It won’t be difficult to tell where this is going.
If you’ve got any good Vegas stories, now’s the time. Then again, are there any good Vegas stories? I think that’d defeat the purpose of the whole city.
Hey now. I’ve been stationed/lived in Vegas for 7 years now and I happen to like it here. Sure it’s hot, but at least it’s not humid (believe me this is true, just came back from Tyndall. Eff the humidity). And sure, you probably wouldn’t want to expose your kids to it (appropriate STS?) But for a single person, or even a couple without kids, you can’t beat the access to just about everything round the clock, shows, concerts, and whatnot. I myself go to the movies more than anything and alot of the casinos here have really nice theaters. Especially the new Alliante.
I was driving the government rental van when my supervisor got arrested for solicitation. The van was impounded and we had to call the first Sargent to come get us from the metro station. Or how about when we wrecked 3 rental vans on the same trip. Or the dead body at our hotel. I have done 5 red flags, 2 air warriors and countless FWIC support TDYs. I love Vegas. I would love to expand and add detail in an email….to protect the guilty.
Neeellisss! ’80-’86. Four promotions, six jobs, two airframes, six TDYs, two kids, Thunderbirds , Chuck Yeager, Robert Goulet, relative visits off the chart, two hotel fires, Thunderbirds , Circus-Circus, Lake Mead, & Red Flag the Movie.
I was working night shift @ transient alert when the base ops officer came in & asked for my assistance on the movie set for Red Flag after I got off. They were filming the scene where Barry Bostwick was going out to his F-4E on a “fenced” flightline to clear his head after his friend’s, William Devane, death & getting away his wife, Joan Van Ark.
I had to brief Barry on how board the aircraft using the onboard aircraft ladder, show him what not to pull on the ejection seat (already disarmed), & how to operate the canopy from the outside & the inside. It was really cool see how it was all done. Nice buffet in the F-5 hangar too.
Image my surprise when I got the $25 check for tech support six weeks later. That was only topped by when I saw the scene in the finished movie & the sound effects guys edited out the hiss of air coming from the canopy during actuation replacing it with the buzz of an electric motor. What a hoot.
Guess I’ll have to rent that movie. No kidding? They edited out air sounds and replaced them with electric motors grinding away??? Air would sound much cooler. Of course that may be a result of those few years I spent driving an 18 wheeler back in the 70′s. Always loved the sound when you set the air brakes.
Maybe they thought is sounded like he was passing gas?
I went with a few friends for a week, all inclusive and work up next to the pool bar at 4am fully dressed but soaked. It took two days to get the whole story but apparently I swam almost half a mile to a buoy with a 40 of rum in one hand and trying to smoke a cigar.
Barbie was referring the the threat training facility, affectionately referred to as the petting zoo. Robert here, graces us with a much more enjoyable version.
Much as we’d all like to visit the one referenced by RobertM, Barbie’s referring to the Nellis Threat Training Facility (http://wikimapia.org/1444297/Nellis-Air-Force-Base-Threat-Training-Facility). Petting Zoo is the unofficial term for it. It gives pilots a chance to see their targets up close and personal at 0 and 0 vs 350 and 500.
My how times have changed. In the early ’80s this area was classified & only aircrews were allowed in there. Then in ’83 things changed. Namely they needed more room & a Russian T-62 tank was placed in front of the Aggressor Ops building.
Went for a conference, stayed at the Excalibur (yeah, cheesy, but it was wicked cheap). Wake up at 5:30 (still on east coast time) and there’s my girlfriend, glued to the window, watching the Janet 737s across the street taxi out and head “up north.” She was totally intrigued by these jets. It was a little weird, actually. _I’m_ the airplane nut…
My parents got married in Vegas… it was a fantasy-medieval wedding. They were married by a wizard. I… don’t really have much to say on that, really. There IS a story behind that one, but I wouldn’t dare tell it.
