#flight of the nighthawks

[who-do-i-know-this-man]

⚠️Vote for whomever YOU DO NOT KNOW⚠️‼️

[staringdownabarrel]

I've finished Flight of the Nighthawks by Raymond E. Feist; here's my thoughts.

This one has a similar kind of pacing to the Conclave of Shadows trilogy--fast paced, fairly tight writing. Even in terms of plot structure, it mirrors Talon of the Silver Hawk with the first half being Tad and Zane's training and effective conscription into the Conclave of Shadows, and the second half being them proving their mettle.

I think this actually works a lot better in Flight of the Nighthawks than it did in Talon of the Silver Hawk for a couple of reasons. One is that the book is set over the course of I think eight or nine months in total while Talon was set over the course of five or six years. The time span is shorter, so it does a better job at communicating that.

The other reason is that straight after the Conclave of Shadows trilogy, most people are going to be familiar with the overall beats of a plot like this. There wasn't as much of a need to draw the early pastoral scenes out too much because everyone kinda-sorta knew what direction this book was headed in.

The drawback to this is that while it does work in this particular case, there's only so many times in a row that it can before it gets stale. The classic example of this in my mind is Dan Brown's work (and yes, I'm aware that Dan Brown has never really been that great). Angels and Demons and The DaVinci Code both had the same pacing and plot beats to the point that it's entirely fair to say that they're basically the same book but with different window dressing.

This works for those books, though. If you're a fan of that kind of book, you aren't necessarily looking for variety; you're just looking for variations on a theme. This is the big reason why pretty much every other police procedural has like ten or more seasons and a few spin-offs. It's also why pretty much every popular mystery/thriller writer seems to have one character they've spent most of their careers writing about (I type as if I'm not also currently reading the fantasy equivalent of this).

There's also an energy to Angels and Demons and The DaVinci Code where it still feels exciting to read these books even if you more or less know how it's going to turn out. It's only possible to get that when the formula is still fresh. That's why they worked and the next Robert Langdon book, The Lost Symbol, didn't, even though it still uses the exact same formula as the other two.

I'm worried that this may end up happening with Feist's next few books in the Riftwar cycle. I don't necessarily think it's going to happen with this trilogy in particular, but I can see it happening with the Demonwar duology. While this book and the previous trilogy did have a certain energy to them, that's only really possible because it's still relatively fresh. I wish I could say for certain, but it's been so long since I last read these books that I actually genuinely don't remember what happens over the course of the next few books.

I think the biggest issue with this book is that while in terms of actual plot structure, it quite directly mirrors Talon of the Silver Hawk, it's also nowhere near as political. There's definitely room for it to be political, given that most of the same main characters are present (albeit often in smaller roles), and also this book is set in Great Kesh and involves a plot to usurp the throne. Unfortunately, it never really dwells on any of this; it just sorta treats it as window dressing in the hunt for Leso Varen.

I also feel like overall, while this book never quite reaches the same lows as some of Feist's early work, it also never quite reaches the same highs. Like, it has a small love subplot between Caleb and the mother of Tad and Zane, but it's nowhere near as forced or as prominent as some of the love plots in the early books. But also, it's kinda difficult to feel the same connection to these newer characters as one did to the main cast of the early books.

Still, hopefully the next couple of books help course correct on these fronts.

[bestbeeking]

name your top 10 favorite birds

little bittern

zigzag bittern

cinnamon bittern

yellow bittern

australian bittern

great bittern

least bittern

black bittern

dwarf bittern

@might-be-evil

[thetrashiestoftrash]

I was talking to my partner about the War Thunder leak from a couple weeks ago, and when I went to look up the details, I discovered that there's already been another military document leak on the War Thunder forums since then.

[dwmmphotography]

Common nighthawk in the evening

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Lesser Nighthawk

Photo: Aaron Maizlish

"A denizen of the arid southwest, the Lesser Nighthawk flies low over deserts and grasslands at dusk, capturing insects in flight. Very similar to the more widespread Common Nighthawk, but it is a much quieter bird, without the sharp calls and 'booming' flight displays of its larger cousin. Only occasionally do we hear the odd whinnying and trilling calls of the Lesser."

- Audubon Field Guide

[siravalon]

Bird of the Week: The Great Eared Nightjar! 🪶

The great eared nightjar is a member of the Caprimulgidae family. Due to their nocturnal and crepuscular activity, Caprimulgidae birds are also known as nightjars or nighthawks.

