In other news, The Blue Angles have finally released their 2012 schedule, several weeks late.  Interestingly, they have passed over Duluth (ending their every-fourth-year rotation).  They have also, less surprisingly, passed over the St Cloud airshow (as well as the traditional Eau Claire show) and are appearing at Mankato MN.  The biggest problem with Mankato is its small runway forcing remote shows (as the Thunderbirds did at the last shopw in 2003).  The Blues can operate from the runway, but I would imagine the Air Force will not allow any ACC demos, resulting in a small show.  Here's hoping that the Thunderbirds pick up the St Cloud slot, allowing Minnesota to get all three North American teams in one year.

Well, the continuing F-35 saga continues to spiral downward, with the F-35B on "probation". This program continues to go in the opposite direction from where it should.  I have commented before about cancelling the F-35, and what I have really had in mind is the F-35A.  The Air Force already has a great fifth generation aircraft and doesn't really need another one.  The Navy and Marines are the ones that need fifth generation capability.  So, I would argue that the program should accelerate the F-35B and F-35C variants and sacrifice the F-35A to save hundreds of billions of dollars.  Its clear that the military will not be immune to the devastating effects of the Great Recession, and it seems clear with the retirement of the British Harriers, that the Marines need an AV-8B replacement. Upgrading the existing F-16 fleet as well as new build would bring the force to a generation 4.5 standard and allow funding for better support of the F-22 which will soon find its exclusive status encroached by the T-50 and the J-20.