… SO HYPOTHETICALLY, if Barbie and Leia SOMEHOW got wasted and had a spontaneous wedding in Vegas, would it be Jurassic Park themed? ;D
SIDENOTE: Thunderbirds just came out to Tinker AFB two weekends ago and I got all of their autographs. Made me gitty like a schoolboy and reminded me of my youth back on March AFB… memories.
Worked Personnel Readiness at Spang for two years back in ’99-’00 timeframe. Before the two wars kicked off, we had training TDY’s going to Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, etc. During every processing line, Public Health would hand out condoms and give the normal STD briefing. For the annual Red Flag turn, Public Health did not give that briefing or give out condoms. A month after that, Public Health reported back to us that the number of STD’s at Spang had actually tripled. After talking to Legal, so had the number of divorce claims…
About 13 years ago, a (former) friend and I, only knowing it was somewhere north of the city at the time, we set out in search of Area 51. We got about 10 miles from the city, when the engine started to make this really disturbing knocking sound. Vegas was all but a dot on the horizon behind us, and the knocking continued. Fear that we would break down in the desert, we were able to find a place to make a U-Turn and head back toward the city.
The knocking stopped.
A coincidence? Maybe. A sign? Perhaps. Who can say?
Maybe… I just spent a half hour on wikimapia looking at the Nevada test range. Lots of stuff out there. A good portion of it is still prolly irradiated. Surprised that I’ve never been asked about my hours of Groom Lake, Wright-Patt, and other “infamous” base searching.
Ummm…the Weapons School? And in that same vein, ME (Mission Employment phase) in which a sample of the entire USAF/USN inventory descends upon Nellis to fight the Test Range hordes. Think Red Flag on steroids (but without as many cool foreign aircraft)…It is awe inspiring to see the jets pass overhead (my swimming pool was directly under the path from Nellis to the ranges) and even more interesting to see the debriefs played.
Well this one time in vegas….. My ex and I put on a accidental sex show for a few people. We got back to the room and paid no attention to the drapes being open. After about 20 min we look over and we have a small crowd around the window.
One of my fellow Honor Guardsmen went TDY to Nellis. To make a long story short, Governement computer, Yahoo messenger, local news, TO CATCH A PREDETOR!!!, OSI interview for all of Honor Guard on monday.
LV – Born, raised and lived for 24 yrs before joining the AF. I never knew what “last call” was until my first drink in tech school (after phase 1 of course). Even though I will never live there again, I still call it home.
We moved to Vegas in October. I love it here. We live out near Lone Mountain. Coming from 3 years at Spang, this place is about as America as it gets. It’s awesome.
Farva, since Barbie sometimes “follows” you in your TDYs, does this mean you’re headed to Vegas sometime soon? I’d be happy to give you a tour around the 432d MXG, if you didn’t get a good look around last time you were here.
Married in Vegas at the Excalibur hotel. We were dressed normally. The guy that did the wedding…dressed as a wizard. Complete with a long white beard, a mullet, and a purple, crushed velvet robe. We we/weren’t surprised.
Been here in Vegas for 2 years. I’ve had MUCH worse assignments. My biggest complaint is that there isn’t as much to do for families as there is for single peeps.
Vegas can be great but it can be horrible. Been here for almost 19 years now… yeahh… The good thing about living here… nothing can EVER suprise you. I seriously mean that. Just go down to freemont on a friday night… yikes.
Obviously not the FIRST time Barbie has been to Lost Wages, but he clearly missed the point.
We went to my brother in law’s wedding in Vegas. Monte Carlo as re-imagined by rednecks.
Caught by a lifeguard stealing a towel from the pool at Caesar’s (we weren’t paid guests).
Sorry Farva, you know the rule… what happens in Vegas…
Hey now. I’ve been stationed/lived in Vegas for 7 years now and I happen to like it here. Sure it’s hot, but at least it’s not humid (believe me this is true, just came back from Tyndall. Eff the humidity). And sure, you probably wouldn’t want to expose your kids to it (appropriate STS?) But for a single person, or even a couple without kids, you can’t beat the access to just about everything round the clock, shows, concerts, and whatnot. I myself go to the movies more than anything and alot of the casinos here have really nice theaters. Especially the new Alliante.
