Re: [semi-OT] Good mags (was Re:Terrorist Groups)

[Brian McDonald <brian_mcdonald@xxxxxxx>]

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>I can add a couple things to this list from the canadian military.
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  On the aurora patrol planes they mount a pretty good camera which 
slides out a hatch in the side of the craft  on rails.   Now to add to 
the joy sometimes you needed to change the lenses on the camera without 
retracting it.  So you stick your arm out into the breeze unscrew one 
and replace it.  No big unless you drop a lens in which case you get to 
be raked over the coals and made to pay for dropping it into the 
atlantic by buying another one for the air force.  Needless they were 
horribly expensive so dropping them in the drink was a once or twice a 
year event.  Well one day someone doing some kind of maintenance on the 
camera removed the stops on the rails on one bird.  As luck would have 
it the poor operator deployed the camera and watched it fall off the 
airplane.  Guy spends the rest of the flight trying to think of some 
good reason he hadn't checked the stops before using it and more 
importantly why he shouldn't have to cough up 6 months pay for another 
camera.  Turns out the camera shares the same category as pencils and 
stationary.  Just go get another one no probs no paper to speak of.  For 
a while they stopped losing lenses because they tossed the cameras when 
it happened.  no paperwork for lenses attached to cameras.

  On another occasion a fellow was doing a ride along on an aurora and 
noticed the fold down seat had worn thru the wee dickey on the end of 
the leg starting to make a hole in the lino.  Being a good chap at heart 
he stopped at the supply desk to get some more of them to replace the 
worn out one he had noticed.  The supply sgt says they are out of them 
but not to sweat it he will order one from stores.  Checks with them and 
they are out as well.  works up the chain a bit and finds out there are 
none available in the system.  Institutes a top up order to tide them 
over till they get their regular order.  Milspec of course these things 
are so someone in ontario stops what he is doing and makes 20 of them 
for the air force.  During the wait the kind soul purchased exactly the 
same thing at the canex for 9 cents a piece and fixed the seat.

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