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Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's aerial warfare force. Formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918,[3] it is the oldest independent air force in the world.[4] Following victory over the Central Powers in 1918 the RAF emerged – at the time – the largest air force in the world.[5] Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history, in particular, playing a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Britain.[6]
The RAF's mission is to support the objectives of the British Ministry of Defence (MoD), which are to "provide the capabilities needed: to ensure the security and defence of the United Kingdom and overseas territories, including against terrorism; to support the Government's foreign policy objectives particularly in promoting international peace and security."[1] The RAF describe its mission statement as "... [to provide] An agile, adaptable and capable Air Force that, person for person, is second to none, and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of the UK Defence Mission."[7] The mission statement is supported by the RAF's definition of air power, which guides its strategy. Air power is defined as: "The ability to project power from the air and space to influence the behaviour of people or the course of events."[8]
Today the Royal Air Force maintains an operational fleet of various types of aircraft,[9] described by the RAF as being "leading-edge" in terms of technology.[10] This largely consists of fixed-wing aircraft, including: fighter and strike aircraft, airborne early warning and control aircraft, ISTAR and SIGINT aircraft, aerial refueling aircraft and strategic and tactical transport aircraft. The majority of the RAF's rotary-wing aircraft form part of the tri-service Joint Helicopter Command in support of ground forces. Most of the RAF's aircraft and personnel are based in the UK, with many others serving on operations (principally Afghanistan) or at long-established overseas bases (Ascension Island, Cyprus, Gibraltar, and the Falkland Islands). Although the RAF is the principal British air power arm, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and the British Army's Army Air Corps also deliver air power which is integrated into the maritime, littoral and land environments.
- 1 History
- 2 Structure
- 3 Personnel
- 4 Aircraft
- 5 Symbols, flags, emblems and uniform
- 6 Ceremonial functions and display
- 7 Overseas deployments
- 8 See also
- 9 Notes
- 10 References
- 11 Bibliography
- 12 External links
While the British were not the first to make use of heavier-than-air military aircraft, the RAF is the world's oldest independent air force: that is, the first air force to become independent of army or navy control.[4] It was founded on 1 April 1918, with headquarters located in the former Hotel Cecil, during the First World War, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). At that time it was the largest air force in the world. After the war, the service was drastically cut and its inter-war years were relatively quiet, with the RAF taking responsibility for the control of Iraq and executing a number of minor actions in other parts of the British Empire. The RAF's naval aviation branch, the Fleet Air Arm, was founded in 1924 but handed over to Admiralty control on 24 May 1939.
The RAF developed its doctrine of strategic bombing which led to the construction of long-range bombers and became the basic philosophy in the Second World War.[11]
Second World War
The RAF underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War. Under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan of December 1939, the air forces of British Commonwealth countries trained and formed "Article XV squadrons" for service with RAF formations. Many individual personnel from these countries, and exiles from occupied Europe, also served with RAF squadrons. By the end of the war the Royal Canadian Air Force had contributed more than 30 squadrons to serve in RAF formations, similarly, approximately a quarter of Bomber Command's personnel were Canadian.[12] Additionally, the Royal Australian Air Force represented around nine percent of all RAF personnel who served in the European and Mediterranean theaters.[13]
In the Battle of Britain in 1940, the RAF (supplemented by 2 Fleet Air Arm Squadrons, Polish, Czecho-Slovak and other multinational pilots and ground personnel) defended the skies over Britain against the numerically superior German Luftwaffe. In what is perhaps the most prolonged and complicated air campaign in history, the Battle of Britain contributed significantly to the delay and subsequent indefinite postponement of Hitler's plans for an invasion of the United Kingdom (Operation Sealion). In the House of Commons on 20 August, prompted by the ongoing efforts of the RAF, Prime Minister Winston Churchill eloquently made a speech to the nation, where he said "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few".[14]
The largest RAF effort during the war was the strategic bombing campaign against Germany by Bomber Command. While RAF bombing of Germany began almost immediately upon the outbreak of war, under the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Harris, these attacks became increasingly devastating from 1942 onward as new technology and greater numbers of superior aircraft became available. The RAF adopted night-time area bombing on German cities such as Hamburg and Dresden, and developed precision bombing techniques for specific operations, such as the "Dambusters" raid by No. 617 Squadron,[15] or the Amiens prison raid known as Operation Jericho.
Cold War era
Following victory in the Second World War, the RAF underwent significant re-organisation, as technological advances in air warfare saw the arrival of jet fighters and bombers. During the early stages of the Cold War, one of the first major operations undertook by the Royal Air Force was in 1948 and the Berlin Airlift, codenamed Operation Plainfire. Between 26 June and the lifting of the Russian blockade of the city on 2 May, the RAF provided 17% of the total supplies delivered during the event, using Avro Yorks, Douglas Dakotas flying to Gatow Airport and Short Sunderlands flying to Lake Havel.[16]
Before Britain developed its own nuclear weapons the RAF was provided with American nuclear weapons under Project E. However following the development of its own arsenal, the British Government elected on 16 February 1960 to share the country's nuclear deterrent between the RAF and submarines of the Royal Navy, first deciding on 13 April to concentrate solely on the air force's V bomber fleet. These were initially armed with nuclear gravity bombs, later being equipped with the Blue Steel missile. Following the development of the Royal Navy's Polaris submarines, the strategic nuclear deterrent passed to the navy's submarines on 30 June 1969.[17] With the introduction of Polaris, the RAF's strategic nuclear role was reduced to a tactical one, using WE.177 gravity bombs. This tactical role was continued by the V bombers into the 1980s and until 1998 by Tornado GR1s.
For much of the Cold War the primary role of the RAF was the defence of Western Europe against potential attack by the Soviet Union, with many squadrons based in West Germany. With the decline of the British Empire, global operations were scaled back, and RAF Far East Air Force was disbanded on 31 October 1971. Despite this, the RAF fought in many battles in the Cold War period. In June 1948 the RAF commenced Operation Firedog against Malayan terrorists during the Malayan Emergency. Operations continued for the next 12 years until 1960 with aircraft flying out of RAF Tengah and RAF Butterworth. The RAF played a minor role in the Korean War, with flying boats taking part. From 1953 to 1956 the RAF Avro Lincoln squadrons carried out anti-Mau Mau operations in Kenya using its base at RAF Eastleigh. The Suez Crisis in 1956 saw a large RAF role, with aircraft operating from RAF Akrotiri and RAF Nicosia on Cyprus and RAF Luqa and RAF Hal Far on Malta as part of Operation Musketeer. The Konfrontasi against Indonesia in the early 1960s did see use of RAF aircraft, but due to a combination of deft diplomacy and selective ignoring of certain events by both sides, it never developed into a full-scale war.
One of the largest actions undertaken by the RAF during the cold war was the air campaign during the 1982 Falklands War, in which the RAF operated alongside the Fleet Air Arm. During the war, RAF aircraft were deployed in the mid-Atlantic at RAF Ascension Island and a detachment from No. 1 Squadron was deployed with the Royal Navy, operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes.[18][19] RAF pilots also flew missions using the Royal Navy's Sea Harriers in the air-to-air combat role.[20] Following a British victory, the RAF remained in the South Atlantic to provide air defence to the Falkland Islands, based at RAF Mount Pleasant (built 1984).
Recent history
With the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the RAF's focus has returned to delivering expeditionary air power.[21] Since 1990 the RAF has been involved in several large-scale operations, including: the 1991 Gulf War, the 1999 Kosovo War, the 2001–present War in Afghanistan, the 2003 invasion and war in Iraq and most recently the 2011 intervention in Libya.
The RAF's 90th anniversary was commemorated on 1 April 2008 by a flypast of 9 Red Arrows and four Typhoons along the Thames, in a straight line from just south of London City Airport Tower Bridge, the London Eye, the RAF Memorial and (at 13.00) the Ministry of Defence building.[22][23][24]
Four major defence reviews have been conducted since the end of the Cold War: the 1990 Options for Change, the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, the 2003 Delivering Security in a Changing World and the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. All four defence reviews have resulted in steady reductions in manpower and numbers of aircraft, especially combat aircraft such as fast-jets. As part of the latest 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft was cancelled due to over spending and missing deadlines.[25] Other reductions saw total RAF manpower reduced by 5,000 personnel to a trained strength of 33,000 and the early retirement of the Joint Force Harrier aircraft, the Harrier GR7/GR9.
In recent years fighter aircraft on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) have been increasingly required to scramble in response to efforts made by the Russian Air Force to approach British airspace.[27] On 24 January 2014 in the Houses of Parliament, Conservative MP and Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Andrew Robathan, announced that the RAF's QRA force had been scrambled almost thirty times in the last three years: eleven times during 2010, ten times during 2011 and eight times during 2012.[28]
RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and RAF Lossiemouth in Moray both provide Quick Reaction Alert, or QRA, and scramble their fighter jets within minutes to meet or intercept aircraft which give cause for concern. Lossiemouth generally covers the northern sector, while Coningsby provides QRA in the south. Typhoon pilot Flight Lieutenant Noel Rees describes how QRA duty works. "At the start of the scaled QRA response, civilian air traffic controllers might see on their screens an aircraft behaving erratically, not responding to their radio calls, or note that it's transmitting a distress signal through its transponder. Rather than scramble Typhoons at the first hint of something abnormal, a controller has the option to put them on a higher level of alert, 'a call to cockpit'. In this scenario the pilot races to the hardened aircraft shelter and does everything short of starting his engines."[29]
|Ensign of the Royal Air Force
The professional head of the RAF is the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford. The CAS heads the Air Force Board, which is a committee of the Defence Council. The Air Force Board is the management board of the RAF and consists of several high-ranking officers.
Authority is delegated from the Air Force Board to the RAF's command. While there were once individual commands responsible for bombers, fighters, training, etc., now only the Air Command exists, headquartered at RAF High Wycombe.[30]
Groups are the subdivisions of operational commands; these are responsible for certain types of operation or for operations in limited geographical areas. As from July 2014, four groups exist. Additionally there is an expeditionary air group.
- No. 1 Group (Air Combat): controls the RAF's combat fast jet aircraft as well as the following stations: RAF Odiham, RAF Benson, RAF Leeming, RAF Coningsby, RAF Leuchars, RAF Marham, RAF Waddington and RAF Lossiemouth in the UK in addition to RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an operational training base. The RAF's electronic warfare tactics range at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria, is also within its sphere of responsibility.
- No. 2 Group (Air Combat Support): controls Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) assets,,[31] the strategic and tactical air transport aircraft, the RAF Regiment, the RAF's air-to-air refuelling aircraft and search and rescue assets.
- No. 38 Group (Air Combat Service Support): engineering, logistics, communications and medical operations units.
- No. 22 (Training) Group: responsible for recruiting, personnel management and training, including flying training.
- No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group, under the command of the Permanent Joint Headquarters, based at RAF Al Udeid, is active in the Middle East, currently supporting operations over Afghanistan (Operation Herrick) and Operation Shader. The expeditionary air group also supported operation over Iraq (Operation Telic).
An RAF station is ordinarily subordinate to a group and it is administratively sub-divided into wings. Since the mid to late 1930s RAF stations have controlled a number of flying squadrons or other units at one location by means of a station headquarters.
A wing is either an operational sub-division of a group or an administrative sub-division of an RAF station.
Independent Wings are a grouping of two or more squadrons, either flying squadrons or ground support squadrons. In former times, numbered flying wings have existed, but recently they have been created only when required. For example during Operation Telic, Tornado GR4 wings were formed to operate from Ali Al Salem and Al Udeid air bases and the Tornado F3 equipped Leuchars Fighter Wing at Prince Sultan Air Base; each of these were made up of aircraft and crews from several squadrons.
On 31 March 2006, the RAF formed nine Expeditionary Air Wings (EAWs) to support operations. They were established at the nine main operating bases; RAF Coningsby, RAF Cottesmore, RAF Kinloss, RAF Leeming, RAF Leuchars, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Lyneham, RAF Marham and RAF Waddington numbered Nos 121, 122, 325, 135, 125, 140, 38, 138 and 34 EAWs respectively. These units are commanded by a Group Captain who is also the parent unit's Station Commander. The EAW comprises the non-formed unit elements of the station that are required to support a deployed operating base, i.e. the command and control, logistics and administration functions amongst others. They are designed to be flexible and quickly adaptable for differing operations. They are independent of flying squadrons, Air Combat Support Units (ACSU) and Air Combat Service Support Units (ACSSU) who are attached to the EAW depending on the task it has been assigned.[32]
A wing is also an administrative sub-division of an RAF station. Historically, for a flying station these were normally Operations Wing, Engineering Wing and Administration Wing and each wing was commanded by an officer of wing commander rank. Early in the 21st century, the model changed, with Engineering Wing typically being split into Forward Support Wing and Depth Support Wing, while Administration Wing was redesignated Base Support Wing.
A flying squadron is an aircraft unit which carries out the primary tasks of the RAF. RAF squadrons are somewhat analogous to the regiments of the British Army in that they have histories and traditions going back to their formation, regardless of where they are based, which aircraft they are operating, etc. They can be awarded standards and battle honours for meritorious service. Whilst every squadron is different, most flying squadrons are commanded by a wing commander and, for a fast-jet squadron, have an establishment of around 100 personnel and 12 aircraft.
The term squadron can be used to refer to a sub-unit of an administrative wing or small RAF station, e.g. Air Traffic Control Squadron, Personnel Management Squadron etc. There are also Ground Support Squadrons, e.g. No 2 (Mechanical Transport) Squadron which is located at RAF Wittering. Administrative squadrons are normally commanded by a squadron leader.
A flight is a sub-division of a squadron. Flying squadrons are often divided into two flights, e.g. "A" and "B", each under the command of a squadron leader. Administrative squadrons on a station are also divided into flights and these flights are commanded by a junior officer, often a flight lieutenant. Because of their small size, there are several flying units formed as flights rather than squadrons. For example No. 1435 Flight is based at RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands, maintaining air defence cover with four Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
At its height in 1944 during the Second World War, more than 1,100,000 personnel were serving in the RAF. The longest-lived founding member of the RAF was Henry Allingham, who died on 18 July 2009 aged 113.[33]
As of 1 January 2015, the Royal Air Force numbered some 34,200 Regular[34] and 1,940 Royal Auxiliary Air Force[35] personnel, giving a combined component strength of 36,140 personnel. In addition to the active elements of the Royal Air Force, (Regular and Royal Auxiliary Air Force), all ex-Regular personnel remain liable to be recalled for duty in a time of need, this is known as the Regular Reserve. In 2007 there were 33,980 Regular Reserves of the Royal Air Force, of which 7,950 served under a fixed-term reserve contract.[36] Publications since April 2013 no-longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve, instead they only give a figure for Regular Reserves who serve under a fixed-term reserve contract.[37] They had a strength of 7,120 personnel in 2014.[38] All personnel figures exclude the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and its associated University Air Squadron.
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve is another reserve element of the RAF, however unlike the ones described above, they have no call-up liability. Instead, they are responsible for the management and operation of the Air Training Corps, Combined Cadet Force RAF Sections (CCF(RAF)), Volunteer Gliding Squadrons, Air Experience Flights, University Air Squadron and the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme.
Figures provided by the International Institute for Strategic Studies from 2012 showed that Royal Air Force pilots achieve a relatively high number of flying hours per year when compared with other major NATO allies such as France and Germany. RAF pilots achieve 210 to 290 flying hours per year.[39] French and German Air Force pilots achieved only 180 and 150 flying hours across their fleets respectively.[40]
Officers hold a commission from the Sovereign, which provides the legal authority for them to issue orders to subordinates. The commission of a regular officer is granted after successfully completing the 32-week-long Initial Officer Training course at the RAF College, Cranwell, Lincolnshire. Other officers also train at RAF Cranwell, but on different courses, such as those for professionally qualified officers.
The titles and insignia of RAF officers were chiefly derived from those used by the Royal Navy, specifically the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) during World War I. For example, the rank of Squadron Leader derived its name from the RNAS rank of Squadron Commander. RAF officers fall into three categories: air officers, senior officers and junior officers.
Other ranks
Other ranks attend the Recruit Training Squadron at RAF Halton for basic training, with the exception of the RAF Regiment, which trains its recruits at RAF Honington.
The titles and insignia of other ranks in the RAF were based on that of the Army, with some alterations in terminology. Over the years, this structure has seen significant changes: for example, there was once a separate system for those in technical trades, and the ranks of Chief Technician and Junior Technician continue to be held only by personnel in technical trades. RAF other ranks fall into four categories: Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, Junior Non-Commissioned Officers and Airmen.
All Warrant Officers in the RAF are equal in terms of rank, but the most senior Non-Commissioned appointment is known as the Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer.[41]
Branches and trades
- RAF Pilots and Weapon Systems Officers (WSO) (formerly known as Navigators) are commissioned officers of the Flying Branch. i.e. Fg(P) or Fg(WSO). Formerly in the General Duties branch, which is now reserved for Wing Commanders and above from any previous branch.[42]
- Non-commissioned (NCO) Aircrew known as Weapons System Operators (WSOp), fulfil the specialist roles of air engineer (E), air electronics operator (AEOp), air loadmaster (ALM) and air signaller (S). Though they are now known collectively as weapon systems operators, individual trade specialisations remain. Commissioned officer specialists are promoted from within branch to become Fg(WSO).[43]
The majority of the members of the RAF serve in support roles on the ground.
- Engineering Officers and technicians are employed to maintain and repair the equipment used by the RAF. This includes routine preparation for flight and maintenance on aircraft, arming aircraft with weapons, as well as deeper level repair work on aircraft systems, IT systems, ground based radar, vehicles, ground support equipment, etc.[44]
- RAF Flight Operations Officers are involved with the planning and co-ordination of all Flying Operations. Flight Operations Officers can be found in every RAF Flying Station and Squadron.[45]
- The RAF Regiment is the RAF's infantry unit, its officers and gunners defend RAF airfields from attack.[46] The RAF Regiment is also responsible for CBRN defence[47] and training the rest of the RAF in ground defence.
- Aerospace Battle Managers (formally Fighter Controllers/FC) and Air Traffic Controllers (ATC), control RAF and NATO aircraft from the ground. The FC control the interception of enemy aircraft while the ATC provide air traffic services at RAF stations and to the majority of en-route military aircraft in UK airspace.[48]
- RAF Intelligence Officers and Intelligence Analysts support all operational activities by providing timely and accurate indicators and warnings. They conduct detailed all source military intelligence fusion and analysis by utilising classified and open source information including imagery, human and communications (signals) intelligence. Intelligence is used to inform commanders of the assessed capabilities and intentions of the enemy for strategic / operational planning and targeting. They also tailor the information to brief aircrews for mission planning and other tactical units (such as RAF Regiment) for Force Protection.[49]
- RAF Medical Branch provides healthcare at home and on deployed operations, including aeromedical evacuation services. Medical officers are the doctors of the RAF and have specialist expertise in aviation medicine to support aircrew and their protective equipment. Medical officers can go on aeromedical evacuations, providing vital assistance on search-and-rescue missions or emergency relief flights worldwide. RAF Medical Officers are either based in primary care on operations or on RAF stations in the UK or in one of six Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHU's) around the UK as specialist practitioners.[50]
- Administrative Officers and associated Pers Admin trades are involved with human resources management, training management, physical education, catering, infrastructure management, accounts, dress and discipline, personnel and recruitment.[51]
- RAF Chaplains Branch provides spiritual and moral support for RAF personnel and their families.[52]
- RAF Legal Branch provides legal advice on discipline / criminal law and operations law.[53]
- RAF Police are the military police of the RAF.[54]
Specialist training and education
The Royal Air Force operates several units and centres for the provision of non-generic training and education. These include the Royal Air Force Leadership Centre and the Royal Air Force Centre for Air Power Studies, both based at RAF Cranwell, and the Air Warfare Centre, based at RAF Waddington and RAF Cranwell. NCO training and developmental courses occur at RAF Halton and officer courses occur at the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham.
British military aircraft designations generally comprise a type name followed by a mark number which includes an alphabetical rôle prefix. For example, the Typhoon F2 is designated as a fighter by the 'F', and the second variant of the type to be produced.
Air defence and strike aircraft
The Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 is the RAF's only air defence fighter aircraft, with a total of six squadrons based across RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth,[55][56] following the retirement of the Panavia Tornado F3 in late March 2011.[57] Their task is to defend UK airspace. In October 2007 it was announced that MoD Boscombe Down, RNAS Culdrose and RAF Marham would also be used as Quick Reaction Alert bases from early 2008, offering around-the-clock fighter coverage for the South and South West of UK airspace when a direct threat has been identified.[58] The RAF has five front-line and one reserve Typhoon units; 3 Squadron, 11 Squadron and 29 Squadron (Operational Conversion Unit) based at RAF Coningsby, with 1 Squadron, 2 Squadron and 6 Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth.[55][59]
The mainstay of the strike fleet are the four squadrons of Tornado GR4s.[60] These supersonic aircraft can carry a wide range of weaponry, including Storm Shadow cruise missiles, laser-guided bombs and the ALARM anti-radar missile.[61] Since June 2008, the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 has also been capable of being deployed operationally in the air-to-ground role.[62] The RAF has three operational Tornado units, with [63] 9 Squadron, 12 Squadron and 31 Squadron based at RAF Marham. RAF Lossiemouth is home to the reserve 15 Squadron.[64]
The Tornado was previously supplemented by the Harrier GR7/GR9 in the strike and close air support roles, and to counter enemy air defences. The Harrier fleet was withdrawn in December 2010 following the Strategic Defence and Security Review; the Tornado GR4 is due to retire in March 2019 and be replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 Lightning II.[65][66]
Airborne early warning and reconnaissance aircraft
The Sentry AEW1, based at RAF Waddington, provides airborne early warning to detect incoming enemy aircraft and to co-ordinate the aerial battlefield. The Sentinel R1 (also known as ASTOR – Airborne STand-Off Radar) provides a ground radar-surveillance platform based on the Bombardier Global Express long range business jet. These were supplemented in 2009 by four Beechcraft Shadow R1 aircraft equipped for the ISTAR role over Afghanistan.[67] The Tornado GR4A is fitted with cameras and sensors in the visual, infra-red and radar ranges of the spectrum.[68]
Ten MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned aerial vehicles have been purchased to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are operated by No. 39 Squadron RAF based at Creech Air Force Base and 13 Squadron at RAF Waddington.[69] Five Britten-Norman Islanders are operated by the Station Flight of RAF Northolt, involved in "photographic mapping and light communications roles".[70]
Three Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint have been ordered to replace the Nimrod R1 fleet in the signals intelligence role in 2014. The Nimrod fleet was retired in 2011, and the RAF will share signals aircraft of the US Air Force until the RC-135s enter service.[71] The aircraft will be Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tankers converted to RC-135W standard in the most complex combined Foreign Military Sales case and co-operative support arrangement that the UK has undertaken with the United States Air Force since the Second World War. In RAF service, they will be known as the Airseeker.[72] Airseeker received its first operational deployment in August 2014, when it was deployed to the Middle East to fly missions over Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Shader.[73]
