# Sage Brush



## Captain Dunsel (May 12, 2008)

Does anyone remember "The Sage Brush" from "TAC Attack" and "The MAC Flyer"? I stuck a bunch of these aside circa 1975-80 and just found them recently. They're full of humorous little details. I've searched for them on the Web, but never have been able to find them, nor have I been able to find any copyrights to them. Of course, once I post this, I'll get deluged with links!

It may take me a while to get the image sizes to fit well, so please, be patient. These drawings are worth the wait! 

I'll try to post one a day (or so), depending on my workload. I have about 20 of them, so that'll give you 2 to 3 weeks of entertainment.

CD


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## Captain Dunsel (May 20, 2008)

Let's try another image. Hopefully, the site won't crash after I load this one, too!


CD


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## A4K (May 21, 2008)

I hadn't heard of those before - thanks mate!

..So YOU'RE the reason we lost the forum..????!!


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## Captain Dunsel (May 22, 2008)

Hey, I posted and the site's still up! 

Let's try again, this time with a "tribute' to those C-130 pilots who were transferred from TAC to MAC, back when MAC got control of all of the trash-haulers.

CD


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## Captain Dunsel (May 27, 2008)

Travelling with MAC could be very interesting. Destinations were constantly changing and crews could find themselves bouncing around the world before being able to get home.

CD


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## A4K (May 28, 2008)

I guess these are from USAF periodicals, similar to the modern RNZAF 'Joe break' or wartime 'Contact' ? The're well drawn!


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## Captain Dunsel (May 28, 2008)

Yes, "TAC Attack" and "The MAC Flyer" were standard periodicals in the late 1970's. Since I was in Air Weather Service, which was a bastard stepchild of Mommy's Airplane Company, we routinely got copies of "The MAC Flyer". The guy who wrote as "The Sage Brush" was really creative. On some of the pictures, the little sight gags are almost everywhere (which is why I'm not shrinking them as much as I could). Whenever the magazine showed up, everyone went right for his cartoons.

And now, the next installment. Remember, this was drawn at the time when NASA was flying the first Shuttle, _Enterprise_, around on the back of a 747.

CD


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## syscom3 (May 28, 2008)

These are great!

8)


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## Captain Dunsel (May 29, 2008)

Sometimes, it took a crew a LONG time to get back home....


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## A4K (May 30, 2008)




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## Captain Dunsel (May 30, 2008)

For those who aren't familiar with US military terms, the acronym for the Commander of the unified commands is CINC, pronounced "sink", as in CINCMAC, CINCSAC, and so forth.
Of course, Rummie wants to stop that, so it may disappear, or at least, fade during his watch.....trust politicians to ruin military traditions. 

CD


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## A4K (Jun 2, 2008)

That CINC is short for 'Commander in Chief' (C-in-C), isn't it? (CinCSAC -Commander in Chief Strategic Air Command, etc)


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 2, 2008)

Yeah, A4K, you are correct. That's why Rumsfeld has decided that it has to be held for use only by the President. He seems to feel that allowing "CINC" to be used in relation to mere 4+ star generals (instead of politicians) "cheapens" the term's value.....instead of the reverse.

Anywho, on to today's drawing. This one I can relate to, as I spent my AF career as an Air Weather Service (now "Air Weather Agency") weather geek.

CD


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## A4K (Jun 3, 2008)

How about cooking up some good weather, mate! (Great detail in those drawings!)


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 3, 2008)

Sorry, but I was in Sales. For Production, you need to find a Chaplain!

CD

BTW, it was great around southern NJ, this morning. I had the day off as I had a doctor's appointment at 0930, so I took my little (~30 inch) sport ship out to the field at 0700 and had a great flight.

Then, I flew a second time, misjudged my approach, and knocked my landing gear/undercarriage right out! What's the good of good weather, when you can't fly worth kimchee! 

CD


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## Wildcat (Jun 3, 2008)

These are great CD!! Thanks for posting.


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 5, 2008)

Hey, it's time for lunch at the Snarf Barf!

CD


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 6, 2008)

A simple one to end the work week. 

CD


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 9, 2008)

Back in the late '70's, a C-5a was used to ship a VERY big magnet to the USSR, for (I believe) fusion research. That was before the super-big Mrya, I believe, was built.

CD


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 10, 2008)

Is that what it really looks like from up there?

CD


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## A4K (Jun 11, 2008)

Great stuff mate! Is that FARA above the pilot meant to be Swedish? ('Fara' means 'danger')


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 11, 2008)

A4K, you must be a youngster.  There's some plumbing and a faucet there, so it's a fara faucet...i.e., Farah Fawcett, the busty, toothy blonde with big hair from the 70's-80's.

CD


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 11, 2008)

Okay, a simple one for today, mostly making some fun of aircrew (which is plural for "Air Crude" as a female forecasting friend of mine used to say!).

CD


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## RabidAlien (Jun 11, 2008)

*LOL* "The Gulls of Guam". That's a good one!


