Warbird Information Exchange

Could it be a shell deflector? Can't make it out too well.

Mudge the rock 'n roller

_________________
Land of the free because of the brave

My guess...the SF commander authorized a casual uniform for the event...to blend in better and be cooler.
This guy wears it and on his way out, grabs the AR-15.
Trying to:
a. Look cool
b. Impress some chick
c. another AFOSI/Delta Force wannabe.
d. Magnum PI wannabe...he left his Fiero in the parking lot.
e. all the above.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

This pic just begs the question, what kind of threat are they expecting?

If I can play devil's advocate I'd submit the following. There are a lot of people out there who have a real problem with these drones. (I don't!) They hate the idea of someone sitting in an air conditioned trailer in the US, and dropping bombs on targets or firing missiles to kill people thousands of miles away. Then the pilot's call it a day and go home to their families for dinner, turning war into a video game. They really get bent out of shape over these things and there was recently a protest up at the 174th at Syracuse NY. Granted it is a lefty fringe element for the most part I'm sure, but it only takes one to come out and do some damage. (It boggles my mind. They'd rather risk an American pilot's death, or torture for years as a POW?)

Why not USAF personnel guarding it? Well how about the PR nightmare it would be if one of the protesters made a go of it, and a pic got out of 5 or 6 uniformed servicement on top of this guy? "Look what our soldiers are doing to that poor protestor!" That is their goal usually. So having a "hired gun" who can fade into the sunset after an incident like that would be beneficial.

Is the AR excessive? IMHO yes. I'm sure you could take down the assailent with a taser, because as someone said a 223 at 20 is going through a lot of stuff! Personally I think it's mostly for show to say "Don't even think of trying something!" But like others said, just keep it in a hangar!

.....and you guys beat me to the "Chair Force" joke!

This is the F-117 guard from back when at Carswell AFB...much better...



AND as far as photos from the rear? No problem...





Saw this drone at Houston...no guns needed.....Me thinks the guy in civies with a long AR is a bit strange

_________________
Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Join us for the Texas Warbird Report on WarbirdRadio.com!
http://www.facebook.com/WarbirdRadio
Listen at http://www.warbirdradio.com

If you want someone to look at something, you yell DON"T look and they will look every time. If you want to draw a crowd use a gun and make it look like they are not supposed to look very hard. Then people will look because it has the feel of danger and they feel as if they are getting away with something. People want what they can't have. Basic sales stuff. The guy in plain clothes with a gun is brilliant way of drawing a crowd.

_________________
The nose art/aviation artist and general lunatic from Houston, Texas http://www.jasonbarnettartist.com

The guy is not protecting the UAV.
He is securing the Mission package installed. nobody is going to make off with the aircraft but it only takes a few seconds to remove drives/ cards from a mission package. Why that airframe if it is configured is on display is anyones guess. Should preferably be in a secured area. The end user owns the mission package, not the Air force.
And most contractors have been there/ done that/ and done everything possible in the military. They then get out and are able to stay on the sharp end without all the paperwork and BS that accompanies the regular services.

instead of the chairborne ranger brigade making smart azz comments how about thanking the guy for doing his job? Nobody starts clapping when he walks into a restaurant after national guard weekend. But I guarantee you he's probably got more time in a deployed area than 99% of the people on this forum.

The weapon is modified for the higher power cartridges currently issued by SOCOM.

_________________
All I did was press this red button here...

Okay, I'll bite....why in the hell would you send an aircraft to the show with the mission package installed???

I'll bite as well....The rifle is modified how?? And you can tell this from the photo how??

_________________
Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Join us for the Texas Warbird Report on WarbirdRadio.com!
http://www.facebook.com/WarbirdRadio
Listen at http://www.warbirdradio.com

.

_________________
“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

.

_________________
“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

Reminds me of the last time I saw an F-117. It was taxiing in from landing during the pre show arrivals on a Friday when the on base dependents could walk the grounds and get a look before the public opening. Cameras were flashing and whirring away everywhere and some security personnel were yelling "No Pictures, Take no pictures of the stealth fighter." I remember thinking, It is broad daylight and one of the most photographed aircraft in the world........are you kidding?

_________________
"I can't understand it, I cut it twice and it's still too short!" Robert F. Dupre' 1923-2010 Go With God.

Interesting photo.

Doubt he’s gov or military because...