Support helicopters
An important part of the work of the RAF is to support the British Army by ferrying troops and equipment at the battlefield. However, RAF helicopters are also used in a variety of other roles, including support of RAF ground units and heavy-lift support for the Royal Marines. The support helicopters are organised into the tri-service Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), along with helicopters of the British Army and Royal Navy. The only helicopters not coordinated by the JHC are the search and rescue helicopters of the RAF and RN, and those RN helicopters that are normally based on board a ship such as a destroyer or frigate.
The large twin-rotor Chinook, based at RAF Odiham provides heavy-lift support and is supported by the Puma HC2 medium-lift helicopter based at RAF Benson.
Transport and air-to-air refuelling aircraft
The RAF operate the C-17 Globemaster III in the heavy strategic airlift role, originally leasing four from Boeing. These were purchased, followed by a fifth delivered on 7 April 2008 and a sixth delivered on 8 June 2008. The new aircraft entered frontline use within days rather than weeks. The MoD said there was "a stated departmental requirement for eight" C-17s and a seventh was subsequently ordered, to be delivered in December 2010.[74] In February 2012 the purchase of an eighth C-17 was confirmed;[75] the aircraft arrived at RAF Brize Norton in May 2012.[76]
More routine strategic airlift transport tasks are carried out by the Airbus A330 MRTT, known as the Voyager in RAF service. The first Voyager arrived in the UK for testing at MoD Boscombe Down in April 2011,[77] and entered service in April 2012.[78] The Voyager received approval from the MoD on 16 May 2013 to begin air-to-air refuelling flights and made its first operational tanker flight on 20 May 2013 as part of a training sortie with Tornado GR4s. By 21 May 2013, the Voyager fleet had carried over 50,000 passengers and carried over 3,000 tons of cargo.[79] A total of 14 Voyagers are due to form the fleet, with 9 allocated to sole RAF use. As the Voyagers lack a refueling boom, the RAF has requested a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the USAF allowing the UK access to tankers equipped with refueling booms for its Boeing RC-135W Airseeker SIGINT aircraft.[80]
Shorter range, tactical-airlift transport is provided by the Hercules, the fleet including both older C-130K (Hercules C1/C3) and newer C-130J (Hercules C4/C5) variants, based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. All C-130s will be withdrawn by 2022. The Airbus A400M Atlas will replace the RAF's fleet of Hercules C1/C3 (C-130K) transport aircraft.[81] Originally, 25 aircraft were ordered, although the total is now 22. The A400M will be known as the Atlas in RAF service.[82]
No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron replaced the Queen's Flight in 1995 and operate the Agusta A109 and BAe 146 CC2 in the general air transport and VIP transport roles. The squadron is based at RAF Northolt in west London. Aircraft operate with a priority for military needs over VIP transport. Two additional BAe 146s were purchased in March 2012 from TNT Airways and were refitted by Hawker Beechcraft on behalf of BAE Systems for tactical freight and personnel transport use.[83][84] The aircraft, designated as the BAe 146 C Mk 3, arrived in Afghanistan in April 2013.[85]
Search and rescue aircraft
Three squadrons of helicopters exist with the primary role of military search and rescue; the rescuing of aircrew who have ejected or crash-landed their aircraft. These are 22 Squadron and 202 Squadron with the Sea King HAR.3/HAR3A in the UK and 84 Squadron with the Griffin HAR2 in Cyprus. Although established with a primary role of military search and rescue, most of their operational missions are spent in their secondary role of conducting civil search and rescue; that is, the rescue of civilians from the sea, on mountainsides and other locations. Both rescue roles are shared with the Sea King helicopters of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, while the civil search and rescue role is also shared with the helicopters of HM Coastguard. The Operational Conversion Unit is 203 Squadron RAF based at RAF Valley equipped with the Sea King HAR3.
In March 2013 the Department for Transport announced that it had a signed a contract with Bristow Helicopters Ltd to provide search and rescue helicopter services in the UK with operations commencing progressively from 2015. The new service is expected to be fully operational across the United Kingdom by summer 2017 and will utilize AgustaWestland AW189 and Sikorsky S-92 based in ten locations around the UK. The move will end 74 years of RAF Search and Rescue capability.[citation needed]
The related Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service comprises four teams of trained mountaineers stationed in the mainland United Kingdom, first established in 1943.
Training aircraft
Elementary flying training is conducted on the Tutor T1. The Tutor is also used, along with the Viking T1 and Vigilant T1 gliders, to provide air experience training for air cadets and elementary flying training for trainee RAF pilots. Basic pilot training for fixed-wing and helicopter pilots is provided on the Tucano T1 and Squirrel HT1. Weapon systems officer and weapon systems operator training was conducted in the Dominie T1 until the decommissioning of the last six Dominie T1 in January 2011. Advanced flying training for fast-jet, helicopter and multi-engine pilots is provided using the Hawk T1, Griffin HT1 and B200 King Air respectively. At the more advanced stage in training, variants of front-line aircraft have been adapted for operational conversion of trained pilots, such as the Typhoon T1.
Future aircraft
The F-35B Lightning II is intended to enter service around 2020 under the Joint Combat Aircraft programme. Although the Short Take Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) F-35B version had been selected initially, in October 2010, David Cameron announced that the UK would change their order to the F-35C CATOBAR carrier variant for both the RAF and Navy, citing greater range and the ability to carry a larger and more diverse payload than the F-35B.[86] However, in May 2012, it was announced that the UK government had reverted to the previous government's plan to operate the F-35B STOVL variant, due to rising estimated shipbuilding costs associated with the F-35C, and an earlier estimated in-service date for the F-35B.[87] On 19 July 2012 the Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, in a speech in the USA, indicated that the UK would initially receive 48 F-35B and would announce at a later date what the final numbers would be. Jon Thompson, MOD Permanent Secretary, told the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, in late 2012: "Our commitment over the first 10 years is for 48 F-35B. "An order for the first 14 aircraft on top of the four already procured for operational test and evaluation is expected later in 2013.
Project Taranis is a technology demonstrator programme, possibly leading to a future Strategic Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) for both ground attack and reconnaissance roles.[88]
The BAE Mantis is another UCAV under development, with an autonomous capability, allowing it to fly itself through an entire mission. This is a potential candidate to fulfil a requirement for an ISTAR UAV to enter service after 2015 as part of the RAF's Scavenger programme.[89]
In July 2014 the House of Common Defence Select Committee released a report on the RAF future force structure that envisaged a mixture of unmanned and manned platforms, including a UCAV such as Taranis and further orders of F-35s, a service life extension for the Eurofighter (which would otherwise end its service in 2030) or a possible new manned aircraft.[90]
Symbols, flags, emblems and uniform
Following the tradition of the other British fighting services, the RAF has adopted symbols to represent it, act as a rallying point for its members and encourage esprit de corps.
The RAF Ensign is flown from the flagstaff on every RAF station during daylight hours. The design was approved by King George V in 1921, after much opposition from the Admiralty, who have the right to approve or veto any flag flown ashore or on board ship.
British aircraft in the early stages of the First World War carried the Union Flag as an identifying feature, however this was easy to confuse with Germany's Iron Cross motif. Therefore in October 1914 the French system of three concentric rings was adopted, with the colours reversed to a red disc surrounded by a white ring and an outer blue ring. The relative sizes of the rings have changed over the years and during World War II an outer yellow ring was added. Aircraft serving in the Far East during World War II had the red disc removed to prevent confusion with Japanese aircraft. Since the 1970s, camouflaged aircraft carry low-visibility roundels, either red and blue on dark camouflage, or washed-out pink and light blue on light colours. Most uncamouflaged training and transport aircraft retain the traditional red-white-blue roundel.
The Latin motto of the RAF, "Per Ardua ad Astra", is usually translated as "Through Adversity to the Stars",[91] but the RAF's official translation is "Through Struggle to the Stars".[1] The choice of motto is attributed to a junior officer named J S Yule, in response to a request from a commander of the RFC, Colonel Sykes, for suggestions. The RAF inherited the motto from the RFC.
The Badge of the Royal Air Force was first used in August 1918. In heraldic terms it is: "In front of a circle inscribed with the motto Per Ardua Ad Astra and ensigned by the Imperial Crown an eagle volant and affronte Head lowered and to the sinister."[91] Although there have been debates among airmen over the years whether the bird was originally meant to be an albatross or an eagle, the consensus is that it was always an eagle.[92]
In 2006 the RAF adopted a logotype featuring a roundel and the Service's unabbreviated name (shown at the top of this article). The logotype is used on all correspondence and publicity material and aims to provide the Service with a single, universally recognisable brand identity.
Ceremonial functions and display
Red Arrows
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, with under-review plans to move to RAF Waddington. The team was formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams that had been sponsored by RAF commands.
The Red Arrows badge shows the aircraft in their trademark Diamond Nine formation, with the motto Éclat, a French word meaning "brilliance" or "excellence".
Initially, they were equipped with seven Folland Gnat trainers inherited from the RAF Yellowjacks display team. This aircraft was chosen because it was less expensive to operate than front-line fighters. In their first season, they flew at 65 shows across Europe. In 1966, the team was increased to nine members, enabling them to develop their Diamond Nine formation. In late 1979, they switched to the BAE Hawk trainer. The Red Arrows have performed over 4,000 displays worldwide in 53 countries.[93]
Royal Air Force music
Headquarters Royal Air Force Music Services, located at RAF Northolt, supports 177 professional musicians who attend events around the globe in support of the RAF. RAF Music Services were established in 1921, although the first RAF Director of Music was appointed in 1918. The Music Services were expanded for World War II and in the post war years there were ten established bands. Since then, Music Services has gradually been reduced in size and today comprises:
- Headquarters Music Services
- Central Band of the Royal Air Force (including the RAF Salon Orchestra)
- Band of the Royal Air Force College
- Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment
Overseas deployments
The current or regular overseas deployments of the Royal Air Force are as follows:
|RAF Gibraltar
|No permanently stationed aircraft. RAF aircraft (e.g., Hercules transports) make regular visits.
| RAF Akrotiri
RAF Nicosia
|During the Suez Crisis, Operation Musketeer involved RAF aircraft based on Cyprus. Today, RAF aircraft are stationed at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus as part of British Forces Cyprus, from where, in 2014, aircraft were deployed in the intervention against ISIS.
|Bardufoss Air Station
|RAF fighter and/or helicopter squadrons undergo winter-training here most years.
|Ascension Island
|RAF Ascension Island
|Used as an air bridge between the UK and the Falkland Islands. United States Air Force personnel are also stationed at this base.
|Falkland Islands
| RAF Stanley
RAF Mount Pleasant
|After initial use of the Airport at Stanley, the airbase/airport at Mount Pleasant was built to allow a fighter and transport facility on the islands, and to strengthen the defence capacity of BFFI (British Forces Falkland Islands). BFFI now replaced by BFSAI (British Forces South Atlantic Islands).
|United States
|Creech AFB, Nevada
|Operation of MQ-9 Reaper UAVs by No. 39 Squadron RAF.[94]
The following is an incomplete list of previous deployments:
|RAF Unit Goose Bay, Canada
|RAF aircraft trained in low-level tactical flying at CFB Goose Bay, a NATO air force base of the Royal Canadian Air Force.[95]
|Various helicopters
|RAF enforced no-fly zones over the Balkans in the late 1990s and participated in the NATO interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo. RAF helicopters remained to provide support to the United Nations.
|Afghanistan and Persian Gulf
| Operation Veritas
Operation Herrick
|Chinooks provided airlift support to coalition forces. Additionally Merlin helicopters began tasking in late 2009 following the end of Operation Telic (Iraq). Since late 2004 six BAe Harriers provided reconnaissance and close air support to the ISAF. The Harriers were replaced by an equivalent force of Tornado GR4 in mid-2009. In August 2010, the Tornado force was uplifted to 10 aircraft. Other support units are deployed to Muscat International Airport in Oman, and air bases in the UAE and the Kingdom of Bahrain.[96] Combat operations within Helmand Province ended on 26 October 2014.
| Operation Telic
Operation Kipion
|During the initial invasion, British strike fighters were used. Support aircraft such as the Hercules C130, Puma helicopter and Merlin helicopter stayed in Iraq until the withdrawal in 2009. The Merlin helicopters were the last RAF aircraft to leave Iraq.[97]
|Kenya Air Force Laikipia Air Base
|Semi permanent detachment which involved helicopters giving support to the British Army
|Operation Ellamy
|Enforcement of no fly zone in Libya according to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.[98]
|RAF Luqa
|During the Suez Crisis, Operation Musketeer involved RAF aircraft based on Malta.
See also
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- Royal Air Force Air Cadets
- List of military aircraft operational during World War II
- List of Royal Air Force stations
- RAF News
- ^ Since April 2013, MoD publications no longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve, instead, only Regular Reserves serving under a fixed-term reserve contract are counted. These contracts are similar in nature to the RAuxAF.
- ^ a b c "Frequently Asked Questions". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ Military Aircraft:Written question - 225369 (House of Commons Hansard), parliament.uk, March 2015
- ^ "RAF Timeline 1918–1929". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ a b "World War I". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ Air Power and Colonial Control: The Royal Air Force, 1919-1939 By David E. Omissi, Published 1 January 1990, Retrieved 1 February 2014. Page 8.
- ^ BBC: Fact File : The RAF, retrieved 1 February 2014
- ^ "Role of the RAF". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Role of Air Power". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ Nick Harvey, Minister of State for the Armed Forces (31 January 2012). "Military Aircraft". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons.
- ^ Royal Air Force: Our high-tech gear, retrieved 1 February 2014
- ^ Tami Davis Biddle, "British and American Approaches to Strategic Bombing: Their Origins and Implementation in the World War II Combined Bomber Offensive," Journal of Strategic Studies, March 1995, Vol. 18 Issue 1, pp 91–144; Tami Davis Biddle, Rhetoric and Reality in Air Warfare: The Evolution of British and American Ideas about Strategic Bombing, 1914–1945 (2002)
- ^ RCAF Archives[dead link]
- ^ Royal Australian Air Force
- ^ "The Few". The Churchill Centre. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
The gratitude of every home in our island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
- ^ Paul Brickhill, The Dambusters
- ^ "RAF Timeline 1945–1949". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "RAF Timeline 1960–1969". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ Ashworth 1989, p.26.
- ^ Evans 1998, pp. 74–75.
- ^ "Argentine Aircraft Lost - Falklands War 1982". Naval-history.net. 1982-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ Royal Air Force: Expeditionary Air Force, raf.mod.uk
- ^ News Archives
- ^ BBC News Media Player
- ^ BBC News
- ^ "Lots of Losers in U.K. Defense Review". DefenseNews. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
- ^ MoD Image Description
- ^ RAF Typhoons intercept Russian bombers (flightglobal.com), 27 October 2011
- ^ Hansard (publications.parliament.uk), 24 January 2014
- ^ UK Ministry of Defence press release 20th September 2012
- ^ "RAF Command". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Airfield Guide: Waddington (RAF)". scramble.nl.
- ^ "RAF Command". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Fly-past for Britain's oldest man". BBC News. 3 June 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ gov.uk MoD - regular personnel, table 2 page 8. 1 January 2015.
- ^ gov.uk MoD - quarterly personnel report, table 4 page 9. 1 January 2015.
- ^ dasa.mod - reserves and cadet strengths, table 4 page 6. April 2012.
- ^ gov.uk MoD - reserves and cadet strengths, table 4 page 13. See note 2. April 2014.
- ^ gov.uk MoD - reserves and cadet strengths, table 4 page 13. April 2014.
- ^ IISS 2012, pp. 171
- ^ IISS 2012, pp. 111–120
- ^ "Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Pilot". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Weapon Systems Operator". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Engineer Officer". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Flight Operations Officer". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "The RAF Regiment – Roles". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "No 26 Squadron RAF Regiment". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Aerospace Battle Manager". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Intelligence Officer". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Medical Officer". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Personnel Support". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Chaplain". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Legal Officer". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "RAF Police". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ a b "Typhoon FGR4". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ http://www.janes.com/article/43466/raf-lossiemouth-undertakes-first-qra-north-scramble
- ^ "UK retires last Tornado F3 fighters". Craig Hoyle (Flightglobal). 22 March 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2011
- ^ Air base in front line fully-armed – Salisbury Journal, 29 October 2007
- ^ https://www.gov.uk/government/news/typhoon-aircraft-relocate-to-raf-lossiemouth
- ^ "Tornado GR4/GR4A". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 15 August 2012
- ^ "UK retires ALARM missile" January 21, 2014
- ^ AirForcesMonthly.August 2008.p9
- ^ http://www.defensenews.com/article/20141003/DEFREG01/310030034/To-Boost-Strike-Force-UK-Delays-Retiring-Jets
- ^ "Orbats - Scramble". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 2014-06-06.
- ^ "UK Tornado fleet to retire in 2019, says BAE". Flightglobal.com. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
- ^ "BBC News - RAF Marham base for Joint Strike Fighter". Bbc.co.uk. 2013-03-25. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
- ^ "UK converts King Air 350s into ISTAR platforms". defence-solutions.co.uk. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ "Tornado GR4A". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Armed drones operated from RAF base in UK, says MoD". BBC News. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ^ "Aircraft and Equipment". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Nimrod R1 aircraft in final flight for RAF". BBC News. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ Ministry of Defence (2010-12-22). "Rivet Joint joins Future Force 2020". Mod.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
- ^ "Iraq: 'Secret' Surveillance Flights Revealed". Sky News. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ Pike, John. "Royal Air Force to Acquire 7th Boeing C-17 Globemaster III". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
- ^ "UK to buy eighth C-17 transport". Flight International. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
- ^ "New RAF C-17 aircraft touches down in the UK". Ministry of Defence. 24 May 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ "Voyager, biggest plane in RAF history, arrives in UK". BBC News. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ "Airbus Military's A330 MRTT begins its service career with the UK Royal Air Force". Airbus. 9 April 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ Hoyle, Craig (21 May 2013). "RAF Voyager launches tanker operations with Tornado". Flight International. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ "RAF, USAF Work On Rivet Joint Refueling Deal.". Aviationweek.com. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ "Royal Air Force – A400M". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "MOD signs contracts and agreements for new RAF aircraft and weapons". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 14 April 2010.[dead link]
- ^ "BAE Systems wins £15.5 million MOD contract for the Royal Air Force". BAE Systems. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
- ^ "BAe 146 C.Mk 3 aircraft delivered to the UK Royal Air Force". BAE Systems. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ "BAe146 C Mk 3". Royal Air Force. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ Wilson, Amy (10 November 2010). "Babcock says Aircraft carrier changes will add up to £800m to taxpayer bill". The Daily Telegraph (London).
- ^ "U.K. Makes F-35 U-Turn to Cut Costs, Narrow Carrier-Defense Gap." Bloomberg News, 10 May 2012.
- ^ "Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicles (Experiment) Integrated Project Team". Ministry of Defence. 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- ^ "BAE hails Mantis UAV success, nears Taranis roll-out". Flightglobal.com. 2010-06-30. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
- ^ "UK sets out post-2030 combat aviation force structure". Janes. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ a b Air Ministry Orders A.666/49, 15 September 1949
- ^ W/C F.H. Hitchins. "It's an albatross, it's an eagle … it's an eagle". Forces.gc.ca. Retrieved 22 October 2010.[dead link]
- ^ Official Red Arrows website. "Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows". Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Nevada". RAF. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
- ^ "British take their leave from Goose Bay". CBC News. 31 March 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ Tornados Bound for Kandahar, AirForces Monthly, August 2008 issue, p. 8.
- ^ "Iraq (Operation KIPION)". RAF. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
- ^ "Libya – Operation ELLAMY". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- International Institute for Strategic Studies; Hackett, James (ed.) (3 February 2010). The Military Balance 2010. London: Routledge. ISBN 1857435575.
- International Institute for Strategic Studies; Hackett, James (ed.) (7 March 2012). The Military Balance 2012. London: Routledge. ISBN 1857436423.
- Shores, Christopher (1969). Finnish Air Force, 1918–1968. Reading, Berkshire, UK: Osprey Publications Ltd. ISBN 0-85045-012-8.
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal Air Force.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aircraft of the air force of the United Kingdom.
- Official website
- RAF Reservist Support Service
- RAF Museum
- RAF Benevolent Fund
- WWII: In Praise of the RAF[dead link] – image slideshow by Life magazine
- Video clips
Portal:British aircraft since World War II
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text:
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Session Type(s): Screening Series
Training Tag(s): Media / Journalism / Blogging, Arts & Culture
Starts: Saturday, Jun. 9 1:30 PM
Ends: Saturday, Jun. 9 2:45 PM
Room: 550
So you've been told to create a "viral video," whatever that means. How do you create media that not only succeeds online but also changes the debate? How do you make content that people pass around that also pierces the national conversation? We'll examine these questions in-depth, speaking with those responsible for creating or spreading political videos that have made an impact—and learn how to do the same in our own activism.
Andy Menconi is a graphic designer and animator who has been creating viral content since 2000. While working as a web designer for Bank of America he won 'Bush in 30 Years': a flash animation contest sponsored by MoveOn.org which opened the door to being the graphics guy for many leftist political organizations.
He went on to form Agit-Pop Communications, an award winning viral media firm with partners John Sellers of the Ruckus Society and Andrew Boyd of Billionaires for Bush. On tax day in 2010, Agit-Pop communications began a new project called 'The Other 98%' as a meme to help shift the dialogue of the culture war to one of economic justice.
Andy Menconi was born in Texas, graduated from AAC in San Francisco, loves punk rock, the NFL, green chile and romantic dinners on the beach.
Andy Cobb's satire has recently been seen on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, FOX News, NPR, Newsweek, Huffington Post, Nightline, Moveon.org, Current TV, Al Jazeera, and over 25 million times online. He's written sketches for Comedy Central's "Key & Peele," and makes videos called "genius" by Andrew Sullivan and Chris Cillizza, "brilliant" by Huffington Post, and "intrinsically awesome" by Rachel Maddow. Andy has written, performed and directed satirical advocacy projects for Brave New Films, SEIU, AAEI, Courage Campaign, and Healthcare For America Now. He started as an ensemble member at Chicago's Second City, where he recently developed shows on the "Art Of Satire" with Economist Magazine, and made video as Political Director for Second City Online. He directs the satirical video groups Heavy Crude Video, The Partisans, and Public Service Administration, and performs live with The 313. He sometimes blogs with the fine folks at Crooks and Liars.
Haik Hoisington is a Brooklyn-based freelance animator. He strives to use animation to illustrate alternative perspectives of urgent social and political issues. His work has been shown in film festivals, broadcast on television and featured in on-line and print publications. It includes award winning music videos for musical artists Eminem and the Coup, as well as animation for the feature length documentaries American Blackout and Lockdown USA.
Haik is a graduate of the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University.
Anne Thompson leads MoveOn's video production team. Prior to working at MoveOn she was a producer at MSNBC, led the DNC's rapid response video team for Obama's re-election in 2012, and worked on campaigns to raise the minimum wage and expand health care access at the National Employment Law Project and Campaign for America's Future. Her work has been featured by ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, The Washington Post, The AP and more.
Emcee and community activist Jasiri X is the creative force and artist behind the ground breaking internet news series, This Week with Jasiri X, which has garnered critical acclaim, thousands of subscribers, and millions of internet views. From the controversial viral video What if the Tea Party was Black?, to the hard hitting truth of A Song for Trayvon, Jasiri X cleverly uses Hip-Hop to provide social commentary on a variety of issues. A six time Pittsburgh Hip-Hop Award winner, Jasiri recently became the first Hip-Hop artist to receive the coveted August Wilson Center for African American Culture Fellowship. A founding member of the anti-violence group One Hood, Jasiri started the New Media Academy to teach young African-American boys how to analyze and create media for themselves.
Other sessions: Turn It Up: Using Hip-Hop to Mobilize in 2012, Criminal Justice in America


