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FlyColt45(at)aol.com
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 Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:13 pm Post subject: Greetings from Afghanistan - from one of You! |
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Kolbers,
Greetings from my +7k ft mountain top, vacation resort retreat chateau, way up & out - in a FOB (forward op base), somewhere in AF. May sound nice except that we're surrounded by much higher mountains; and on a bad day - that's not a good thing ; )
I'm sitting here tonight in my little container type room, on a pitch dark, starless night under blackout conditions reading my Kolb list and the activity surrounding this years Sun & Fun. Was just there with Dick Kuntzleman a couple of yrs ago (when I could afford it : )
It's been snowing about 2 in every evening & warming to the 40 in the AM - just enough to turn that new snow into 4 in of mud. The bone chilling, freezing weather has left for the season. For fellow flyers who know about such military things (& many have had it worse I'm sure), also know that life gets more active as bad weather leaves.
I can tell you that you haven't seen mountains - until you've flown above and around these babies : )
Whether I'm strapped in a rotary or can walk to a small window in a C-130 or 17, I'm always looking for a safe (survivable), place in case things go wrong. I'm sure that every Kolber would be thinking the same : )
The answer to that safe place is: Faith in God, the Flight Crew and the Equipment, that you good people back home sent over here. If you haven't gotten a "Thank You" lately; I can assure you that every soldier thinks about all three more than a few times while over here. Whatever your opinion on the war - You are Officially Thanked!
For those of you who don't know me, I'm a Kolber. Owned 3. But more importantly than that; I was/am privileged to have known Homer & family & the Old Kolb company people. All fine people - as I know the New Kolb Co to be.
For me - there is nothing like reading Dennis or John giving insight from their deep history with these planes, a spirited debate over the use of VGs : ) or even the occasional petty stuff. (The mud slingers we can all do without).
And just so that you Kolb builders/flyers feel some connection to me - be it known that I celebrated my 60th b-day last month - here, (not that you're all 60ish : ) {The worse part for me - in getting this deployment was the train up. Wasn't a sign on my back that said "take it easy on this old man, he's gonna be 60" : } Army doesn't much care about individual challenges. Either you make it or you don't! I was lucky.
So -- get that Kolb built and get into the air! Or - for you "Lurkers": Yes - the Kolb is the safest plane to fly! Get off the fence, (you ain't that old), spend the money; build or get help building a Kolb; and start living the rest of your life - if flying is your passion. As they say, "Just Do It"!
In my job as an advisor, I've gotten to many places around this country and parts of it are beyond beautiful.
The sky on most nights is majestic! Brilliant stars look like the perfect planetarium against a lighter than Navy blue sky. All the more illuminated by the waves and waves of snow covered mountain tops seemingly running up to it. Totally belies what's going on under it all - on the ground.
And then there's the "well traveled" areas that resemble the ugliest side of the farthermost planet! And the smells are putrid and the dust storms clog your breathing.
Before I turn this note into a novel, I should mention the people. For the most part - not unlike any of us or your kids. Was pelted by kids playfully throwing snowballs one day as we passed by. They of course didn't recognize our perceived threat & why we weren't enjoying it - since anyone of those snowballs could have been something worse! But kids will be kids and I would have done the same as a little guy : ) I must admit that I had a fleeting thought about dropping my gear and tossing a few back at them.
A few of the byproducts of our involvement here is that we use thousands of plastic water bottles. Hydration is important and the Army takes care of it soldiers by providing pallets and pallets of water. Those discarded plastic water bottles are used as a source to heat "homes" on those bone chilling nights.
Also (& I'll be delicate): In this country we don't flush used toilet paper! It gets dried out and used for heat & building material etc. So there! I said it : )
This Matronic's Kolb sight is great & reading what you all are up to makes my day! (Betcha never knew that your questions, insights and even the spats are appreciated over here : ) Can't get into things to deeply but I have a handful of friends who are instructors to the Afghan Police & they also like reading the site. Also met a Lithuanian soldier (Priest) who has a C-172 and we talk Kolb (Lite Sport & Exp) stuff all the time. His take is - that Rotax is pricing themselves out of the market. Yeah! the new 912 is the price of an average home in FL these days. (That's bad news on both counts : (
I'll be back home to the Villages in FL about a month after the baseball AllStar break. Between planes at the moment but would like to build another MKIII - so maybe see you all at Sun & Fun next year. Or maybe back at Homer's place.
