Air Show

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Saturday Eric and I met Andrew at Cherry Point Marine Air Station.  I do not think that is the correct name of the base but lets go with it.  The day was the Air Show and the feature was these guys— the Blue Angels — and they sure can put on a show.

 There were all sorts of airplanes, and other weapons of mass destruction lying all over the place.  This little piece was a B-52.  Not sure if it was radioactive or not, but it was available for inspection.  I can remember when these things were top ultra top tip top loss lips sink ships secret.  Times have changed.

 As were big ole trucks, half-tracks and all sorts of big and and bigger objects.   Andrew was a real good tour guide and gave some great insight and commentary on much of the equipment, sharing much from personal experience.  Like (and hope I am not going to far here) but just how sick you can get inside the ocean going landing craft when it is closed up and approaching a beach- something about diesel motor exhaust, heat, motion and close quarters.  I think just getting into the landing craft would be intimidating enough.

 As I mentioned there were all kinds of weapons of mass destruction.  Big and little, well even the personal weapons are not so little — the M-16 rifle — well it is not a M-16, but something newer is very heavy but has a whoopdeedoo laser sight on it.  I know it is very heavy because I picked it up and looked though the sight.

 Part of the show was making the airfield at the air base safe with a sort of war game with practice bombing and strafing runs complete with paratroopers, medivac action action landing armored vehicles and eventual total victory— lots of loud bangs, smoke and flashes of flames.  The Harrier Jet put on a show too.  I do not have a photo of a jet standing still in the air.  It does do a lot of tricks, not sure what the point of some of the tricks are but it has a fruit basket of tricks.  The

 there was a show by some stunt pilots who were pretty good and had a nice blue sky to paint with their contrails

 the stunt pilots are not part of the Marines or Navy but just part of an air show.

 By the time the Blue Angels got into the air the sky was clouding up and my goodness but they were fast, I was pleased to get a few photos that caught some of the formations.  Watching the Blue Angels take off was a treat.

 Four of them took of in tight formation and curved out over the crowd.  The other two took off one at a time  - one went down the run way up into the air a bit  kind a did a barrel roll, back down about to the runway and then up slightly and then up and out on a tight curve.  the other down the runway just a short distance and then of course straight up.  they can fly those jets.

 I was unable to catch any of the crossing or intersecting patterns.  I also have many shots where I have part of a pattern or where the planes are not distinct at all.  The crossing patterns and intersecting patterns were the most impressive too.

I also am working on another post about the crowd after I go through the photos and select some of the best shots.  the crowd was fun.  It was not a crowd I am not normally in.