text:
Get the Facts
Peripheral Neuropathy... What Is Peripheral Neuropathy? What Causes PN? How Is PN Diagnosed? How Is It Treated? Other Resources The Bottom Line What Is Peripheral Neuropathy? Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a disease of the peripheral nerves. These are all the nerves
Ask the Experts
Will My Peripheral Neuropathy ever go away?I have had HIV since 1984, AIDS since 1998, and peripheral neuropathy since 1986. My viral load is near undetectable.My pain is still bad and I am on Meds for it. Two doctors feels that since I am nearly undetectable I should be have no pain...
Response from Keith Henry, M.D.
University of Minnesota, School of Medicine...Recovery from HIV or HIV-drug related peripheral neuropathy often but now always will occur when switched to an effective regimen with lower risk for peripheral neuropathy. In my experience Read more »
peripheral neuropathyHello Doctors,when does peripheral neuropathy start normally in the course of hiv infection. Is it from the very beginning meaning acute infection on, or only later in the course of infection?!!Is it right that it can be caused by both, hiv itself...
Response from Keith Henry, M.D.
University of Minnesota, School of Medicine...Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by HIV infection sometimes in early infection but more often in late infection. Certain HIV drugs (in particular Read more »
Hip and finger tips (PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY)Dear Doctor:I have been positive for only 3 years and I have never been on any HIV meds yet, but I may go on soon. I am at 411 T cells, 15% and 30k VL. I am taking Valtrex to keep shingles away, two anti histamines, amoxicillin for sore throat,...
Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.
The Robert James Frascino AIDS FoundationHi,For issue #1, you want me to "please say it is not PN." OK, it's not PN. (You can read about HIV-related PN below.)For issue #2, that your hip discomfort "has gotten better with time" would argue against avascular necrosis. That gets worse with... Read more »
Is peripheral neuropathy reversible?I have been on AZT then Combivir and now Atripla for the past 19 yrs. The neuropathy in my feet is almost unbearable. I am in recovery so I refuse to take any narcotic pain medication. If I switch meds is it possible for the neuropathy to be...
Response from Keith Henry, M.D.
University of Minnesota, School of Medicine...The meds in Atripla have a low rate of peripheral neuropathy associated with them so my confidence that the neuropathy will reverse if switched around is not high but it can happen. Rarely Read more »
Peripheral Neuropathy... Peripheral Neuropathy (peripheral = furthest away; neuro = nerve; pathy = damage) Peripheral neuropathy (PN) -- nerve damage that causes numbness, Read more »
Peripheral Neuropathy and HIV/AIDS... Table of Contents What Is Peripheral Neuropathy? What Causes PN? Who Is at Risk of Developing PN? How Do You Know if You Have PN? PN Treatments Finding Support Read more »
Understanding and Managing Peripheral Neuropathy... Table of Contents Introduction A Snapshot of the Nervous System Clinical Features of Peripheral Neuropathy Development of DSPN Diagnosing DSPN Risk Factors for DSPN Neuropathy Management DSPN Therapies Conclusion Read more »
Peripheral Neuropathy... Introduction What Is Peripheral Neuropathy? What Causes It? Who Is at Risk? What Are the Symptoms? How Is It Diagnosed? How Do You Prevent It? How Do Read more »
Related Topics


