MANG: Great Falls first for delivery of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft

By

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April 14, 2024

There is no aircraft in aviation history — either developed or under development — that can match the flexibility, versatility and relevance of the C-130J Super Hercules. In continuous production longer than any other military aircraft, the C-130 has earned a reputation as a workhorse ready for any mission, anywhere, anytime.

C-130J video from Lockheed Martin:

The Montana Air National Guard’s 120th Airlift Wing in Great Falls has been selected by the U.S. Air Force as the first base to receive the new C-130J model Super Hercules cargo aircraft.

According to Lockheed Martin, the aircraft are able to carry up to 44,000 lbs. and travel 2400 miles while carrying all of that weight.

The new aircraft will replace the old fleet of C-130Hs and MANG pilots will require new flight qualifications in order to operate the C-130Js, according to the Air Force.

The Lockheed Martin C130 is the US Air Force’s principal tactical cargo and personnel transport aircraft. The C130J Hercules is the latest model, featuring a glass cockpit, digital avionics, and a new propulsion system with a six-bladed propeller.

The C130 has been in continuous production since 1954, and the Hercules aircraft is operational in over 70 countries. Lockheed Martin delivered the 2,600th C130 Hercules aircraft to the US Air Force in October 2019.

MANG (Montana Air National Guard) will receive delivery of 8 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in 2026.

History of the hippie movement

By

Alan

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April 12, 2024

The hippie subculture (also known as the flower people) began its development as a youth movement in the United States during the early 1960s and then developed around the world.

The word hippie is derived from the word hip, which conveys being up to date and fashionable.

A hippie girl selling roadside flowers in Oklahoma, 1973

In the 1950s, “hip” was commonly applied to the Beats (people who rejected standard narrative values), such as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, who represented and inspired the bohemian artist communities in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City.

These Beat writers and thinkers were idolized by a growing number of youths in the 1960s, and by 1965 a counterculture movement began to converge in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district.

The term hippie was soon applied by local journalists to this new subculture, and the word gained national (and soon international) recognition in 1967 thanks in large part to the frequent use of the word by San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen.

The term can be descriptive or derogatory and was not initially used by the youths to describe themselves.

Not a new concept:

The hippie movement has found historical precedents as far back as the Mazdakist movement in Persia, whose leader the Persian reformer Mazdak, advocated communal living, the sharing of resources, vegetarianism, and free love.

A 1967 article in Time magazine asserted that the hippie movement has a historical precedent in the counterculture of the Ancient Greeks, espoused by philosophers like Diogenes of Sinope and the Cynics.

The article also claimed that the hippies were influenced by the ideals of Jesus Christ, Hillel the Elder, Buddha, St. Francis of Assisi, Henry David Thoreau, Gandhi, and others.

Nathan Adler believed the hippies were heirs of early spiritual movements such as the Waldensians.

The Beat Generation, especially those associated with the San Francisco Renaissance, gradually gave way to the 1960s era counterculture, accompanied by a shift in terminology from “beatnik” to “freak” and “hippie”.

Haight-Ashbury:

Some of the early San Francisco hippies were former students at San Francisco State College (later renamed San Francisco State University) who were intrigued by the developing psychedelic hippie music scene and left school after they started taking psychedelic drugs.

These students joined the bands they loved and began living communally in the large, inexpensive Victorian apartments in the Haight.

Young Americans around the country began moving to San Francisco, and by June 1966, around 15,000 hippies had moved into the Haight.

The Charlatans, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and the Grateful Dead all moved to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood during this period.

Interstate 15 rehabilitation project at Wolf Creek

By

Alan

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April 7, 2024

Most of us local (and some not-so-local) all travel the interstate 15 route through Wolf Creek between Great Falls and Helena. We’ve been traveling the route more frequently lately because our son’s orthodontist is in Helena.

This spring, MDT is starting up the second phase of their interstate 15 rehabilitation project at Wolf Creek. Last year they did reconstruction of 8 miles of the southbound lanes of the interstate … this year MDT will turn their attention to the northbound lanes. The entire project is slated to be finished in 2025.

It’s been said that Montana has two seasons, winter and road construction. Of course that isn’t true, but sometimes it might seem like it is with all of what goes on in our state to keep the roads in tip-top shape.

Call me crazy, but I’m kind of looking forward to us having to go through the construction zone this year. Our son just got his drivers license last year and him driving through Wolf Creek to Helena and back for his appointments through the zone will be good experience for him.

According to MDT (Montana Department of Transportation), the Interstate 15 rehabilitation project at Wolf Creek will rehabilitate the roadway, update existing guardrail and concrete barriers to meet modern standards, and upgrade storm drainage in the town of Wolf Creek.

Construction began in spring 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2025.

Work completed in 2023 included:

Removing approximately two feet of degraded roadway material on the southbound lanes of I-15 and paving a new driving surface.
Upgrading concrete barrier rails, metal guardrails, and signage on the southbound lanes.
Adding road delineators (roadside markers) on the inside curves of the southbound lanes.
Improving erosion control features.

Planned improvements for 2024-25:

Removing and replacing approximately two feet of degraded roadway material on the northbound I-15 lanes and resurfacing adjacent ramps, crossroads, and pullouts.
Upgrading concrete barrier rails, metal guardrail and signage on the northbound lanes.
Adding roadside markers on the northbound lanes
Replacing right-of-way fencing and cattle guards as needed.
Adding new pavement markings.
Lining and repairing I-15 culverts.
Improving erosion control features.
Storm drain upgrades in Wolf Creek.
Updating curb ramps on Walsh Street, between Main Street and Recreation Road.

MDT goes on to say:

MDT identified this stretch of interstate as being worn down and in need of repairs. The purpose of this rehabilitation project is to extend the service life of the roadway, provide a smoother driving surface, and improve signage and markings for the roadway. The project will also upgrade roadside barriers and reduce issues that require regular maintenance within the corridor. The upgraded signage and roadway markers were included as part of this project to enhance safety features along this corridor.

What to expect during construction:

Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction.
Both north and southbound traffic will travel on the same side of I-15.
Crossover traffic patterns will be in place throughout construction.
Speed limits will be reduced.
A 12-foot width restriction will be in place (visit 511mt.net for the most up-to-date information.)
Access to Wolf Creek and Augusta Interchange on- and off-ramps will be maintained.
The work zone will be eight miles long.
Wide loads are staged and allowed to travel through the project area between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Construction is anticipated to begin in the spring and be completed each fall. The interstate will return to normal traffic configurations throughout the winter months.

Stay Informed During Construction:

MDT will notify the public about traffic impacts and work activities through the project website, local media, mailings, social media, and email and text notifications during construction.

Current construction information and road conditions can be found on the MDT Travel Info App.

For more info on this particular MDT project, you can contact Tyler Manning
Public Involvement Coordinator RBCI, Inc.
406-333-7215 – Tyler@rbci.net

Apple Dump Cake

By

Alan

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April 3, 2024

Ingredients:

21 oz canned apple pie filling
15.2 oz yellow cake mix
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Spread apple pie filling evenly over the bottom.
Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over that.
Pour dry cake mix over the top of that.
Then pour melted butter over it all.
Cook on low 2.5 hours