Keep em all straight - John H.!
Out! (from my mountain top vacation resort retreat chateau)
"When in Doubt - Attack!" Gen Geo S Patton
Jim
Jim Cote, CW3
[quote][b]
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John Hauck
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 4639
Location: Titus, Alabama (hauck's holler)
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:34 pm Post subject: Greetings from Afghanistan - from one of You! |
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I'll be back home to the Villages in FL about a month after the baseball
AllStar break. Between planes at the moment but would like to build another
MKIII - so maybe see you all at Sun & Fun next year. Or maybe back at
Homer's place.
Jim Cote, CW3
Hurry home and get that new MKIII. Kolb Aircraft can use the business.
john h
mkIII
Titus, Alabama
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_________________
John Hauck
MKIII/912ULS
hauck's holler
Titus, Alabama |
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capedavis(at)yahoo.com
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:58 pm Post subject: Greetings from Afghanistan - from one of You! |
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Jim , Thank you for your service and your letter . What is a 60 year old kolber doing in AF? Hope you make it through your tour safely and come home to build and fly again. C
Chris Davis
KXP 503 492 hrs
Glider Pilot
Disabled from crash building Firefly
From: "FlyColt45(at)aol.com" <FlyColt45(at)aol.com>
To: kolb-list(at)matronics.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 5:13 PM
Subject: Greetings from Afghanistan - from one of You!
Kolbers,
Greetings from my +7k ft mountain top, vacation resort retreat chateau, way up & out - in a FOB (forward op base), somewhere in AF. May sound nice except that we're surrounded by much higher mountains; and on a bad day - that's not a good thing ; )
I'm sitting here tonight in my little container type room, on a pitch dark, starless night under blackout conditions reading my Kolb list and the activity surrounding this years Sun & Fun. Was just there with Dick Kuntzleman a couple of yrs ago (when I could afford it : )
It's been snowing about 2 in every evening & warming to the 40 in the AM - just enough to turn that new snow into 4 in of mud. The bone chilling, freezing weather has left for the season. For fellow flyers who know about such military things (& many have had it worse I'm sure), also know that life gets more active as bad weather leaves.
I can tell you that you haven't seen mountains - until you've flown above and around these babies : )
Whether I'm strapped in a rotary or can walk to a small window in a C-130 or 17, I'm always looking for a safe (survivable), place in case things go wrong. I'm sure that every Kolber would be thinking the same : )
The answer to that safe place is: Faith in God, the Flight Crew and the Equipment, that you good people back home sent over here. If you haven't gotten a "Thank You" lately; I can assure you that every soldier thinks about all three more than a few times while over here. Whatever your opinion on the war - You are Officially Thanked!
For those of you who don't know me, I'm a Kolber. Owned 3. But more importantly than that; I was/am privileged to have known Homer & family & the Old Kolb company people. All fine people - as I know the New Kolb Co to be.
For me - there is nothing like reading Dennis or John giving insight from their deep history with these planes, a spirited debate over the use of VGs : ) or even the occasional petty stuff. (The mud slingers we can all do without).
And just so that you Kolb builders/flyers feel some connection to me - be it known that I celebrated my 60th b-day last month - here, (not that you're all 60ish : ) {The worse part for me - in getting this deployment was the train up. Wasn't a sign on my back that said "take it easy on this old man, he's gonna be 60" : } Army doesn't much care about individual challenges. Either you make it or you don't! I was lucky.
So -- get that Kolb built and get into the air! Or - for you "Lurkers": Yes - the Kolb is the safest plane to fly! Get off the fence, (you ain't that old), spend the money; build or get help building a Kolb; and start living the rest of your life - if flying is your passion. As they say, "Just Do It"!