Great eared nightjars are found throughout Southern Asia in wooded regions. Their nesting behavior is unique; they prefer to nest on the ground, relying on the protection of their eggs’ camouflage.

Nightjars are primarily insectivorous. The large mouth of this bird allows them to catch and consume a variety of insects while mid-flight.

[the-halls-of-hatchetfield-high]

Question for the girls! (Grace, Ruth, steph) have the boys ever done or said something that made you roll your eyes and remind yourself that they really are 'just boys'?

Ruth: Pete and Richie? Are you kidding? A cute person smiles at them and they literally trip over nothing! Pete fell down a flight of stairs once because a girl waved at him, and I once saw Richie literally snort milk out of his nose because a boy smiled at him. AND it wasn't even one of those "crushes from afar", it was one of our FRIENDS! They're hopeless, and it's hilarious.

Grace: Hi! Thanks for the question! I appreciate any chance to tattle <3 Well, my dear, have you heard of the uniform policy at Hatchetfield High? It's my job as Hall Monitor to enforce it so that no one gets distracted by inappropriate clothes. I mean, you've seen what happens when the cheerleaders wear those tight uniforms and short skirts! I've personally witnessed more than one Nighthawk run into the football posts ogling a cheerleader. It's highly concerning. I pray for them.

Steph: uhhh, other than Richie smelling like a locker room that's been closed too long, they just say the dumbest things. One time Max asked if I was 'PMS'ing because I snapped at him after he nearly singed my hair in a science prac. Ugh, boys.

// awesome ask!! I had a lot of fun with this one hehe //

[usafphantom2]

8th Fighter Squadron Honors F-117 with Striking New Matte Black F-16 Flagship

The 8th Fighter Squadron has unveiled a new flagship: an F-16 painted matte black to resemble its iconic predecessor, the F-117.

David Cenciotti

8th Fighter Squadron flagship

The new flagship of the 8th FS (All images, credit: A1C Michelle Ferrari)

On Jun. 12, 2024, the social media account of Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, posted on Instagram the first photos of the new flagship of the 8th Fighter Squadron: an F-16 Fighting Falcon (or “Viper” as the type is nicknamed within the fighter pilot community) sporting a black color scheme that is inspired by its iconic predecessor at the unit, the F-117 Nighthawk stealth jet.

Indeed, the aircraft, an F-16C Block 42 #88-0517, is primarily painted in a matte black color, giving it a stealthy appearance. The nose cone/radome and the underside of the fuselage appear to be painted in a lighter gray. The tail features the emblem of the 8th Fighter Squadron, also known as the “Black Sheep.” This is depicted by a graphic of a black sheep standing on a white thunderbolt.

The tail of F-16 #88-0517.

The tail code “HO” is visible, indicating the aircraft is based at Holloman Air Force Base. The top of the tail has a tail flash with a stylized F-117 and the text “Black Sheep” written in yellow on a black background, which is part of the squadron’s identity.

Overall, the combination of dark and light gray tones as well as the unmistakable squadron markings, give the aircraft a unique appearance.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Holloman AFB (@hollomanafb)

The F-117-era

“The Nighthawk was transferred to Holloman in 1992 and was here longer than any other base. If you look at the history of this amazing aircraft, you’ll see why we’re so excited to honor its legacy,” says the text accompanying the photos of the new 8th FS’s flagship.

The 8th Fighter Squadron is still today an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 54th Fighter Group under the Air Education and Training Command, and stationed at Holloman AFB. The squadron currently operates F-16 and its role is initial training, transition training, and instructor upgrades on the Viper.

In 1992, the 8th FS, depending by the 49th Fighter Wing retired its F-15A Eagles and received the first Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighters from the inactivated 416th Fighter Squadron.

After converting to the F-117A in May 1992, the 8th deployed fighters and crews to Southwest Asia in the 1990s for Operation Southern Watch, supporting UN weapons inspectors in Iraq and enforcing the no-fly zone to curb Saddam Hussein’s WMD programs. In 1998, the squadron’s F-117s were sent to the Gulf during Operation Desert Fox to enhance strike capabilities against high-value targets, although the operation concluded before their arrival due to the long flight from Holloman AFB to Kuwait.

On February 21, 1999, the 8th deployed F-117s and crews to Aviano Air Base, Italy, and Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, for Operation Allied Force, a NATO mission to stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. The squadron’s Nighthawks played a crucial role in the initial airstrikes against Yugoslavia’s air defenses.

