Not so this year. This time, we got there around 11am, and I had to drag him away even after the final act - the Air Force Thunderbirds - had finished their show after 4pm! We toured the static display airplanes, watched as many demonstrations as we could, ate lunch, and frequented the World War II display of American and German uniforms and weapons. We both handled the M-1 Garand, M-1 Carbine, British .303 Enfield, Bazooka, Sturmgehwer 44 and MP-40 submachine guns, and the Kar-98k rifle. If you know your weapons, that was quite an impressive list.
I thought I would include a few photos. I can think of few things that are harder to photograph than an airshow. Your target is moving so quickly, and it always looks so much smaller in the photo than it did in real life. All I can do is incorporate the plane(s) into the larger shot and hope for something dramatic. That is made much easier when you are blessed with the skies we had on Saturday afternoon:
My favorite demonstrations to watch are the aerobatic prop-job airplanes that do flips and tumbles which seem physically impossible, both for the aircraft and for the pilot. Unfortunately, photos of these demonstrations don't show the tiny little one-seat aircraft very well. That is why I enjoy the big planes being put through their paces. The C-17 Globemaster III has no problem filling my viewfinder. This aluminum overcast was designed to get in and out of small airfields, and with its reverse thrusters and incredible thrust-to-weight ratio, it can take off and land on a virtual dime. On the ground, it can even travel in reverse!
And then of course, the final act of the day was the Air Force Thunderbirds. If I can think of one word to describe my feelings when these planes zoom and whoosh overhead, that word would be "proud." It truly is the sound of freedom!
Good Day to You, Sir
1 comment:
Type "air show" into the search engine at the top of my blog and see pictures I've taken at a couple of those air shows at Mather.
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