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## A4K (Jun 12, 2008)

Ah, the problems of international interpretation..! I know of Farah Fawcett (I was a 70's kid), but a faucet to us is a 'tap' !


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 12, 2008)

I won't make any comments about tapping Farah! 

I know this drawing isn't timely, being that Christmas is months away, but I'm running it anyway (only 5 more to go, anyway).

CD


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 13, 2008)

A simple one for today. 

Hard to believe the C-141's are all gone. I had some fun flights on Starlizards 

CD


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## RabidAlien (Jun 13, 2008)

C141's were phased out? I've taken a Mac flight or two on those guys.


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 13, 2008)

Yeah, RabidAlien, it's been a couple of years since the last one left McGuire AFB. In my post-retirement job, I work with a teacher who is a loadmaster on a C-17 at McGuire. He flew one of the last 141 missions from McGuire.

The C-17 is a very capable bird, but it doesn't have the gracefulness of the 141. Still, anything that keeps McGuire open is good for us.

CD


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jun 13, 2008)

I have a friend who holds the record for most flight hours in a C-130. If he had a computer I would have him look at this, he'd get a kick out of these.8)


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 14, 2008)

Aaron: Why not print them out and give them to him? If you want, PM me and I'll put them in a ZIP file and e-mail them to you.

I had the great fortune to be the "Group Weather Officer" for the 616th MAG, Elmendorf AFB, AK, and got to ride on the 17TAS C-130's to several remote Alaskan radar sites. A great bunch of guys and a delightful aircraft! Some of those sites had runways that butted up against mountains; as the FLIPS said, "Successful missed approaches improbable". Slight understatement!

CD


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## RabidAlien (Jun 14, 2008)

*LOL* Sounds alot like the runway at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The Navy has a squadron or two of P-3's over there (my ex was with one of the squadrons). The takeoff was no prob, it headed out to sea. The landing, however....the planes had to come around from the south, almost brushing up against the mountains. Dunno of any accidents because of that, but I've heard tales of leaves being found in the underbelly after a rookie tried to land.


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 16, 2008)

Sad to say, a 130 didn't make it into Sparrevohn AFS shortly before I arrived. He was carrying a trailer full of fuel, too. We had to fly right over the burn spot on final. 

CD


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## RabidAlien (Jun 18, 2008)




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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 19, 2008)

A little bit of explaining on this one: AFM (AFR) 35-10 was the reg regarding physical appearances, including haircuts and grooming. Men's mustaches had to be within the vermillion corners of the lips and couldnt' overlap the lip (Don't ask me about women's mustaches! ).

CD


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 20, 2008)

All good things must end, so this is the last of my collection. It's either 6 months early or 6 months late; you make the call! 

It's been a pleasure sharing these with you guys!

CD


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## RabidAlien (Jun 20, 2008)

Dang...kinda enjoyin these! There's gotta be more online somewhere..


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## Captain Dunsel (Jun 21, 2008)

RabidAlien, I've looked and looked. I wish there were more. 


I DID run across the following site though:

Reasoner

The art work is typical Sage Brush. Beyond that, I have nothing more. I would love it if someone else could find --- and post--- more Sage Brush.

CD


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## RabidAlien (Jun 21, 2008)

Heh...has that same little trench-coat guy, too...


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## byronhoward (Dec 23, 2008)

Enjoyed seeing "The Sage Brush" again. I never knew the artist, Lt. Col. Ed Cook, but being a former Associate and Supervising Editor of "The MAC Flyer," I was very familiar with his work. He was the best at capturing the military "gallows" humor associated with flying in the Military Airlift Command. My personal favorites were his rendering of a haggard helo driver with the words of the late CBS newsman, Harry Reasoner, down below entitled "Helicopter Pilots Are Different." You can still google that and find a copy on the internet. The other was one with Santa in a Base Ops Snack Bar talking to another pilot about maintenance issues entitled, "Parts Plus Three...How About You?" You didn't have to be a heavy driver to get the drift, but it helped. Merry Christmas to All!


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## byronhoward (Dec 23, 2008)

It was great seeing all these old "The Sage Brush" cartoons again. Lt. Col. Ed Cook was the greatest at capturing the "gallows" humor of being in MAC. I was an Associate Editor and the Supervising Editor for "The MAC Flyer" from July of '81 to December of '85. We did reprints of "Santa, Parts Plus Three," and "Helicopter Pilots Are Different." Wish we had done more. If you're out there Ed, here's a tip of the hat to you!


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## Captain Dunsel (Dec 26, 2008)

BryronHoward: I collected most of these in the time I was at Griffiss AFB, which was 75-78. When the MAC Flier came in, the Sage Brush cartoons were the first thing we went to, and a lot of times, the first thing torn out. Since we got multiple copies of the magazine, I was able to make sure I got either Xeroxed copies or originals of the ones you see here. I do think the Christmas one was one of the reruns, though. 

CD


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## Kbogol (Jun 27, 2018)

I am excited to stumble across this. The artist is my father!


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