But on March 27, 1999, “VEGA 31“, the F-117 Nighthawk #82-0806, flown by Lt. Col. Darrell P. Zelko, was shot down by SA-3 Goa surface-to-air missiles while returning to Aviano airbase, after a strike mission against a target near Belgrade. A US search and rescue team recovered the pilot a few hours after the crash. This incident marked the only loss of an F-117 in combat. Following this, Defense Secretary William Cohen ordered 12 additional F-117s to join the operation, bringing the total to 24.

After Allied Force, F-117s of the unit were also involved in OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom), during which the stealth jets deployed Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, and supported the invasion’s opening night, targeting a bunker believed to house Saddam Hussein. Despite not eliminating Hussein, the strike allowed the coalition to gain a strategic advantage, and the EGBU-27 bomb became the F-117’s primary weapon.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, F-117 pilots flew over 80 missions, deploying nearly 100 enhanced guided bombs against key targets. Approximately 300 personnel supported these missions.

In 2006, it was announced that Holloman AFB would cease to host the F-117A, with the aircraft retiring by 2008. The planes were sent to Tonopah Airport, Nevada, for long-term storage due to the continued classification of their stealth technology. The last official flight of the F-117A was carried out in late April 2008, leading to the inactivation of the 8th Fighter Squadron after 67 years of active service on May 16, 2008. As we have explained in details for several years now, the retirement of the F-117 was not final and 16 years later, the Nighthawk still flies.

F-117 landing (Image credit: U.S. Air Force)

Viper unit

The squadron was reactivated and equipped with the F-22 on Sept. 25, 2009. In May 2011, the squadron ceased its operations, and on July 15, 2011, the 8th Fighter Squadron was officially deactivated. It was reactivated once again, at Holloman AFB, on Aug. 4, 2017, as an F-16 unit under the 54th Fighter Group, which at that time was a geographically-separated unit of the 56th Fighter Wing from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.

In October 2018, the Fighter Group was realigned under the 49th Wing when Holloman was assigned to the Air Education and Training Command (AETC).

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

[wanderingmind867]

In case you missed all the other parts, this is part six of my Howard the Duck story idea: The Wedding of Howard and Bev! I'm really, really proud of this one. I think I actually came up with a good plotline:

The annual would feature Howard and Bev's wedding, which is to be held in a lavish chapel in Cleveland. All of the people Howard's met and befriended are invited to the wedding, so the guest list would include (but not be limited to): Paul Same, Winda Wester, Uncle Lee, Claude Starkowski, Jennifer Kale, Korrek, Man-Thing, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and Daimon Hellstrom. Although Doctor Strange is the only one invited on The Defenders, he brings the rest of the team with him anyways (so Valkyrie, Hulk, Nighthawk, Hellcat, etc all show up). The point is: it's a big wedding. Even the kidney lady might show up, only to get kicked out after she tries to pick a fight with our many super powerful party guests (like the hulk).

But sadly: the wedding is interrupted by more than just the kidney lady. No, it's interrupted by Bev's ex-husband: Doctor Bong! He's come to win her back and kill howard, and he's using the court of public opinion to achieve his evil schemes. You see: for months now, he's been publishing articles detailing his arduous task of raising three kids on his own. So by the time bev and howard inevitably had their wedding, bong would have control of the narrative.

Having convinced people that howard was the one who manipulated bev into marrying him (thereby deflecting his real crimes onto Howard), bong now leads an army of concerned citizens to "save his wife from that feathered freak"! And since none of the heroes attending the wedding know what to do, bev is successfully "liberated" and brought back to her rightful husband. Which means that Howard now has to head to Doctor Bong's castle and save her yet again.

Doctor Strange and Howard's other allies help him locate and access Bong's fortress, but Howard has to fight Bong alone. The others don't want to get in the way of this incredibly complicated web of romance any more than they have to. And I still don't know how Bong would be defeated, but I know that he definitely would be defeated.

And then, with bong defeated and lying in the ruins of his castle with his minions and "children", Howard and Bev take off. We end the issue with a scene from their flight back to Cleveland, showing them deciding to just elope instead. It's much easier that way. And that'll be how this comic series ends. We tied up almost all the loose ends the original howard the duck comics left behind, we brought the series back to bizarre, philosophical roots, and we managed to tell a compelling romance story to boot! Now we have all the open space for later Howard the Duck stories. Ones not forced into tying up loose ends from 1981!