Sorry for the wall o’ text.
Every story from Vega$ is a good one.
flying in from the east, at night, f i r s t time, crossing the ridge.. WOW from darkness to the strip!
(They parked us next to Tom Petty’s jet, the strip was a short walk from the FBO!)
I was driving the government rental van when my supervisor got arrested for solicitation. The van was impounded and we had to call the first Sargent to come get us from the metro station. Or how about when we wrecked 3 rental vans on the same trip. Or the dead body at our hotel. I have done 5 red flags, 2 air warriors and countless FWIC support TDYs. I love Vegas. I would love to expand and add detail in an email….to protect the guilty.
Neeellisss! ’80-’86. Four promotions, six jobs, two airframes, six TDYs, two kids, Thunderbirds
, Chuck Yeager, Robert Goulet, relative visits off the chart, two hotel fires, Thunderbirds
, Circus-Circus, Lake Mead, & Red Flag the Movie.
I was working night shift @ transient alert when the base ops officer came in & asked for my assistance on the movie set for Red Flag after I got off. They were filming the scene where Barry Bostwick was going out to his F-4E on a “fenced” flightline to clear his head after his friend’s, William Devane, death & getting away his wife, Joan Van Ark.
I had to brief Barry on how board the aircraft using the onboard aircraft ladder, show him what not to pull on the ejection seat (already disarmed), & how to operate the canopy from the outside & the inside. It was really cool see how it was all done. Nice buffet in the F-5 hangar too.
Image my surprise when I got the $25 check for tech support six weeks later. That was only topped by when I saw the scene in the finished movie & the sound effects guys edited out the hiss of air coming from the canopy during actuation replacing it with the buzz of an electric motor. What a hoot.
Guess I’ll have to rent that movie. No kidding? They edited out air sounds and replaced them with electric motors grinding away??? Air would sound much cooler. Of course that may be a result of those few years I spent driving an 18 wheeler back in the 70′s. Always loved the sound when you set the air brakes.
Maybe they thought is sounded like he was passing gas?
Not really a Vegas story, but a good Cuba story.
I went with a few friends for a week, all inclusive and work up next to the pool bar at 4am fully dressed but soaked. It took two days to get the whole story but apparently I swam almost half a mile to a buoy with a 40 of rum in one hand and trying to smoke a cigar.
Don’t remember any of it lol.
*woke*
the … petting zoo?
http://www.944.com/nightsites/gallery/human-petting-zoo/
Barbie was referring the the threat training facility, affectionately referred to as the petting zoo. Robert here, graces us with a much more enjoyable version.
Much as we’d all like to visit the one referenced by RobertM, Barbie’s referring to the Nellis Threat Training Facility (http://wikimapia.org/1444297/Nellis-Air-Force-Base-Threat-Training-Facility). Petting Zoo is the unofficial term for it. It gives pilots a chance to see their targets up close and personal at 0 and 0 vs 350 and 500.
Good link, though, Robert!
My how times have changed. In the early ’80s this area was classified & only aircrews were allowed in there. Then in ’83 things changed. Namely they needed more room & a Russian T-62 tank was placed in front of the Aggressor Ops building.
Went for a conference, stayed at the Excalibur (yeah, cheesy, but it was wicked cheap). Wake up at 5:30 (still on east coast time) and there’s my girlfriend, glued to the window, watching the Janet 737s across the street taxi out and head “up north.” She was totally intrigued by these jets. It was a little weird, actually. _I’m_ the airplane nut…
WHOA!!! You are suppose to leave the girlfriend at home when going to Vegas.
My parents got married in Vegas… it was a fantasy-medieval wedding. They were married by a wizard. I… don’t really have much to say on that, really. There IS a story behind that one, but I wouldn’t dare tell it.
… SO HYPOTHETICALLY, if Barbie and Leia SOMEHOW got wasted and had a spontaneous wedding in Vegas, would it be Jurassic Park themed? ;D
Not that I think Farva will go there…but that would be absolutely HISTERICAL!
