The Highest-Scoring Ace of The Jet Age Has Gone West

Israeli Air Force Brigadier General (ret) Giora Epstein died this weekend at the age of 87.

General Epstein is the highest scoring ace of the jet age (so far), with 17 kills. The victories occurred in the Six Day War, the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War.

Four of those kills occurred during a single sortie during the Yom Kippur War when he was alone in a fight against 20 Egyptian aircraft - only breaking off the battle when he was low on fuel.

He was one of the world's great warriors and jet pilots. 

The Jerusalem Post:  Giora Epstein, IAF's top ace and most decorated pilot, passes away at 87

May his memory be a blessing, and an inspiration to airmen.

A Skydiving Giant Has Gone West

Felix Baumgartner, famous for, among many other feats, being the first skydiver to break the sound barrier from 24 miles up, was killed today in a paraglider accident.

AP:  Felix Baumgartner, the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound, dies in crash in Italy

Sad News From The Battle Creek Air Show

WMMT: One dead after truck explosion at Field of Flight in Battle Creek

The Shockwave Jet Truck was racing two planes as part of the Field of Flight air show and was reaching speeds of 300 mph when it exploded, apparently at the time its parachute was deployed to slow it down.

The driver of the Shockwave Jet Truck was killed in the explosion and has not yet been identified in the news.  May he or she rest in peace.

Air Show activities for the rest of the day have been cancelled.

Ave Atque Vale, Constable Matt Panzer

My cousin, and one of my best friends, RCMP Constable Matt Panzer, just lost his battle with PTSD.

Matt served with distinction in the RCMP, serving first as a general police constable, then passing a rigorous selection process, served as an Air Marshal. He then served at the Pearson International Airport in an anti-smuggling role, and his last post was  serving with distinction in the Diplomatic Protection Group protecting the Prime Minister of Canada and other Canadian and foreign dignitaries.

The PTSD was a result of an incident that occurred during his service in the RCMP. 

Matt was also a great father to his child,  a great child to his parents, a great brother to his sister, and always a good man always ready to lend a hand or provide a humorous remark whenever one was needed to all who knew him.

No finer friend could be asked for. Not just a cousin, but more like a brother to me. 

Every time we got together it was like we had never been apart. The damn Corona travel ban and border closing messed up our plans to see each other this summer, and now we just won't see each other, and that's hurting a lot.

Rest in Peace Matt, and may you find the solace you lacked in life, and thank you for all the great times we had, and all your good advice, wit, and humor through the years.

RIP Martin J. Tibbitts, Founder of World Heritage Air Museum

Mr. Tibbitts died at Sheboygan Wisconsin's airport on the way to Oshkosh in a crash on takeoff of the World Heritage Air Museum's de Haviland Venom.

The cfrash also injured two farm workers on the ground and killed 40-50 cattle when it crashed into a building shortly after takeoff.

One of the founders of the World Heritage Air Museum, based at Pontiac Airport, Mr. Tibbits had helped the museum amass quite the collection of flying jet aircraft from the earlier days of jet flight, with the newest acquisition - A Gloster Meteor jet.

I recall meeting him a few years ago during one of Oakland County airport's open houses, and admiring the WHAM's planes on display. A very nice gentleman, he was very open and enthusiastic about aviation and a great source of conversation about the museum and its jets.

Aviation is a lot poorer for his loss.

The Detroit Free Press: Vintage military jet crash kills Grosse Pointe Park pilot and businessman

Today, The Loss Of One Of The Greatest Aviators To Have Slipped The Surly Bonds Of Earth

MPR: Bob Hoover, One of history's Greatest Pilots Dead at 94

A World War 2 Fighter pilot, A test pilot, and an aerobatic pilot extraordinaire, the world is now a lesser place without Mr. Hoover in it.

2016 has shaped up to be a year when we are saying farewell to far too many of our best.

RIP Mr. Hoover.