In my job as an advisor, I've gotten to many places around this country and parts of it are beyond beautiful.
The sky on most nights is majestic! Brilliant stars look like the perfect planetarium against a lighter than Navy blue sky. All the more illuminated by the waves and waves of snow covered mountain tops seemingly running up to it. Totally belies what's going on under it all - on the ground.
And then there's the "well traveled" areas that resemble the ugliest side of the farthermost planet! And the smells are putrid and the dust storms clog your breathing.
Before I turn this note into a novel, I should mention the people. For the most part - not unlike any of us or your kids. Was pelted by kids playfully throwing snowballs one day as we passed by. They of course didn't recognize our perceived threat & why we weren't enjoying it - since anyone of those snowballs could have been something worse! But kids will be kids and I would have done the same as a little guy : ) I must admit that I had a fleeting thought about dropping my gear and tossing a few back at them.
A few of the byproducts of our involvement here is that we use thousands of plastic water bottles. Hydration is important and the Army takes care of it soldiers by providing pallets and pallets of water. Those discarded plastic water bottles are used as a source to heat "homes" on those bone chilling nights.
Also (& I'll be delicate): In this country we don't flush used toilet paper! It gets dried out and used for heat & building material etc. So there! I said it : )
This Matronic's Kolb sight is great & reading what you all are up to makes my day! (Betcha never knew that your questions, insights and even the spats are appreciated over here : ) Can't get into things to deeply but I have a handful of friends who are instructors to the Afghan Police & they also like reading the site. Also met a Lithuanian soldier (Priest) who has a C-172 and we talk Kolb (Lite Sport & Exp) stuff all the time. His take is - that Rotax is pricing themselves out of the market. Yeah! the new 912 is the price of an average home in FL these days. (That's bad news on both counts : (
I'll be back home to the Villages in FL about a month after the baseball AllStar break. Between planes at the moment but would like to build another MKIII - so maybe see you all at Sun & Fun next year. Or maybe back at Homer's place.
Keep em all straight - John H.!
Out! (from my mountain top vacation resort retreat chateau)
"When in Doubt - Attack!" Gen Geo S Patton
Jim
Jim Cote, CW3
[quote]
=nofollow target=_blank>http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List
et=_blank>http://forums.matronics.com
llow target=_blank>http://www.matronics.com/contribution
[b]
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George Alexander
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 245
Location: SW Florida
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:35 pm Post subject: Re: Greetings from Afghanistan - from one of You! |
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| FlyColt45(at)aol.com wrote: | Kolbers,
Greetings from my +7k ft mountain top, vacation resort retreat chateau, way up & out - in a FOB (forward op base), somewhere in AF.
S N I P
I'll be back home to the Villages in FL about a month after the baseball AllStar break. Between planes at the moment but would like to build another MKIII - so maybe see you all at Sun & Fun next year. Or maybe back at Homer's place.
Keep em all straight - John H.!
Out! (from my mountain top vacation resort retreat chateau)
"When in Doubt - Attack!" Gen Geo S Patton
Jim
Jim Cote, CW3
|
For those of you who need to put a face with a name.......
Jim Cote was among the attendees at the first "Kolb Builders/Flyers/Admirers Northeast Gathering" in June 2004.
Here's a link to his picture:
http://home.comcast.net/~kolbplanes/NEFlyin_28.html
DO NOT ARCHIVE
| | - The Matronics Kolb-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List |
|
_________________
George Alexander
FS II R503
E-LSA N709FS
http://www.oh2fly.net |
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Mike Welch
Joined: 13 Feb 2011
Posts: 272
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:40 pm Post subject: Greetings from Afghanistan - from one of You! |
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Chris,
An explanation; I'm sure Jim will correct me if I'm wrong....but here is how "I" understood him.
He said he was at a FOB (forward operating base)....somewhere in Afghanistan. Very likely he is a civilian,
working as an independent contractor (like both of my boys were doing).