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The Visual Studio Helper
The VC++ 2008 Helper class is responsible for the VC++ specific code used to generate the .vcproj file for every project. It is equivalent to the NetBeans 6 Helper class. The generic build_system_generator.py script is using this helper to generate the .vcproj file and the solution (.sln) file. Let's take a closer look at this class. The first thing it does is import some useful system modules and then import the BaseHelper and Template classes from the build_system_generator module (as well as the 'title' function for debugging purposes):
#!/usr/bin/env python import os import sys import glob import string import uuid from pprint import pprint as pp sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__)), '../')) from build_system_generator import (BaseHelper, Template, title)
Then, there are a couple of utility functions for handling GUIDs. The make_guid() function simply creates a new GUID. Conveniently enough, Python has a module called uuid that can generate GUIDs (and much more). Handy modules like uuid are exactly why Python earned the "Batteries Included" reputation. In any other language, you would have to go and hunt for a 3rd party library (or even worse... implement GUID generation yourself), download it, test it, integrate it into your code and your deployment/packaging script and hope it's not too buggy.
def make_guid(): title() return '{' + str(uuid.uuid4()) + '}'
The get_guid() function extracts the the GUID of a project from an existing .vcproj file or creates a new one if the file doesn't exist.
def get_guid(filename): title(additional=filename) if os.path.isfile(filename): lines = open(filename).readlines() guid_line = lines[5] assert 'ProjectGUID=' in guid_line g = guid_line.split('=')[1][1:-2] else: g = make_guid() return g.upper()
The Helper class itself subclasses BaseHelper to benefit from all its common functionality. The __init__() method initializes the templates dir and sets the path separator to a back slash. This is not strictly necessary. Windows can actually work with back and forward slashes and even mix them in the same path. This is a valid path on Windows: "c:/a/b\c\d". However, for esthetic and readability purposes it is best to have a uniform convention and on Windows the back slash is more prevalent. The separator is used when constructing paths.
class Helper(BaseHelper): """VC++ 2008 helper """ def __init__(self, templates_dir): BaseHelper.__init__(self, templates_dir) self.sep = '\\'
The get_templates() method is pretty simple and returns a list containing a single Template object with the template type (program, static library or dynamic library), the path and the relative path of the .vcproj file.
def get_templates(self, template_type): """Get all the template files associated with a particular template type Often there will be just one template file, but some build systems require multiple build files per template type @param template_type - 'program', 'dynamic_lib' or 'static_lib' @return a Template object """ result = [] vcproj_file = os.path.join(self.templates_dir, template_type, '%s.vcproj' % template_type) assert os.path.isfile(vcproj_file) relative_path = '%s.vcproj' template = Template(vcproj_file, relative_path, template_type) return [template]
The prepare_substitution_dict() is the essential method that prepares the values that the generic ibs uses to populate the template for the .vcproj file. It is much simpler than the corresponding NetBeans method because it needs to generate just one file and not six and also the dynamic information that needs to be substituted in is concentrated in a few places in a uniform way. There are only three placeholders: GUID, SourceFiles and HeaderFiles. All the other information is encoded in the templates. Here is signature:
def prepare_substitution_dict(self, project_name, project_type, project_file_template, project_dir, libs_dir, dependencies, source_files, header_files, platform):
The prepare_substitution_dict() method uses a nested function called make_files_section() to prepare the SourceFiles and HeaderFiles lists. This function sorts the file lists too (using a case insensitive custom compare function). Note the recursive nature of this operation to create the files section a mini-template is populated with the file's relative path for each file. The result is an XML fragment that can later be embedded directly in the .vcproj file:
def make_files_section(file_list): def icase_cmp(s1, s2): return cmp(s1.lower(), s2.lower()) file_template = """\ \t\t\t<File \t\t\t\tRelativePath=".\%s" \t\t\t\t> \t\t\t7<</File>""" if file_list == []: return '' file_list = sorted(file_list, icase_cmp) files = [file_template % os.path.basename(f) for f in file_list] return '\n'.join(files) + '\n'
The code of prepare_substitution_dict() itself is trivial. It prepares the filename and then gets the GUID from the get_guid() function and the SourceFiles and HeaderFiles from the nested make_files_section()function and just populates the result dict:
filename = os.path.join(project_dir, project_name + '.vcproj') return dict(GUID=get_guid(filename), SourceFiles=make_files_section(source_files), HeaderFiles=make_files_section(header_files))
The generate_workspace_files() is much more complicated in Visual Studio. It generates the solution file for the entire system. I'll walk you through it because there is a lot going on and it could be hard to figure it out just by staring at the code. It takes as input the solution name, the root path and a list of Project objects and starts iterating over all the sub-directories under the root path using Python's excellent os.walk() function that returns a 3-tuple for each directory under the root path that includes the current directory, its sub-directories and its files. That allows complete iteration of every file and directory. The Visual Studio Helper class supports the notion of folders. As always ibs uses convention over configuration. The convention is that a project must be a direct sub-directory of a folder. So, to figure out the folders automatically all the sub-directories are iterated and whenever a directory that contains a .vcproj file is found its parent must be a folder. Here is the code to iterate over all the sub-directories.
def generate_workspace_files(self, solution_name, root_path, projects): """Generate a VC++ 2008 solution file """ title() folders = {} for d, subdirs, files in os.walk(root_path): if os.path.dirname(d) != root_path: continue folder_projects = [] for s in subdirs: ...
The project list is provided so non-project directories are skipped. The path to the .vcproj file is constructed and the project GUID is extracted. The correct paths to the dependencies of the current project are computed. Finally a SolutionItem object is constructed that contains all the relevant information of the project and the appended to the list of folder_projects.
project_dir = os.path.join(d, s) if not project_dir in projects: continue vcproj_filename = os.path.join(project_dir, os.path.basename(s) + '.vcproj') assert os.path.isfile(vcproj_filename) guid = get_guid(vcproj_filename) # Get the directories of of all the dependency projects proj_dependencies = projects[project_dir].dependencies # Get the GUIDs of all the dependency projects dependencies = [] for dep in proj_dependencies: basename = os.path.basename(dep) dep_path = os.path.join(dep, basename + '.vcproj') dependencies.append(get_guid(dep_path)) si = SolutionItem(item_type=project_type, name=s, path=vcproj_filename, guid=guid, dependencies=dependencies, projects=[]) folder_projects.append(si)
If the folder_projects list is not empty then a folder SolutionItem is created that contains all the folder's project. The guid for a folder is just a dummy '?'. After all the folder objects are constructed the make_solution() function is called, which actually generates the .sln file from all the information collected so far and the .sln file is saved to disk.
guid = '?' if folder_projects != []: name = os.path.basename(d) folder = SolutionItem(name=name, item_type=folder_type, path=None, guid=guid, dependencies=[], projects=folder_projects) folders[os.path.basename(d)] = folder gen_solution = make_solution(root_path, folders) solution_filename = os.path.join(root_path, solution_name + '.sln') open(solution_filename, 'w').write(gen_solution)


