"So I Bought an Air Force"

[Jonh]

I was reading a copy of Aviation History magazine from last year and ran across a book review, and immediately proceeded to order a copy of the book from Amazon. "So I Bought an Air Force" by W. W. Martin

Nicaraguan strongman General Anastasio Somoza is making room for the modern jets sent down by his Cold War ally, the United States. Will Martin, a 34-year-old civilian pilot, has just suffered the loss of his family business in Chicago and is looking to make a fresh start. So I Bought An Air Force is the wild but true tale of how Martin buys the Nicaraguan Air Force's fleet of P-51 Mustangs, F-47 Thunderbolts, and C-45 Expeditors and his struggles to get his planes back up to the U.S. With stunning color photographs from the author's personal archive, So I Bought An Air Force gives the reader a vivid look at the rough-and-tumble world of 1960s Latin America from the cockpit of some of the hottest American aircraft ever built.

It should arrive Friday, so I'll post more when I get it.

[Little Corn Tom]

Sounds great!

[Jimmy Carter]

It should arrive Friday, so I'll post more when I get it.

Is your internet that slow? Or did you despoil our forests and buy a "real" book?

[Jonh]

Yes, it's a tree pressing. In a decade or two, when e-book formats have evolved beyond today's hardware and any other unpredictable events, I will still have this on the shelf and can read it again.

[StickMan]

I just read the first few pages on the Amazon site. It looks like an interesting read. Be sure to let us know what you think of it.

[Jimmy Carter]

How ... quaint.


( despoiler )

[Little Corn Tom]

Just finished it.....a decent read but you better be interested in planes and life in Nicaragua 50 years ago.

What a pain it is to read a printed paper limited book though.

[kwah2249]

So barbaric, yall know paper is the skin from trees and I hear they make ink out of tree tears . . . Bunch'o dang savages.

[StickMan]

Speaking of books, has anyone heard anything of Kelly Ann lately? Wondering how the book store was doing. I noticed a few comments on Trip Advisor that she vehemently refuted, but those all seemed to do with the coffee shop and or dining part of her store. I personally haven't been that far south in Nica for several years.

Just did a quick check and it looks like it has been a few years since she posted here.

[KeyWestPirate]

Speaking of books, has anyone heard anything of Kelly Ann lately? Wondering how the book store was doing. I noticed a few comments on Trip Advisor that she vehemently refuted, but those all seemed to do with the coffee shop and or dining part of her store. I personally haven't been that far south in Nica for several years.

Just did a quick check and it looks like it has been a few years since she posted here.

I was down there right before Chrismas, sometime in November, met and chatted with Kelly Ann at some length. She looked good, moving on, Should have got a pic. Kelvin was there too.

Bookstore is bigger, pushed out some walls, developed the back patio. Other than that, looked the same. Same good food, same attentive wait staff. All in all, one of my favorite places in Nicaragua.

She was talking about raising $5 million to build some eco-resort on the Nica CR border. She used to post on NicaLiving long ago. Some of her stuff is still there:

http://it-was.nicaliving.com/image/tid/54


She SHOULD open Gato Negro branches in Granada, Managua, Jonotega, Matagalpa, Leon, and Estelí

[KeyWestPirate]

I was down there right before Chrismas, sometime in November, met and chatted with Kelly Ann at some length. She looked good, moving on, Should have got a pic. Kelvin was there too.

Bookstore is bigger, pushed out some walls, developed the back patio. Other than that, looked the same. Same good food, same attentive wait staff. All in all, one of my favorite places in Nicaragua.

She was talking about raising $5 million to build some eco-resort on the Nica CR border. She used to post on NicaLiving long ago. Some of her stuff is still there:

http://it-was.nicaliving.com/image/tid/54


She SHOULD open Gato Negro branches in Granada, Managua, Jonotega, Matagalpa, Leon, and Estelí

Sorry, it looks like her photos got pulled off Nica Living. I couldn't bring them up.

You can find her here:


https://www.google.com/search?q=kell...omas+nicaragua

[Jonh]

I'm only 60 pages into the book, but I'll say it should be required reading for anyone who thinks they want to do business in Nicaragua. Nothing's changed in 50 years.

[Johnny Kaw]

I read that book last year, thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it. Been lurking on this forum for a couple years enjoying the banter. I had to become a member last year in order to see any pictures that were posted. And now I made my first post because I wanted to weigh in on this great first person account of aviation in Nicaragua. So much for reducing my digital footprints. . . curse you Jonh.

Headed to Matagalpa later this week for three weeks of Spanish school.

[kwah2249]

Welcome Johnny! Mind if I ask how much 3 weeks of Spanish costs? One of those things I should do, but probably won't.

[Little Corn Tom]

Welcome aboard and I agree it is a good read.....Good luck with the Spanish.

[Just Plain John Wayne]

Might want to learn a bit of Chinese as well!

Welcome.... Johnny Naw.....

[Johnny Kaw]

Welcome Johnny! Mind if I ask how much 3 weeks of Spanish costs? One of those things I should do, but probably won't.

It's going to cost about $320 a week which includes room and board with a host family. There will be 6 hours a day of classroom and 2 hours a day of cultural field trips. There are cheaper places, however, I have heard great things about this school. . . so I am going to give it a try. I have no idea how much I'll be able to learn or retain . . . hopefully enough to argue politics and religion with the locals.

[Daddy-YO]

Buena suerte! I never studied Spanish while putting in my straight 20 years of schooling from kindergarten (earn me a job on the day shift). When I did first study Castellano, this is the first sentence I learned:

Cuando la mierda tenga el valor del oro, los pobres naceran sin culos.

[Little Corn Tom]

Which means?

Google translate says....
Where the fuck have the value of gold , the poor will be born without asses.

[StickMan]

I've seen the expression as well. "When shit has the value of gold, the poor will be born without asses."

[kwah2249]

. . . hopefully enough to argue politics and religion with the locals.

$320 is a good price but 6 hours in class and I'd be playing hooky.

[bikingo]

It's going to cost about $320 a week which includes room and board with a host family. There will be 6 hours a day of classroom and 2 hours a day of cultural field trips. There are cheaper places, however, I have heard great things about this school. . . so I am going to give it a try. I have no idea how much I'll be able to learn or retain . . . hopefully enough to argue politics and religion with the locals.

Your gonna need to get a girlfriend to learn that much

[KeyWestPirate]

Your gonna need to get a girlfriend to learn that much

GF would be a LOT cheaper, and I agree, you'll learn more, faster, and pick up the fascinating subtleties of the Nicaraguan culture.

Of course, you need some Spanish to find the right GF .. .

As far as using your new found Spanish for arguing politics and religion,,, all I can say is, to each his own.



But, it sounds like a good plan.

[bikingo]

GF would be a LOT cheaper, and I agree, you'll learn more, faster, and pick up the fascinating subtleties of the Nicaraguan culture.

Of course, you need some Spanish to find the right GF .. .

As far as using your new found Spanish for arguing politics and religion,,, all I can say is, to each his own.



But, it sounds like a good plan.

Years ago people would ask how do you know when your bi-lingual I always thought when you can follow a boxing announcer effortlessly and when you dream in Spanish

[Jonh]

GF would be a LOT cheaper

Oh, I doubt that. But you may get what you pay for at least.