[splishsplashyouropinionistrash]

things i've researched in the past 24 hours for my new fic:

capitol of South Carolina

how far are columbia south carolina and atlanta georgia

are nighthawks real birds

what model of maserati was out in 2006

2006 maserati quattroporte models, details, and information

how long is a flight from stuttgart to atlanta

what happens if you hit your head really hard

can you survive a subdural hematoma

subdural hematoma information

can a subdural hematoma cause memory loss

can a person have both a concussion and a subdural hematoma

how does emergency surgery work

how do burr holes heal

in other news, writing my amnesia fic is going great, thank you guys for all the support !

[rayleeschobel]

Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor

On a trip to Galveston this past weekend, I had the pleasure of getting to photograph this beautiful common nighthawk. This fella in particular was found at San Luis Pass, for anyone in the area.

Part of the group of birds known at nightjars, common nighthawks are nocturnal birds who fly at dawn and dusk hunting for aerial insects. Usually, they’re best identified by their sharp “peent” call when in flight, and that’s how I’ll usually know they’re around when I’m walking around at night. I don’t see them during the day often since that’s nap time, but that also makes them much more tolerant of me taking photos. This little one in particular definitely wasn’t pleased by my presence, but was also not bothered enough to fly away. (I found another one the next morning who was not as patient, and flew up and followed me and my dad for about ten minutes).

[mantleoflight]

Wrong Place, Wrong Time, Wrong Everything || Pt 2

The Vex tunnel shone like a distorted Warp space, neon latices forming and shattering, pieces of half-manifest Vex debris appearing and vanishing in an instant. Echo gripped the dual helm sticks she used to steer for all they were worth, desperately trying to keep on course while praying she wouldn’t burst into splinters.

“Echo! I see an end!” Whisper shouted, her guardian barely hearing her over the turbulence. “Keep holding on, we’re almost out!!!”

The cockpit shook violently as turbulence intensified, and for a moment, Echo thought she was going to be crushed by the sheer g forces pushing on her. Then, like the snap of a rubber band, they were out, the light of the Vex net vanishing as they escaped into real space.

The Velocimancer wobbled its wings, it's nose dipping as Echo throttled back and tried to regain her bearings. “We’re not dead?” She asked, blinking stars from her dazzled optics.

“Not yet,” Whisper answered quickly, “but we’ve got hostiles! Dog fighters ahead!”

The shapes of round, black ships with wings like twisted candy wrappers roared and twisted as long, more conventional shaped ships chased and were chased by the black candy fighters.

"What in the absolute-" Echo began when Whisper cut her off. "FIGHTERS UP TOP, DIVE 90-0-23!"

Echo pushed her flight sticks forward and down, sending her ship into a sharp nose dive as two fighters roared passed, swerving to avoid hitting her. Blue light trailed in the wake behind her as she went, but as she looked up from the front, she saw her position had revealed a whole space battle happening above her.

Two huge ships glided through space, trading canon fire like ketches of the Old Crews but bigger. Part of her thought of the large war freighters the Cabal had stationed protectively over the Last City, Psion star fighters ready to launch in their hanger bays, or that the Shadow Legion had stationed on Neomuna with their destructive Nighthawks and tanks.

Around one flew the black, candy-shaped ships, their engines roaring like angry ascendant hive knights. Meanwhile around another flew the white, needle-nosed ships trading red laser fire for green with the black ones. But with them were also odd ships that looked something like an Arcadian jump ship but with no wings and only its engines secured to the main body. What kind of ship was that?

Echo shook her head and glanced at her ghost. "Oh boy, Whisper triangulate our current position and get us the heck away from these guys. I don't want to be part of whatever party these guys are having."

Whisper chirped and extended her scanning reach. "Got it - ECHO!"

"HOLY--" Echo hauled on her helm sticks, maneuvering her ship as she threaded through a knot of fighting forces. In the moments the hunter had looked at the battle and glanced at her ghost, her ship had soared down and around the main part of the conflict only to find herself in the other half of it! Unbeknownst to her, she had come in at a split vector, right through the middle of the main forces of fighting and unfortunately like all dog fights, forces move.

"Hang on!" she shouted and shifted in her seat, weaving and juking as she tried to thread her way out of the battle. Finally, she saw an opening and took it and a whole planet opened up to her.

