I love jets. Always have. Growing up I had F-14 Tomcat, F-16 Falcon, and F/A-18 Hornet model airplanes flying from my bedroom ceiling. It was like watching my own miniature air show each day. Although I dreamed of being a fighter pilot when I grew up, it turns out that I work in a different mode of transportation. I love the logistics industry, but there is still a part of me that would give anything to be going Mach 1 in a brand new F-22 Raptor (the jet that is now replacing the F-16 Falcon).
I’ll never forget the week that Bob Skane (my boss) asked me to visit the Wilmington headquarters while the Blue Angels were practicing for an upcoming air show. At that time, the company office was located just a mile or two from the airport. I spent every break outdoors, watching the jets fly overhead. If I heard the engines indoors, I’d run to the window and press my face against the glass in attempt to see the jets flying over. I remember Bob sitting at the head of the conference room table saying: “Let’s just wait until the Blue Angels stop practicing, and then, we will resume the meeting.”
This weekend, my family and I attended the Tuscaloosa Air Show. I don’t know who was more excited – me or my youngest son, Timothy. After years of hearing me talk about them, Timothy got to attend his first air show. He was thrilled to finally see the acrobatics of the Blue Angels in person. I also experienced a first – seeing an in-flight demo of the roaring F-22 Raptor, America’s premier $412-million-dollar jet fighter. As far as I’m concerned, it was worth every penny.
There are, however, some naysayers who don’t like air shows. They cite the noise, the smell, the pollution, the waste of fuel, and the tragic air show disasters that sometimes happen. Like auto racing, most injuries happen to pilots and great measures are taken to ensure crowd safety. But, on occasion, even we avid fans are at risk.
Consider, for example, this air show where an aircraft had to make an emergency landing, crashing into and knocking over four port-a-potties. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but I think it’s safe to say that the occupants were scared s***less! In other words, for a few select attendees, the air show turned into a show of a different kind.
Happy Monday,
Mary