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Morganite's blush feminine color is a result of the presence of manganese in the gemstone beryl, which is typically rich green or light blue in color. Originally discovered in Madagascar in the early 20th century, it was given the name morganite in honor of financier and gem enthusiast J.P. Morgan. Morganites range in color from faded peach to vivid blush pink.
Caring for your morganite jewelry is a simple process that will ensure that your gemstone maintains its beautiful sparkle. The best way to keep your gem clean is to bring it to your local Helzberg Diamonds store for a complimentary cleaning and inspection. At home, you can brighten your morganite jewelry by gentling wiping the gemstone with a jewelry polishing cloth and warm water.


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One of the trademark weapons of the movie series "Evil Dead". It is a twelve-gauge double barrel Remington with a walnut stock,cobalt steel barrel,and hair trigger. The main character, Ashley J. Williams,acquires it from the Knowby cabin(Which he states int he third movie can be bought at S-Mart),where he also got his chainsaw hand and the Necronomicon ex-mortis, and he sawed-off the barrel and uses it to fight the deadites in the movies. He calls it his " Boomstick "in the third movie and it also is most famous with the quote " This.....is my boomstick!"
Ash:Alright you primitive screw heads,listen up. You see this? This...is my boomstick! It's a twelve-guage double barrel Remington. S-Mart's top of line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right,this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids,Michigan. Retails for about $109.95. It's got a walnut stock,cobalt steel barrel,and hair trigger. Shop smart,shop S-Mart.
by AshleyWilliams August 06, 2014
Used by Ash (Army of Darkness) when describing his 12 gauge, double barrel Remington shotgun. His boomstick retails for around 109.95 at S-Mart, and was produced in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
by Anonymous June 30, 2003
This... is my BOOMSTICK!
by Rainsdark January 29, 2003
buy the domain for your travel vlog
Double-barrel 12 gauge blue steele Remington shotgun. Retails for around 109.95, produced in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
by aiden diabhal January 15, 2004
big nasty shotgun as used by Ash in Army of darkness. Use with movie quote "This is my BOOMSTICK!" when talking to a 14th century primitive culture to explain the principal of firearms and their safe use.
by boomstick October 10, 2003
The twelve-gauge double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about a hundred and nine, ninety five. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart. You got that?
by Matt..... June 27, 2009
by fatandsassy February 25, 2014


