sat. morning and had time to warm their privates before departing Sunday.
The band’s performance was very good and much appreciated by the long-term Shemya hands. A true rare great day in Shemya.
Dec 13, 11:05 on the Pacific Ocean coast. You can see tracks where the AF boys took a dip in the Pacific a moment ago.

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Dec 13, 11:05 on the Bering Sea coast. You don’t have to imagine the boys dipping in the water here.

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Dec 13, 11:10 Pacific on the left, Bering to the right

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Dec 13, 1:30 at the Shemya airport

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Dec 13, 2:00 curious island neighbors

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continued...

[db99577]

Dec 13, 6:00 at the Tops in Blue show

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Old overhead photo of Shemya

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The Shemya crew bus (contracted plane)

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ps I am not stationed here, but have short construction project here and other remote sites. I really appreciate the AF's thoughtfulness, especially as ex-82nd who played away from Bragg for lengthy stints w/o leggy entertainment.

[flyguy]

What the heck are you doing way out there on the ROCK? I'm guessing U.S. military. I expect from the "daylight" in the photos it was a few weeks ago. Aren't you getting close to the day when the sun shows just a sliver but very little daylight? I did a google of Shemya and read this article by an Air Force Captain who had been assigned there for a year. A little 'dated' but interesting. Here is the link if you want to read it. http://29eagles.com/aboutme/shemya/ Good luck and Merry Christmas

OL' GAR

[mit]

[lowNslow]

Thanks for Shemya pics, we frequently use SYA as an enroute alternate (ETOPS) and as many times as I have flown right over the airport I have never seen it as it has never been clear. I don't think I've seen much less than 15G25 winds there either.

[russfarris]

That's funny, lowandslow I was going to post the same thing. For many years I flew DC-8s on military charters from Anchorage to Yokota AFB in Japan, passing just south of Shemya and never saw it once, regardless of the time of year. So, it really does exist! Russ Farris

[db99577]

Out of curiousity, when heading westward, do you fly within a certain distance from land? Are you required to fly within a certain distance?
A cargo pilot mentioned using Cold Bay, Adak and Shemya as emergency stops. But I didn't ask him about gliding distances.
He did say King Salmon airport wasn't allowed as a "legal" stop, as no room to turn a large plane around on the runway and no taxiways in some areas (runway upgrades are in progress).

[lowNslow]

We fly overwater using ETOPS requirements (Extended Twin-engine OperationS or Engines Turn or People Swim). We typically use 180 minute ETOPS which requires us to be within 180 minutes of a suitable alternate. There is also a 207 minute ETOPS which has some pretty strict restrictions and is usually only approved on certain routes, i.e. polar routes.

[blueldr]

You wll please notice that when they discuss ETOPS they speak of "Minutes". One hundred eighty minutes doesen't sound nearly as long as three hours.

[GAHorn]

My old WW-2 mentor (someone I imagine is a lot like bluEldr) once said to me (as we watched the coast disappear beneath the wings) "Keep in mind that for every minute outbound... it's a day's swim back."

[W.J.Langholz]

I notice this b/4 that some people put and extra "e" in blueldr as in blu-Elder as in being old I have seen it as and abbreation for "ldr" as Leader as in blu -leader as in one who leads in the sky-BLUE


Have a good evening

W.

[GAHorn]

... it's a CAPITAL "E".... blueldr vs bluEldr. I do that to give Dick the proper respect.

(Thanks for helping me proofread my spelling. I can never depend on Bruce or Ol'Gar.)

[W.J.Langholz]

Hey George you ever hear the saying "dumb like a Fox"(it never really made sense....but I know what it means) I kind a think that may apply to Ol Gar, ya think

[GAHorn]

Mule comes to mind.