The Dinkheller Incident - A Sobering Look At How Everything Can Go Wrong, Fast

Thanks to Andrew Kirch on the book of the face, I got to look at a rather sobering and quite horrifying video on how badly things can go in an armed encounter.

This is the incident involving Deputy Kyle Dinkheller of the Laurens County Sheriff's Office that took place in 1998 after he pulled over the driver of a pickup truck, Andrew Brannon, for speeding over 98 mph.

The deputy never fully takes control, and completely loses control of the situation 21 seconds into the encounter, and he never gets it back.

Brannon acts irrationally, refuses to comply with Dinkheller's commands and acts aggressively towards the deputy. The deputy fails to aggressively respond and protect himself - according to one source he had been recently reprimanded that he was too quick to draw his weapon and too aggressive - here the lack of his willingness to draw and act aggressively led to his downfall.

41 seconds into the encounter, Dinkheller gets charged by the driver, but fails to secure and stop him, and is charged again by him at 50 seconds only hitting him with a non-disabling baton strike. Sadly at 1:08 he backs off and does not maintain contact with the driver, allowing Brannon to go back to his vehicle and take cover from the deputy. The driver enters the driver's side of the truck, now too far away from the deputy for Dinkheller to stop him, and things really go upside down.

Brannon in his truck retrieves and presents an M-1 Carbine, all the while the Deputy is ordering him to put the gun down but not firing at him even after the weapon is presented, and then Brannon begins firing and maneuvering toward the Deputy.

The Deputy, firing 33 shots with his pistol only makes one hit while being hit several times by Brannon and is finally brutally murdered at close range, 2 minutes and 53 seconds after the start of the encounter.

The deputy was killed, and sadly and ludicrously Andrew Brannon is still breathing. He's been sitting on death row for 14 years. While I'm not a fan of the death penalty due to the potential for mistake, government and prosecutorial malfeasance and the like, here there is no question as to proof beyond a reasonable doubt, or any doubt for that matter. Brannon committed murder, of a deputy, on video. If there was ever a textbook case for a swift and sure application of the death penalty, this is it.

Some excellent analysis of this incident can be found at Police Marksmen and at Real Defense. Lots of lessons to be sadly learned here for both police and CPL'ers.

As civilians, we won't and should not be in a situation of pulling over another driver, but we may come up against an encounter with someone like Brannon while peacefully going about our lives under normal circumstances. Seeing the signs of the attack develop here, including the irrational actions, threats and posturing may hopefully help development of appropriate responses should someone come across the likes of a Brannon.

RIP Deputy Dinkheller, and hopefully the lessons learned from your untimely death have already saved lives and will save lives in the future.

Farewell To The Iron Lady

Another giant among mankind has departed, leaving the world a poorer place.

Where Great Britain used to be, there once was a Prime Minister who could fearlessly articulate conservative principles, English values, and fearlessly stand up to both terrorism and communism.

She made her mark on history in both her country and the world, and left both a better place at the end of her Prime Ministership.

Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister, dies at 87

RIP Baroness Thatcher.

West Bloomfield Officer Down

The Detroit News Suspected gunman in officer's death had just gotten divorced, faced eviction

I won't say much about the scumbag killer, who is apparently still holed up in his house after his cowardly assault and ambush. He killed Officer O'Rourke who had been coming to help him, responding to the call that there was a suicidal occupant in the house.

Instead, let's talk about the officer:

Described as "a model police officer and a good family man," O'Rourke was a Fenton resident who went to Wayne County Regional Police Training Center at Schoolcraft College and became an officer in 2000. He grew up in Hartland.

He was 39, a father of four kids. Darn.

I think, but am not sure, that Officer O'Rorke may have been the second responding officer in the Kia hitting the RAV incident as he looks familiar. If so, he was an observant and courteous officer with a professional demeanor.

West Bloomfield just lost a credit to our community.

RIP Officer Patrick O’Rourke, and thank you for your service.