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Do you watch the Academy Awards when they present the Best "Live Action" Short Film or Best Short Animation Oscars and say to yourself, "where are these films, and why haven't I seen any of them?" Well, now you can, when some of the best award-winning short films are screened at the the NY Short Film Concert, playing at Molloy College's Madison Theatre, on Friday, March. 1.
This showcase of little gems, presented by Asbury Shorts New York, gives film buffs the opportunity to see these hard-to-find shorts in a real theater format on a big screen.
"What makes this evening so unique and special is that the audience can see some great films that don't get a lot of exposure," said the Madison Theatre's artistic director Angelo Fraboni. "These are the sorts of films that are usually played on HBO or Showtime in between other films. Here they stand out on their own. And our theater is perfect for this, with a great screen, comfortable seating and outstanding acoustics that make it ideal for viewing film."
The show covers all genres: animation, comedy, drama, and documentary. "I'm very excited to be bringing it back for a second year," Fraboni said. "These are beautiful films, including some from years past that almost no one has seen. The 'concert' is built like a play and reaches all your emotions – these films make you cry, laugh and touch your heart. It's an emotional journey from beginning to end."
The film exhibition had its start in 1980 (on Asbury Avenue in Westbury), created by Doug LeClaire, who was then a recent graduate of New York Institute of Technology, as a showcase of student-produced shorts from colleges around the area. "It became an annual thing and much anticipated," LeClaire said. "In 1987 we took it to New York City and it became what it is today. We are proud to say that we are New York City's longest running short film exhibition. Our show is like a trip to the best film festivals in the world where you sample the elite of the short film genre but without competition."
LeClaire, a commercial producer for over two decades, is passionate about short films, and now devotes much of his time to his film shows. With 25 scheduled across the country, "it keeps us pretty busy," he said.
Academy Award-nominated Director Jason Reitman ("JUNO," "Up in the Air," "Thank You for Smoking") has called this "the best short film show I've ever seen." Screening classic shorts from past years, combined with new international festival winners, ASNY present these highly entertaining films to the general public in a real theater setting.
And yes, it's a "concert" and not a film festival, according to LeClaire. "We don't like to be labeled as a festival, this is not a competitive event. It's a mix of old hits and new hits, past festival winners combined with current winners and nominated shorts that are entertaining for a theatrical audience."
All films are 20 minutes or less. "By the time you think it's getting long, it's over," Fraboni said. Live music "to set the mood" and guest host Donna Drake enhance the experience. The evening opens with a 25 minute performance of jazz standards and blue by vocalist Ellen Kay with the band Moscow 57. And then it's time to sit back and see some films.
"Short films are really the orphan child of the film world," LeClaire said. "These filmmakers are so creative with very little time to tell a full story. They are going to put on the screen an intelligent and enjoyable story, it's just like a short story you would read in a book. When they pull it off, it's
The program features nine selections that have won honors from such festivals as Tribeca Film Festival, Los Angeles Shorts Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, Garden State Film Festival, South by Southwest, and, of course, Academy Award-nominated titles.
Among them is this year's Oscar nominee, "ASAD," from renowned television commercial director Bryan Buckley. Buckley has been called the "king of the Super Bowl commercials, having directed over 50. This outstanding short has won Best Narrative Short Film at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival as well as the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival and Best Narrative Short Film at the New Orleans Film Festival, among other international film festival honors. ASAD is a coming of age story concerning a young Somali boy living precariously day-to-day in his war torn country. "It is charming and smart, really a wonderful story," said LeClaire.
Another selection, "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," from directors William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, was the 2012 Academy Award Winner for Best Animated Short. This amazing story of a magical library of flying books was completed mixing computer animation, miniatures and traditional hand drawn animation.
"Time Freak," the 2012 Oscar nominee for Best Live Action Short Film, from director Andrew Bowler and producer Gigi Causey, is also popular with audiences. The story behind the making of the film is as much fun as that of the short itself. The newly married Bowler and Causey used their $25,000 nest egg to complete the production of "Time Freak." Their film was initially rejected by Sundance and other major festivals but received the Oscar nomination from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a total surprise.
"West Bank Story," one of Fraboni's favorites, is the 2007 Oscar winner for Best Live Action Short Film. Director Ari Sandel's musical story of forbidden love – and two competing falafel stands in the Mid East – is a hilarious and ambitious spoof of "West Side Story."
Also garnering acclaim is the award-winning comedy, "Death, Taxes and Apple Juice" from Los Angeles filmmaker Tamar Halpern. A little girl ponders the meaning of life as her friend helps file her taxes in this eight-minute film.
LeClaire also touts "CatCam," one of the few documentaries screened in his program. This award-winning documentary follows the adventures of a cat that lives on the property of an engineer in South Carolina. He creates a tiny camera to fit around the neck of the cat, Mr. Lee, to discover why the cat disappears for days on end. The results of Mr. Lee's mysterious travels and encounters have become an Internet
"All in all, it's a fast-paced, fun night," LeClaire said. "Our mission is to keep these great shorts in theaters. Come out and see what they are all about."
Second Annual New York Short Film Concert
Friday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. $10.
Madison Theatre at Molloy College, Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre.
(516) 678-5000 ext. 7715 or www.madisontheatreny.org.