1. Too old to be doing grunt work like guarding an aircraft.

2. Carrying a very basic version of his rifle. Virtually every modern military pic of an M-16/M-4/AR-15 variant has all manner of tacticool accessories hanging on it. Plus, the rifle has the ancient A1 style rear sight, which was replaced by the A2 in the 1980s, which in turn was replaced by the A3 flattop upper years ago.

3. No web gear on his person, no radio, no cuffs, not even a pouch for extra ammo mags. No serious warrior accepts an assignment and goes in so massively unprepared.

4. Grossly unprofessional. Sloppily dressed, with pants too long and wearing sneakers. He carried his rifle in a cheapo soft padded case, and tossed it behind him next to the landing gear. No hat for standing out in the sun for 8+ hours. He looks half baked already. His rifle dust cover is open. He is standing on the same side of the aircraft, and facing the same general direction, as the female Airman. Together, they could be providing 360 degree coverage of the asset they are supposed to protect, but Barney Fife has reduced that to less than 90 degrees. He is allowing the aircraft itself to block his view of approaching assailants. Clearly has NO experience protecting aircraft.


He may be intimidating to Grandma and young children, but I’d have a hard time not laughing at him.


Probably a rent-a-cop security guard, using his personal rifle, and hired by a civilian agency that has responsibility for the aircraft. The asset value may be it’s capability or cost to replace. That FLIR ball alone is around a million bucks.


The agency may be contractually required to provide security when the asset is exposed to the general public, or they may have received intel that anti-military or anti-American groups were considering protest activities. When I wore a blue beret, we would get intel from dozens of mil/LE/govt/security agencies. The CNDrs were very active, and loved to show up at airshows to damage aircraft, throw paint on them, and get lots of free publicity for their cause. They brought their own photographers to get the most dramatic (staged) photos and offered them free to news agencies. They also used concealed radios and distraction techniques to get past security forces.


The bump on the rifle upper receiver is the spent shell deflector. The curvature of the mag suggests it uses standard 5.56mm ammunition.

In all the years I knew Clair, I am amazed we did not go to jail.

Story #1 While at the Wings Over Pittsburgh Airshow Clair was trying to take a pic of the F-117. He needed to get like one step closer to get a good shot, but the cones where up. Clair asked the guard if he could just get a foot closer for the pic. The man said, "You can do anything you want but pass that cone." So Clair pushed the cone back a foot and took the picture being sure to never cross it.

Story#2 One afternoon after volunteering at the NMUSAF Clair and I were watching a C-5 do touch and go's att Wright Pat from public property across the street from the end of the runway. If you go to Wright Pat, you know where I am talking about. A MP stopped on the other side of the fence and said, "You are not allowed to sit there." Clair replied, "But we are on public property!" The MP said "Move or I am going to give you a citation." Clair taking notice of where we are and where he is replies with, "But you are over there. The gate is 3 miles away over there. I'll be gone before you can get here." From the MP nothing but silence, however we got the hell out of there.

_________________
Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

I think that is a Comic Con badge he is wearing. Cos Play! It's just not for the Con anymore!

Rockford, IL? Explains a few things. I would venture to guess that the contractor, not the USAF, paid to display the flying lawnmower at the event. I don't think the airman is security (no weapon), probably just a local reservist there to answer (or not) crowd questions. This guy, either a contractor employee or a rent a cop, was there to protect the contractor's investment (even though the drone belongs to the USAF, it was probably bailed to the contractor for the show, and as such, the contractor is responsible for any damage or repair charges). Much like L-M showing off a USAF F-16 at the Paris airshow. This guy does not appear to be a professional guard - the weapon looks like a cheap A-R I could buy at Walmart - certainly not a tactical configuration.

I think that if this had been on a real military base, this guy wouldn't have been there, or at least he wouldn't have had that weapon on him. If security was to be provided, military cops or base rent-a-cops would have been doing it. However, I doubt that this thing would have had guards around it on a base. Maybe a rope to keep kids from treating the pitot as a chin up bar.

Those pics of the F-117 at Carswell brought back memories. I was there, I think I can see my hat in the background behind the security lady. That was a show! I think the crowd was estimated at 1.2 million for the 2 day show. Yes, they didn't care about taking pics of the back end, because the guards didn't know any better. That was soon remedied, and before long, you couldn't get around to the back of one of these things. In fact, I got chewed on by a guard for shooting a 3/4 rear of one at a show 2 months before they were retired. (That same show I got chewed on for shooting pics of a F-22 that had lost all the leading edge RAM on one wing after flying through a rain shower on the way to the show.)