My sister lives out there, but all of the stories worth telling I don’t remember
SIDENOTE: Thunderbirds just came out to Tinker AFB two weekends ago and I got all of their autographs. Made me gitty like a schoolboy and reminded me of my youth back on March AFB… memories.
Worked Personnel Readiness at Spang for two years back in ’99-’00 timeframe. Before the two wars kicked off, we had training TDY’s going to Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, etc. During every processing line, Public Health would hand out condoms and give the normal STD briefing. For the annual Red Flag turn, Public Health did not give that briefing or give out condoms. A month after that, Public Health reported back to us that the number of STD’s at Spang had actually tripled. After talking to Legal, so had the number of divorce claims…
About 13 years ago, a (former) friend and I, only knowing it was somewhere north of the city at the time, we set out in search of Area 51. We got about 10 miles from the city, when the engine started to make this really disturbing knocking sound. Vegas was all but a dot on the horizon behind us, and the knocking continued. Fear that we would break down in the desert, we were able to find a place to make a U-Turn and head back toward the city.
The knocking stopped.
A coincidence? Maybe. A sign? Perhaps. Who can say?
Maybe… I just spent a half hour on wikimapia looking at the Nevada test range. Lots of stuff out there. A good portion of it is still prolly irradiated. Surprised that I’ve never been asked about my hours of Groom Lake, Wright-Patt, and other “infamous” base searching.
Wright-Pat, huh…do tell…I’m currently stationed here!
Ummm…the Weapons School? And in that same vein, ME (Mission Employment phase) in which a sample of the entire USAF/USN inventory descends upon Nellis to fight the Test Range hordes. Think Red Flag on steroids (but without as many cool foreign aircraft)…It is awe inspiring to see the jets pass overhead (my swimming pool was directly under the path from Nellis to the ranges) and even more interesting to see the debriefs played.
Wait? There is more to Vegas the Red Flag?
Las Vegas is Lovecraft country in the desert. All shiny and friendly on the surface, with a sucking, tentacled pit lurking underneath.
I thought ALL Vegas stories were good stories. Stories about very bad things, usually, but good stories.
Just watch the movie “The Hangover” and remember to not do any of that.
Well this one time in vegas….. My ex and I put on a accidental sex show for a few people. We got back to the room and paid no attention to the drapes being open. After about 20 min we look over and we have a small crowd around the window.
Lmao I hope the world learns from your near-tragic mistake, my friend.
One of my fellow Honor Guardsmen went TDY to Nellis. To make a long story short, Governement computer, Yahoo messenger, local news, TO CATCH A PREDETOR!!!, OSI interview for all of Honor Guard on monday.
Good Times.
Guess it doesn’t stay in vegas
Is that a female draenei mage in your avatar??
LV – Born, raised and lived for 24 yrs before joining the AF. I never knew what “last call” was until my first drink in tech school (after phase 1 of course). Even though I will never live there again, I still call it home.
We moved to Vegas in October. I love it here. We live out near Lone Mountain. Coming from 3 years at Spang, this place is about as America as it gets. It’s awesome.
Farva, since Barbie sometimes “follows” you in your TDYs, does this mean you’re headed to Vegas sometime soon? I’d be happy to give you a tour around the 432d MXG, if you didn’t get a good look around last time you were here.
Married in Vegas at the Excalibur hotel. We were dressed normally. The guy that did the wedding…dressed as a wizard. Complete with a long white beard, a mullet, and a purple, crushed velvet robe. We we/weren’t surprised.
Been here in Vegas for 2 years. I’ve had MUCH worse assignments. My biggest complaint is that there isn’t as much to do for families as there is for single peeps.
What happens in Nellis, stays in Nellis.
Vegas can be great but it can be horrible. Been here for almost 19 years now… yeahh… The good thing about living here… nothing can EVER suprise you. I seriously mean that. Just go down to freemont on a friday night… yikes.