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Find Your Perfect Home.
Rochester Real Estate
Rochester is located in Wisconsin. Rochester, Wisconsin has a population of 3,765. Rochester is less family-centric than the surrounding county with 28.18% of the households containing married families with children. The county average for households married with children is 29.24%.
The median household income in Rochester, Wisconsin is $61,544. The median household income for the surrounding county is $55,055 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Rochester is 48.7 years.
Rochester Weather
The average high temperature in July is 81.3 degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 10.5 degrees. The average rainfall is approximately 35.5 inches per year, with inches of snow per year.
View Homes for Sale in Rochester
Rochester Map
Real Estate Near Rochester
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Rochester Zip Codes


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Emerson Network Power has announced the expansion of its Intel Core i5/i7 Processor-based series of COM Express modules with two processor boards that support ECC (Error Correcting Code) memory. The modular design of the COMX-CORE-512 and COMX-CORE-312 can help reduce development costs for designers in telecom, media servers, data security, finance, scientific modeling, and other sectors requiring high data precision.
The COMX-CORE-512 features a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 processor and the mobile Intel QM57 Express chipset, while the COMX-CORE-312 offers the cost-effective Intel Celeron P4505 processor and Intel HM55 Express chipset for lower-performance applications. Connectivity options include one PCI Express x16 and seven PCI Express x1 expansion sockets, one Gigabit Ethernet, four SATA and eight USB 2.0 ports. The modules also support dual simultaneous displays without the need for an additional graphics car and an optional eUSB flash module extends on-module storage.


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Sioux Falls Storm Face Nebraska in United Bowl
The Sioux Falls Storm are going for a three-peat, again.The Storm will be looking to win their seventh indoor football title under Kurtiss Riggs since their first title in 2005 against the Nebraska Danger on Saturday night.
Both the Storm and Danger are 11-4, and each won their conference titles. Sioux Falls and Nebraska each beat one another in the regular season on their own turfs. Nebraska won 30-21, and Sioux Falls won 43-41.
In the playoffs, Sioux Falls scores 44.1 points per game while allowing 20.0 points per game. The Storm average 254 total yards per game, while opponents gain 147 yards against the Storm.
Nebraska is averaging 55.0 points per game on offense along with 243 yards per game. On defense, the Danger are allowing 50.0 points per game and 277 yards per game.
The Storm are led by a dual-quarterback system, Terrence Bryant and Martavious Young. Bryant led the IFL in completion percentage, completing 68% of his passes. The Danger are led by IFL MVP Jameel Sewell, who led the league in passing touchdowns, passing yards per game, passing yards, rushing touchdowns, and rushing yards.
On defense, the Storm are the best in the IFL, as they allowed opponents under 36 points a game in the regular season. The Storm are led by IFL defensive player of the year, Tyler Knight. Knight led the league in tackles with 153, and added four sacks, five forced fumbles and nine pass break-ups.
For the Danger, Maurice Simpkins is their star at linebacker. Simpkins had 97 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions and three pass break-ups during the regular season for Nebraska.
The Storm are going for a three-peat, again. On Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at the Sioux Falls Arena, the Storm will face the Nebraska Danger in the United Bowl for the Indoor Football League title.


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Crash West of Sioux Falls in McCook County Kills One
One person died in a two-vehicle crash on South Dakota Highway 42 about 22 miles west of Sioux Falls on Thursday. The crash occurred just after 8 o'clock in the morning.
A 2008 KIA Sedona was traveling east on Highway 42 and nearing the intersection with 447th Avenue. A northbound 2007 Peterbilt semi-truck stopped at the stop sign on 447th Avenue and then pulled onto the highway to turn west. The KIA struck the trailer of the semi-truck.
The driver of the KIA was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Peterbilt was not injured.
Names are being withheld until relatives have been notified. No further information is immediately available and the South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating.


