NOAA P-3 and other strange things

Strange navigational anomaly with our jet this morning. The FMS (flight management system) would not give us ETAs or predicted fuel, even though it was getting time and fuel inputs it needed. Had to actually keep a paper fuel log! Everything else was functioning well, but it niggles when you can't figure out why...

There was a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) P-3 parked near our ramp this morning fairly bristling with various exotic sensors for weather research. I took a quick shot with my phone camera. It reminded me of my Customs days flying P-3's. We once hosted a NOAA bird on our ramp at NAS Corpus Christi after it had the crap kicked out of it flying into a hurricane in the gulf. The guys that fly those missions are a little whacko if you ask me! See http://www.aoc.noaa.gov/aircraft_lockheed.htm for more info.