A planet! Her ship was made for interplanetary travel! If she could get down there, she could do a warp snap perpendicular to it, allowing her to get past the atmosphere and get to cover before she ended up mince meat for these dog fighters.

With that in mind, the long nosed jumpship wove its way through the fray, dodging red and green laser blasts as Echo tried to escape from the battle. With any luck, the other fighters would be too busy to worry about a blueberry like her. After all, from the looks of the war carriers, they had much bigger problems to deal with.

[proton-wobbler]

Round 1, Poll 58

Wedge-tailed Eagle vs Common Nighthawk

sources under cut

Wedge-tailed Eagle Propaganda

"they're friggin' huge, they can have a wingspan of over 9 feet, I'm always just completely in awe when I see them. also, great legs."

As a true generalist, anything is on the menu for this eagle. They seem to prefer mammals, especially the invasive European rabbit, but will also hunt native marsupials, including larger macropods (kangaroo). Because of this wide diet they've got a range that encompasses all of Australia and Tasmania.

Wedge-tailed Eagle have been noted to attack hang gliders and paragliders, though they are mostly targeting the sail itself and not the human. They've also been known to attack unmanned aerial vehicles used for survey operations. This is likely territorial defense, with the eagles mistaking these objects as another eagle.

Common Nighthawk Propaganda

"Warm summer nights made alive. Children of the sunset's love for the sky."

"This bird is most conspicuous when in its buoyant and erratic flight. The most remarkable feature of this aerial insectivore is its small beak that belies the massiveness of its mouth." - Wiki

With a summer range spanning all of the US, huge swaths of Canada, and a portion of Mexico, and a winter range taking up nearly 75% of the South American continent, the Common Nighthawk is the most likely nightjar to be seen in the Americas.

Their mating performance involved a special dive done by the males, which leads to a noise called "booming". This is used to impress females, but can also be used by territorial males to see off any outsiders- including humans. Most commonly heard is their peent- a buzzy, nasal sound made while flying high in the air. "Peak vocalizations are reported 30-45 minutes after sunset" - Wiki

Image Sources: Eagle (Luke Shelley); Nighthawk (Ronnie d'Entremont)

[ariesgamesandminis]

Restocks are up from Iron Wind Metals for BattleTech!

20-191 Agamemnon Heavy Cruiser 20-233 Warhammer IIC 4 20-262 Ostsol OTL-5D 20-284 Ripper VTOL 20-285 Harasser Tank (2) 20-290 Ajax Assault Tank Prime 20-5143 Sarath SRTH-1O 20-5182 Catapult CPLT-C1 / K2 20-5183 Locust LCT-1V 20-5186 Thunderbolt TDR-5S 20-5197 Wolverine WVR-6R / 6D 20-5205 BattleMaster BLR-1G / 1Gb 20-637 Mantis Light Attack VTOL (2) 20-724 Mechbuster Fighter 20-744 Badger Tracked Transport Prime (2) 20-800 Hex Bases (4) 20-854 Hunchback HBK-4G 20-933 Viking VKG-2F 99-201 Large Flat Top Hex Base #1 AC-006 Flight Base AC-008 Small Cast Stem AC-010 Large Cast Stem BT-030 Sylph Battle Armor BT-062 Hover Bike BT-065 Minigun Cycle BT-066 Scout ATV BT-067 Golem Battle Armor BT-068 Trinity (Asterion) Battle Armor BT-133 Corona Battle Armor BT-188 Nighthawk Battle Armor BT-202 Rogue Bear Heavy Battle Armor BT-231 Ironhold Battle Armor BT-238 VTOL Infantry BT-240 SpecOps Paratrooper BT-290 Revenant UBM-1A BT-341 Waneta S-WN-2LAM (Air Mech) BT-347 Revenant UBM-2R3 BT-370 Kurita Infantry (3) BT-371 Davion Infantry (3) BT-374 Roc Protomech BT-375 Gorgon Protomech BT-377 Satyr Protomech BT-382 Kanazuchi Battle Armor BT-384 Achileus Battle Armor (3) BT-385 Grey Death Legion Battle Armor (3) BT-424 Hellspawn HSN-7D Resculpt BT-436 Buraq (Standard) Battle Armor BT-450 Gyrfalcon 4 BT-460 Saxon APC Standard / Laser / HQ BT-475 Carrion Crow A FT-026 Sabre Mech Scale Fighter OP-052 Koshi B SRM6