Speaking of my boys in Afghanistan.....the oldest one finally came home two weeks ago, permanently. No more going back back. He said
his last night at Bagram AB the anti-American maggots were lobbing hand-thrown bombs over the base walls all night.
He finally managed to snag a VERY well nice job just south of Minneapolis, not too far from his home in Buffalo, MN.
(The youngest one came home permanently a year and a half ago)
Jim Cote; speaking of "The Villages", I'm moving there to retire as soon as I can unload my present house. I've been there for their tour for the last
two summers. Someday............
To keep this Kolb related, everybody buy a Kolb airplane. (there! better than a dumb video, it'n it)
Mike Welch
On Mar 14, 2012, at 6:57 PM, chris davis wrote:
[quote]Jim , Thank you for your service and your letter . What is a 60 year old kolber doing in AF? Hope you make it through your tour safely and come home to build and fly again. C
Chris Davis
KXP 503 492 hrs
Glider Pilot
Disabled from crash building Firefly
From: "FlyColt45(at)aol.com (FlyColt45(at)aol.com)" <FlyColt45(at)aol.com (FlyColt45(at)aol.com)>
To: kolb-list(at)matronics.com (kolb-list(at)matronics.com)
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 5:13 PM
Subject: Greetings from Afghanistan - from one of You!
Kolbers,
Greetings from my +7k ft mountain top, vacation resort retreat chateau, way up & out - in a FOB (forward op base), somewhere in AF. May sound nice except that we're surrounded by much higher mountains; and on a bad day - that's not a good thing ; )
I'm sitting here tonight in my little container type room, on a pitch dark, starless night under blackout conditions reading my Kolb list and the activity surrounding this years Sun & Fun. Was just there with Dick Kuntzleman a couple of yrs ago (when I could afford it : )
It's been snowing about 2 in every evening & warming to the 40 in the AM - just enough to turn that new snow into 4 in of mud. The bone chilling, freezing weather has left for the season. For fellow flyers who know about such military things (& many have had it worse I'm sure), also know that life gets more active as bad weather leaves.
I can tell you that you haven't seen mountains - until you've flown above and around these babies : )
Whether I'm strapped in a rotary or can walk to a small window in a C-130 or 17, I'm always looking for a safe (survivable), place in case things go wrong. I'm sure that every Kolber would be thinking the same : )
The answer to that safe place is: Faith in God, the Flight Crew and the Equipment, that you good people back home sent over here. If you haven't gotten a "Thank You" lately; I can assure you that every soldier thinks about all three more than a few times while over here. Whatever your opinion on the war - You are Officially Thanked!
For those of you who don't know me, I'm a Kolber. Owned 3. But more importantly than that; I was/am privileged to have known Homer & family & the Old Kolb company people. All fine people - as I know the New Kolb Co to be.
For me - there is nothing like reading Dennis or John giving insight from their deep history with these planes, a spirited debate over the use of VGs : ) or even the occasional petty stuff. (The mud slingers we can all do without).
And just so that you Kolb builders/flyers feel some connection to me - be it known that I celebrated my 60th b-day last month - here, (not that you're all 60ish : ) {The worse part for me - in getting this deployment was the train up. Wasn't a sign on my back that said "take it easy on this old man, he's gonna be 60" : } Army doesn't much care about individual challenges. Either you make it or you don't! I was lucky.
So -- get that Kolb built and get into the air! Or - for you "Lurkers": Yes - the Kolb is the safest plane to fly! Get off the fence, (you ain't that old), spend the money; build or get help building a Kolb; and start living the rest of your life - if flying is your passion. As they say, "Just Do It"!
In my job as an advisor, I've gotten to many places around this country and parts of it are beyond beautiful.
The sky on most nights is majestic! Brilliant stars look like the perfect planetarium against a lighter than Navy blue sky. All the more illuminated by the waves and waves of snow covered mountain tops seemingly running up to it. Totally belies what's going on under it all - on the ground.
And then there's the "well traveled" areas that resemble the ugliest side of the farthermost planet! And the smells are putrid and the dust storms clog your breathing.