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This article has tips, techniques, and trends to get you started using dye-sublimation equipment and materials.
By Cara Cherry
Dye sublimation is everywhere. If you're already in the decorating business, then you're probably more familiar with the term and the process. If you're new to the decorating industry, then the term may be new to you as well, but the technique is not. Perhaps you watched the Tour de France or some of the Olympic Games in London this past summer. More than likely you saw various garments from top retailers like Nike and Adidas featuring dye sublimation on their performance apparel. If you've visited a department store recently, then you've probably also seen dye sublimated T-shirts featuring brilliant, full color, all-over printed images.
Sublimated products are also very popular with promotional products and hard goods. You'll also see lots of examples of it if you stop by the photo section of your favorite retailer. You'll find mouse pads, ceramic mugs, and T-shirts all featuring full color photos applied to them using sublimation. Sublimation really is all around us. With new products on the market that can support it and with the increased number of benefits, it has over other decorating methods. Dye sublimation is a great option that can be added to just about any apparel decorating or promotional product business.
Education and equipment
The first step to getting started is to understand how the dye sublimation process actually works. Sublimation takes place when a liquid turns into a gas without going through a liquid state. It occurs after heat and pressure are applied. Dye sublimation uses specialty dyes (known as sublimation dye) that are very unique, because the dye actually embeds colors and graphics directly into fabric (Figure 1). It results in a smooth print that becomes part of the garment. It is extremely durable. No matter how many times the garment is washed, the quality of the image will stay the same because it has become part of the fabric. Several pieces of equipment are needed to get started in dye sublimation.
Decorating software To be successful in dye sublimation or really any type of garment decorating, it helps to be a proficient graphic designer. Knowing programs like CorelDRAW or Adobe Illustrator will allow you to adjust logos or images for your customers. Having the ability to change colors or reproduce images also makes it easier to create detailed designs in-house without outsourcing.
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In pursuit of generating a critical mass of professionals working on agriculture and rural development in Asia, SEARCA is revitalizing its Visiting Research Fellows (VRF) Program. The VRF is intended for researchers within and outside the SEA region who are doing research along the priority thrusts of SEARCA, namely: agricultural competitiveness and natural resource management.
The SEARCA Adjunct Fellows (SAF) Program offers research opportunities for selected staff of the University of the Philippines System. It seeks to contribute to the University's pursuit of excellence and thrusts by advancing their research interests and capabilities, as well as, expanding their research horizons.
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture
College, Los Baños, Laguna 4031 Philippines


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Despite the boom in digital marketing and online shopping, consumers still make the vast majority of their purchases at brick-and-mortar stores. Shopping centers aren't just places to buy things. They're social centers, places for entertainment and employment hubs. They're also transforming what consumers can expect from a shopping experience.
With the increasing diversification and aging of the U.S. population, the line between shopping, entertainment, and community building has blurred. This blending of experiences has created an opportunity for retail to strengthen social ties within communities looking for communal experiences. And, it's not just the new entrants that are getting involved in the trend. Not surprisingly, many big box retailers have downsized their formats to better meet shopper expectations and desires for more of an experience destination.


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Retirement seems far off for Columbus Division of Police Robbery Squad detective Greg Franken.
Retirement seems far off for Columbus Division of Police Robbery Squad detective Greg Franken.
The 20-year Dublin resident calls his career in law enforcement the only thing he can imagine doing.
"It's always something different," Franken said.
"Even in the times we're in a rut, I can't imagine doing a job where you sit at a desk in a cubicle every day."
Franken, however, will retire in May and looks at the 2014 Outstanding Officer of Irish Heritage honor from Columbus as a summation of his 34 years in law enforcement.
"I'm grateful," Franken said of receiving the honor.
"Out of all the awards I've received, this one I hold dearest to me," he said.
"I'm proud of my Irish heritage and I look at it as an award for my entire body of work."
Franken received the award from Councilman Zach Klein during the Shamrock Club of Columbus' annual Proclamation Day ceremony March 14 in Columbus City Council chambers. The program is part of the annual St. Patrick's Day celebration the club sponsors.
"He's a very good detective, there's no doubt about that," said officer Mike Malloy, a member of the Columbus Police Department's Career Criminal Squad.
After knowing Franken for 33 years, Malloy said he couldn't think of a reason not to nominate him for the honor.
"I was happy it was going to him," Malloy said.
"This is his last chance to get it, but I didn't want it going to his head."
The teasing between Malloy and Franken extended to the announcement of the award.
"I thought he was messing with me," Franken said about when he learned of the honor.
But Franken's resume shows otherwise.
He was recognized by citizens in 1991 for finding a missing 8-year-old boy.
He's a four-time recipient of the Bank Robbery Investigator of the Year award from the Public Eye organization.
His honors also include being recognized by both the ATF and FBI for the investigation of violent bank robberies in Columbus.
"He's going to be missed, especially with his experience," Malloy said.
"There are times he gets a picture from a bank (robbery) and says 'That looks like so-and-so that got busted 10 years ago.'
"A couple of days later, we'll find out it was the same guy," Malloy said.
"He has lots of experience and he's very, very good at his job."
Looking back on his career, Franken said he's proud of the relationships he's established with other law-enforcement jurisdictions.
"I like to think they would depend on me," he said. "I like to think I've built that kind of reputation."
"That's one of the things Greg is really good at," Malloy agreed.
"Most jurisdictions don't work together enough."
Franken said he was drawn into law enforcement after watching his father, a newspaper reporter, primarily covering the courts beat.
Harry Franken was a well-known and respected reporter for The Columbus Citizen-Journal and later The Columbus Dispatch.
"It planted the seed for me," Franken said.
"I was too lazy to be an attorney," he said with a laugh. "This was the next best thing."
Even though Franken said he loves his job, the prospect of retirement isn't frightening.
He's a member of the Emerald Society, an organization whose members are police officers and firefighters, and the Shamrock Club.
He has a trip to Ireland planned.
"I'm looking forward to retirement, but it's not the end of working," Franken said.
"I hope to do something with the courts or something investigative.
"I've got no other skills or talents so this is it," he said
Franken lives in Dublin with his wife, Jacqueline, and two daughters.


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The Science & Environmental Policy Project comments on the Climategate II emails:
As with the original, Climategate II involves email correspondence among various individuals, the "team," who are highly influential in preparing the reports of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as well as other reports such as those by the US Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) and a climate change report by the US National Research Council (NRC).
Global warming alarmists and their supporters in the press have tried to down play the leak by claiming they contain nothing new. Certainly, there is nothing new in the methods, but Climategate II gives additional detail on how members of the team misled the public and manipulated the contents of so-called scientific reports. In the links provided below, and in links that can be sourced from them, many examples can be found.
Among efforts to mislead the public as to the certainty of the global warming science, both Roger Pielke, Sr. and Roger Pielke, Jr, on their respective web sites, explain how research was dropped from important documents. Pielke Sr. explains how the NRC, Ben Santer (US Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) and Phil Jones (CRU) inappropriately interfered with much needed further research to reconcile surface temperature trends with tropospheric temperature trends.
Roger Pielke, Jr. explains how his research was excluded from the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). What is particularly ludicrous is the charge by Jones and Kevin Trenberth (US National Center for Atmospheric Research) that the Pielke, et al, scientific paper was political. The IPCC is a political organization with scientific pretentions. Lead chapter authors of the IPCC calling a scientific paper political is illustrative of how the team twists language as the need requires.
The emails show the team was very aware that the warming of the troposphere above the tropics was not occurring as predicted in the models. This has been called the distinct human fingerprint. Ben Santer, et al, have attempted to cover up this disparity by expanding the error bounds of measurements, but their study is vague, at best. On November 14, 2011 Ben Santer participated in a public briefing of Representatives Ed Markey and Harry Waxman. Santer specifically discussed human fingerprints in global warming but failed to discuss the disparity between models and measurements over the tropics. Apparently, at least some members of the team cannot be relied upon to accurately present the state of the science to members of Congress.
Given the events this week, it may be appropriate to re-read John Brignell's essay "How we know they know they are lying:" http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/lying.htm.
SEPP offers a series of links to commentators who have analyzed the Climategate II emails:
You can search the Climategate I and II emails here: http://www.ecowho.com/foia.php
Watts Up With That: the emails are real, and they are spectacular; a huge amount of information here: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/11/22/climategate-2-0/
Steve McIntyre: One of the main themes of the emails is scientists admitting privately what they won't admit publicly:
Terence Corcoran, action on the IPCC is needed more than ever: http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/11/22/terence-corcoran-climategate-2-0-reveals-familiar-cast-of- characters-blundering-glory/
Climategate, Part Duh! Alan Caruba: http://factsnotfantasy.blogspot.com/2011/11/climategate-part-duh.html


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The Air Force crews responsible for overseeing the nation's nuclear stockpiles would have failed their inspection if they hadn't juked the stats.
The Air Force crews responsible for overseeing the nation's nuclear stockpiles—members of which are known as missileers—were somehow worse at their jobs than was previously reported, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press.
The documents show that the airmen responsible for missile operations at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota would have failed their inspection if they hadn't juked the stats. Their scores were combined with higher evaluations applied to support staff like cooks and facility managers. That bumped them all the way up to a not-at-all-worrying "marginal" rating (which is basically a 'D').
The 91st Missile Wing also had a rocky history on their launch simulator inspections:
11 crews tested on a launch simulator for the inspection, three were rated Q3, or "unqualified," which the Air Force defines as demonstrating "an unacceptable level of safety, performance or knowledge." Five of the 11 earned a top rating and three got a second-tier rating.
The Minot crews performed much better in a September re-assessment. Eleven of 12 launch crews received top qualification ratings, although one was rated unqualified with "one critical and one major error." In back-to-back inspections this January, the 91st as a whole was given outstanding marks.


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Find Your Perfect Home.
Sayner Real Estate
Sayner is located in Wisconsin. Sayner, Wisconsin has a population of 139. Sayner is more family-centric than the surrounding county with 18.75% of the households containing married families with children. The county average for households married with children is 17.51%.
The median household income in Sayner, Wisconsin is $58,750. The median household income for the surrounding county is $40,501 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Sayner is 46.6 years.
Sayner Weather
The average high temperature in July is 77.2 degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 1 degrees. The average rainfall is approximately 31.6 inches per year, with inches of snow per year.
Sayner Map
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