Last weekend we had the chance to see a spectacular air show right across town. We happened to drive by a roadside banner advertising it a couple of weeks ago, and I'm so glad we did because we wouldn't have wanted to miss this! This particular show only happens once a year, and it was totally free, so we were totally up for it. Unfortunately PC has 
been to two different airshows where something went wrong and one of the pilots died, and I happened to be with him for the second one. It was probably the worst event I've ever personally witnessed, and it was on that day a few years ago that I told him adamantly, "you are never flying!" Well, I think I meant that he would never fly as a pilot on a supersonic jet, so I'm satisfied in that respect. He's since then piloted a Diamond and now flies all the time on the T-43, but I'm okay with that. Anyway, the show was really amazing! We got there in the morning and saw the base's Combat Control Team jump from a helicopter, the Army's Golden Knights, an AETC flyover (which showcased all the aircraft from our base, including the one PC trains on), a Heritage Flight Formation, demonstrations of the F-15, F-16, F-22 (right), and the Harrier, a reenactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and last but certainly not least the Blue Angels! The video below is a quick shot of them in the finale. Yo
u'll see my camera pan across something tall and greenish - that's PC with a blanket over his head, trying in vain to save himself from the sun. Throughout the course of the day I experienced moments of extreme terror. So did all of the little kids at the show, so I wasn't alone. It was super exciting and awesome to behold, so much so that it was scary. PC even admitted that he gets a little nervous seeing the stunts just because we know what could happen, but I was very impressed by the public prayer for safety that was said before anyone took off in the morning. Thankfully God protected everyone, but my heart had to be beating as fast as the pilots' while I watched them zoom not too h
igh above the crowd, shoot straight up in the air, disappear into the clouds and then swoop back down over our heads! At one point I retreated to a hangar in hopes it would make me feel safer, but not being able to see the airplanes and still hearing their thunderous roar kind of freaked me out more...so basically, there was nowhere to hide. :) I noticed a blind man sitting near us for the Blue Angels, and he had a companion explaining to him what was happening. I loved hearing his reactions to the deafening blasts of the F-18s going by, he was having a great time without even being able to see what was happening! Some friends met us there for the finale and said "wow, you're really red," which we later found out was true when we got home. It was quite a day, but next time we'll remember to bring the suncreen! I am definitely more impressed than ever before with America's airpower. And even better, since I'm mostly a visual learner, I now know the names of many more planes!
been to two different airshows where something went wrong and one of the pilots died, and I happened to be with him for the second one. It was probably the worst event I've ever personally witnessed, and it was on that day a few years ago that I told him adamantly, "you are never flying!" Well, I think I meant that he would never fly as a pilot on a supersonic jet, so I'm satisfied in that respect. He's since then piloted a Diamond and now flies all the time on the T-43, but I'm okay with that. Anyway, the show was really amazing! We got there in the morning and saw the base's Combat Control Team jump from a helicopter, the Army's Golden Knights, an AETC flyover (which showcased all the aircraft from our base, including the one PC trains on), a Heritage Flight Formation, demonstrations of the F-15, F-16, F-22 (right), and the Harrier, a reenactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and last but certainly not least the Blue Angels! The video below is a quick shot of them in the finale. Yo
u'll see my camera pan across something tall and greenish - that's PC with a blanket over his head, trying in vain to save himself from the sun. Throughout the course of the day I experienced moments of extreme terror. So did all of the little kids at the show, so I wasn't alone. It was super exciting and awesome to behold, so much so that it was scary. PC even admitted that he gets a little nervous seeing the stunts just because we know what could happen, but I was very impressed by the public prayer for safety that was said before anyone took off in the morning. Thankfully God protected everyone, but my heart had to be beating as fast as the pilots' while I watched them zoom not too h
igh above the crowd, shoot straight up in the air, disappear into the clouds and then swoop back down over our heads! At one point I retreated to a hangar in hopes it would make me feel safer, but not being able to see the airplanes and still hearing their thunderous roar kind of freaked me out more...so basically, there was nowhere to hide. :) I noticed a blind man sitting near us for the Blue Angels, and he had a companion explaining to him what was happening. I loved hearing his reactions to the deafening blasts of the F-18s going by, he was having a great time without even being able to see what was happening! Some friends met us there for the finale and said "wow, you're really red," which we later found out was true when we got home. It was quite a day, but next time we'll remember to bring the suncreen! I am definitely more impressed than ever before with America's airpower. And even better, since I'm mostly a visual learner, I now know the names of many more planes!
2 comments:
Daniel heard some jets flying over this morning and ran outside. The Blue Angels were out on the coast over the weekend for the airshow here and I guess the planes were headed out. He was SO excited to see the planes that you maybe saw last weekend. :-)
I recently found out that I gal I graduated from HS with is the lead solo pilot for the AF Thunderbirds. CRAZY. It is absolutely amazing what they can make those airplanes do. And what people were insane enough to TRY to do!
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