James A. Goodroll

Aviator, wargamer, history buff.

[Super 70s Sports @Super70sSports]

Dining at Long John Silver’s used to be a special fucking occasion. You didn’t walk inside the restaurant so much as you boarded that motherfucker. Then they enriched your experience even further by giving you a pirate hat even if you were 50 years old. There was no downside.

[Shawn G. Chittle @ShawnChittle]

Air conditioning has been part of American culture for nearly 200 years.

Dr. John Gorrie, a medical doctor, invented air conditioning in 1837 in Florida. He sealed up a room and piped in hot air over ice buckets cooling the room down. He wanted to keep patients cool and comfortable as they suffered from malaria. They thought the air caused it, hence the Italian for bad air = "mala aria."

Gorrie then patented a machine in 1845 that could bring air conditioning to any room, anywhere. It had a side effect: it also made ice.

Here's a 5 min documentary on how Gorrie invented it, why, narrated and written by the great British historian James Burke from his TV show Connections — the greatest TV show ever made in my opinion.

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

On this day: 84 years ago, company test pilot Robert Leicester Hall made the first flight of the Grumman F6F Hellcat at Bethpage, Long Island, NY (June 26, 1942). The Hellcat, which is personally one of my favorite aircraft, went on to become the premier carrier-based fighter of WWII, absolutely dominating the fight in the Pacific. It is credited with destroying a grand total of 5,216 enemy planes while maintaining a staggering 19:1 kill-to-loss ratio - the most successful ratio of any fighter in the war.

[Mike C @AwesomeBigMike]

The @BlueAngels flying over @JimmysSeafood 🇺🇸

[F-4 Pʜᴀɴᴛᴏᴍ II ɪs ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ "ʙɪʀᴅ" 🏴‍☠️ @perpetuoasombro]

JASDF F-4 Phantoms

[Super 70s Sports @Super70sSports]

Just another struggling prom band going nowhere …

[F-4 Pʜᴀɴᴛᴏᴍ II ɪs ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ "ʙɪʀᴅ" 🏴‍☠️ @perpetuoasombro]

US Navy F-4N Phantom BuNo 151519 of Fighter Squadron VF-202 landing at Naval Air Station Miramar, California, in 1977.

[Ian Black @BlickyIan]

First live Sidewinder firing from a 25(F) Squadron Tornado F3 - I was in the back seat of another Tornado - luck was on my side again as I caught it without motor drive - https://t.co/LLSLPrxtwG

[CarrierAirWings dot com @CVW19752015]

After conversion to F-4S, BuNo 155829 was issued to VF-103 'Sluggers' on this day - 21 June - in 1981 and served less than two years, as you can see from her extract in Volume 1 of the https://t.co/Fc2EyWTo7Y PDF e-book along with much-missed friend Bob Lawson's image of her

[Super 70s Sports @Super70sSports]

There was no funnier human being on the planet during the 80s than Eddie Murphy. I’d laugh so hard I couldn’t breathe.

[Scandinavian101 @Scan_101]

Made a physical thing for once some time ago

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

Phantoms forever. A formation of F-4S from VF-301 "Blazing Infernos" in the experimental four-tone grey "Heater-Ferris" camo scheme (Circa 1984). This was easily one of the most distinctive paint jobs ever worn by the mighty Lead Sled!

[Andrew Côté @Andercot]

There's a lot of weird anti-American propaganda I got fed growing up in Canada

Then you come to the USA and you're like - what the hell, this place is awesome

[F-4 Pʜᴀɴᴛᴏᴍ II ɪs ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ "ʙɪʀᴅ" 🏴‍☠️ @perpetuoasombro]

US Navy F-4N Phantom 152278 VF-301 ND100 at NAS Fallon. 30Apr83

[Tigershark 30'82 @Tigershark3082]

Bit of a fun fact: During their last cruise in 1975-1976, Vought F-8J Crusaders would be modified with the AN/ALR-45/50 Radar Homing and Warning system. The cockpit wouldn't receive an azimuth display, but the radar scope would be modified to display threats detected by it.

[Tex Sandlin @TexSandlin]

The best slot pilot I've ever seen. Period. And I worked for the Blues in 1983, so I've been watching, knowledgeably, for 43 years.

[Cav Senpai @cavannastan]

Again for those in the back, Elon once offered to cut a check for $6 BILLION to the WFB to "eliminate World hunger" as they said the money could. His one condition was that the accounting was public.

They did not accept.

[Danny Deraney @DannyDeraney]

It's the 40th anniversary of Thornton Melon doing the Triple Lindy and winning the National Championship for Grand Lakes University.

Back to School (1986)

[Freddy🇩🇪 @FreddyLA7]

WE’RE GOING TO AN ELLA LANGLEY CONCERT ON THE 18TH AND WE’RE EVEN GOING TO MEET HER!!!!

[Mikale Olson @realmikolson]

A wise man once said, if you want to hate America, watch the news. If you want to love America, drive across it.

These European World Cup tourists are experiencing the REAL America for the first time: not New York City or LA, but middle America and all its hospitality. 🇺🇸