Before I turn this note into a novel, I should mention the people. For the most part - not unlike any of us or your kids. Was pelted by kids playfully throwing snowballs one day as we passed by. They of course didn't recognize our perceived threat & why we weren't enjoying it - since anyone of those snowballs could have been something worse! But kids will be kids and I would have done the same as a little guy : ) I must admit that I had a fleeting thought about dropping my gear and tossing a few back at them.
A few of the byproducts of our involvement here is that we use thousands of plastic water bottles. Hydration is important and the Army takes care of it soldiers by providing pallets and pallets of water. Those discarded plastic water bottles are used as a source to heat "homes" on those bone chilling nights.
Also (& I'll be delicate): In this country we don't flush used toilet paper! It gets dried out and used for heat & building material etc. So there! I said it : )
This Matronic's Kolb sight is great & reading what you all are up to makes my day! (Betcha never knew that your questions, insights and even the spats are appreciated over here : ) Can't get into things to deeply but I have a handful of friends who are instructors to the Afghan Police & they also like reading the site. Also met a Lithuanian soldier (Priest) who has a C-172 and we talk Kolb (Lite Sport & Exp) stuff all the time. His take is - that Rotax is pricing themselves out of the market. Yeah! the new 912 is the price of an average home in FL these days. (That's bad news on both counts : (
I'll be back home to the Villages in FL about a month after the baseball AllStar break. Between planes at the moment but would like to build another MKIII - so maybe see you all at Sun & Fun next year. Or maybe back at Homer's place.
Keep em all straight - John H.!
Out! (from my mountain top vacation resort retreat chateau)
"When in Doubt - Attack!" Gen Geo S Patton
Jim
Jim Cote, CW3
| Quote: |
=nofollow target=_blank>http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List
et=_blank>http://forums.matronics.com
llow target=_blank>http://www.matronics.com/contribution
href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List
href="http://forums.matronics.com/">http://forums.matronics.com
href="http://www.matronics.com/contribution">http://www.matronics.com/contribution
|
[b]
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Dennis Thate
Joined: 18 Nov 2010
Posts: 362
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:25 pm Post subject: Re: Greetings from Afghanistan - from one of You! |
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Hug your Kolb Daily, and make Homer proud !
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_________________
Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. ~Gil Stern
Last edited by Dennis Thate on Fri Mar 16, 2012 6:05 am; edited 1 time in total |
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undoctor
Joined: 21 Oct 2008
Posts: 212
Location: Bethelhem, PA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:22 pm Post subject: Greetings from Afghanistan - from one of You! |
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Dennis,
If ever you were to make a list of your shortcomings, could we agree
that speaking for Homer should be rather close to the top of it?
Dave Kulp
Bethlehem, PA
FireFly 11DMK
On 3/14/2012 9:25 PM, Dennis Thate wrote:
| Quote: |
Jim ,
In-spite of your wonderful and feel-good propaganda rant for the home front friends. The Narcissistic self indulgence of a few here have driven away tons of enthusiastic Kolb flyers . I doubt Homer, a good friend , would have approved ! 
--------
Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. ~Gil Stern
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=368553#368553
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WhiskeyVictor36(at)aol.co
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 6:01 pm Post subject: Greetings from Afghanistan - from one of You! |
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Well Hello Jim Cote,
Yes, I remember you from the Homer Kolb Homecoming Get Togethers. You were the one that gave out the GI Rations. I showed them to my grandson and he was real interested, but wouldn't taste them. I was the oldest Kolb Pilot there at the age of 70, now hit 75. It was good to hear from you. Keep up the good work that I am sure you are doing over there.
Bill Varnes
Original Kolb FireStar
Audubon NJ
Do Not Archive
In a message dated 3/14/2012 5:14:17 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, FlyColt45(at)aol.com writes:
| Quote: | For those of you who don't know me, I'm a Kolber. Owned 3. But more importantly than that; I was/am privileged to have known Homer & family & the Old Kolb company people. All fine people - as I know the New Kolb Co to be.
|
[quote][b]
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