2009 Air Show

Finally the day had come for the much anticipated Thunderbirds. They were originally scheduled for last year, but then were cancelled and recharted for this year. We wanted to be to the show early, but ended up at the base about the same time we always do. On the walk in, we bumped into Suzy, Caleb & Caden. With more than 300,000 people expected to show up for Sat's show, it was surprising to see them on the west side of the hangar. My parents had arrived earlier than us, and got great seats in front of the C-5. We were about 50 yds from the fence, which made it possible to see the jets taxi instead of just flying. The air show was a little disappointing. This year's show didn't seem quite as well planned, and many of the demonstrations did not show up. There was meant to be a B-2 flyover, an FJ Fury simulated dogfight with two MiGs, a second MiG demonstration, and an F-22 Raptor flyover; none of this happened. We did get to see some of my favorites, the P-51 Mustang and the FA-18 Hornet. And we also had a flyby with an A-10 (refer to Transformers for an awesome display of what it can do), and got to see an F-4 Phantom (the Smoker). However, the finale show done by the Thunderbirds was amazing. They cut out a bunch of the boring flybys, delta and diamond formations, and added in some new aerial stunts. One new stunt was of the four main jets; they each rolled separate and came back together in formation. They also coordinated well for the buzz, and then buzzed a second time with two jets. It was fun being with the family. And it was a privilege to enjoy the show that our military took time to put on. It also brings back many happy memories of growing up on military bases around the country, listening to the sounds of freedom screaming through the air. I love any opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of my patriotic upbringing.