(Gas in the Air. That bird is full.)

Good morning! Miles here, back from thirteen straight days over in Arlington pretending to know something about wars. The President has announced another pause before what everyone is already calling the Really Big Strike, so I decided to reclaim Sunday morning and wander back over to the Conference Room.

First things first.

My thanks to Deirdre, Holly, Rocket and the entire Galley crew for keeping The Daily and the cookbook moving while the rest of us were trying to make sense of explosions.
Rocket’s herb-crusted prime rib yesterday was worth the wait.
There should even be enough left for sandwiches this afternoon if Splash doesn’t discover it first.
One thing caught my attention this week.
The airplane at the top of the page.
Qantas accepted delivery of one of the new Airbus A350-1000 Ultra Long Range aircraft and flew it directly from Toulouse, France, to Melbourne, Australia.
Nineteen hours.
Without stopping.
That got the old patrol pilot in me thinking.
Our P-3 Orions routinely spent ten or twelve hours on station, but we weren’t hauling fifty tons of fuel for someone else.
Carrier aviation is different.
Rocket, Splash and Vic joke that some Hornets begin looking for a tanker before they’ve finished retracting the landing gear.
That isn’t much of an exaggeration.
So the obvious question became:
What if you built the biggest flying gas station anyone had ever seen?
Take something like the A350 ULR.
Strip out the passenger cabin.
Fill it with fuel.
Park it well outside missile range and let strike aircraft cycle through all day, topping off before heading back into the fight.
No one is suggesting it would be simple.
But it is the sort of question aviators enjoy arguing about over coffee.
Could it replace the KC-135?
Probably not entirely.
Could it supplement the fleet in some circumstances?
Now we’re having an interesting conversation.
As always, somebody eventually asked the larger question:
Can air power alone settle problems that have existed for generations?
History suggests the answer is usually “not entirely.”
We may soon learn whether history still applies.
Fortunately, breakfast is much less controversial.
Since yesterday featured Rocket’s magnificent prime rib, I asked Deirdre to come up with something light to go with coffee this morning.
She disappeared into the Galley for half an hour and emerged carrying a tray of these”

Deirdre’s Almond Biscuits

These little almond biscuits are exactly what a Sunday morning ought to taste like.

Light.

Buttery.

Not too sweet.

Just enough vanilla to make the Conference Room smell like somebody’s grandmother has quietly taken over the kitchen.

They’re excellent with coffee, tea, or whatever keeps you awake through the morning briefing.
The sliced almonds on top toast beautifully and add just enough crunch to make people reach for a second one.
Which they always do.

(Recipe follows. in “Cooking for a Crowd.” I am excited about “Cooking With Oil,” which will be out in September!)

A last note from the Galley, Miles can have his tankers. Rocket can have his prime rib.
Me?
I’ll take a warm almond biscuit, a fresh cup of coffee, and fifteen quiet minutes before someone discovers another international crisis. Happy Sunday.”

Copyright 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com