Vaguely disturbed by Air & Water Show

[LadyJeanne]

The annual Air & Water show is in town. The jets have been flying around my place for the last four days, first in practice, and now for the show. When I was younger, I used to watch in awe and admiration at the skill of the pilots flying in formation and doing their thing. In fact, it would be a fun weekend at the lake with my friends; the most thrilling was one year when we watched from a friends balcony near the lakefront, and one year we were on the water in a friend's boat.

Now...I have avoided the whole thing to the extent possible. I find it disturbing to hear the ear-blasting whine and to see the fighter jets. I guess I can't help but thinking of their true purpose and how awful it must be to hear and see and know the next sound will be a bomb dropping on your neighbor's house, or yours. I can't help thinking that the people of Iraq don't have the same luxury I do of shutting my windows and blinds to avoid them.

Yet, the crowds at the lakefront continue to ooh and ahh. Makes me sad to see them.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

The annual Air & Water show is in town. The jets have been flying around my place for the last four days, first in practice, and now for the show. When I was younger, I used to watch in awe and admiration at the skill of the pilots flying in formation and doing their thing. In fact, it would be a fun weekend at the lake with my friends; the most thrilling was one year when we watched from a friends balcony near the lakefront, and one year we were on the water in a friend's boat.

Now...I have avoided the whole thing to the extent possible. I find it disturbing to hear the ear-blasting whine and to see the fighter jets. I guess I can't help but thinking of their true purpose and how awful it must be to hear and see and know the next sound will be a bomb dropping on your neighbor's house, or yours. I can't help thinking that the people of Iraq don't have the same luxury I do of shutting my windows and blinds to avoid them.

Yet, the crowds at the lakefront continue to ooh and ahh. Makes me sad to see them.

Like any other tool, fighter jets can be used for good or ill. The Spitfires challenging Heinkels over London in 1940 are a good example of the former.

Go and enjoy the show - they are the "ultimate sports cars," marvelous examples of human ingenuity, and thrilling to watch.

 

[LadyJeanne]

Like any other tool, fighter jets can be used for good or ill. The Spitfires challenging Heinkels over London in 1940 are a good example of the former.

Go and enjoy the show - they are the "ultimate sports cars," marvelous examples of human ingenuity, and thrilling to watch.

No, they aren't thrilling to me. I can't wait til they go away and stop buzzing past.

 

[Aurora Black]

Airplanes scare the hell out of me when they fly too low. I keep thinking that they're going to crash into the house Donnie Darko style.

 

[LadyJeanne]

Airplanes scare the hell out of me when they fly too low. I keep thinking that they're going to crash into the house Donnie Darko style.

It's not unheard of. They've had accidents at these shows in the past. For me, I think it's the sound that really gets to me.

 

[impressive]

Air shows were our version of pow wows & Ren fairs & Highland games for about a decade. I worked at Pax River Naval Air Test Center for 5 years and then at Wright-Patterson AFB for another 5 years. The gang we hung with really went all out with parties and other festivities surrounding the events. While fun, it was never about the show itself for me -- just the hoopla and revelry.

The Thunderbirds are fun to party with. The Blue Angels are rather snooty, though.

 

[AchtungNight]

I like air shows too. They rock. Hope you soon calm down to them again. {moment of silence for the victims of war}

 

[LadyJeanne]

Pax River Naval Air Test Center

Pax ? How ironic.

 

[impressive]

Pax ? How ironic.

Short for Patuxent

 

[rgraham666]

Pax ? How ironic.

The Strategic Air Command's motto is 'Peace Is Our Profession'.

They're the ones responsible for the U.S. ICBMs.

How's that for ironic?

 

[gauchecritic]

It is sad that miracles of engineering and skill engender thoughts of destruction. And it's sad that you can't seperate the two.

Reminds me of Oppenheimer "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." (quoting the "Bhagavad-Gita")

 

[angela146]

The Strategic Air Command's motto is 'Peace Is Our Profession'.

They're the ones responsible for the U.S. ICBMs.

How's that for ironic?

Not ironic at all. ICBM's are one of the very few classes of weapons that have never *ever* been used in combat.

 

[LadyJeanne]

Not ironic at all. ICBM's are one of the very few classes of weapons that have never *ever* been used in combat.

...yet.

 

[S-Des]

Air shows were our version of pow wows & Ren fairs & Highland games for about a decade. I worked at Pax River Naval Air Test Center for 5 years and then at Wright-Patterson AFB for another 5 years. The gang we hung with really went all out with parties and other festivities surrounding the events. While fun, it was never about the show itself for me -- just the hoopla and revelry.

The Thunderbirds are fun to party with. The Blue Angels are rather snooty, though.

That's so funny because the radio guy I listen to has ridden with both and said just the opposite (that the Blue Angel guys are a little wilder and less reserved).

My 6 year-old went with me today and had an incredible time. It was a great show. Along with the skydivers, the rescue helicopter & boat, there were stunt planes (prop and jet). The crowd was wonderful, despite the numbers. There was no problems or swearing (something I worry about with her) and the guy we sat next to was running around giving away stuff to parents who needed it (he brought everything humanly possible). He even gave away a pair of headphones to a 2 year-old who was scared by the noise of the planes.

The Blue Angels are her favorite thing ever (she has talked about them since the last time they performed). I always let her know that the people in those planes are brave Americans who make sure that we are safe. Disagreeing with a political policy will never make me look at the men and women who protect us any differently. They are our sons and daughters (I know several people who have children who are currently serving and had a marine and his new wife at our show last night). Watching the show made me very proud.

 

[Weird Harold]

I find it disturbing to hear the ear-blasting whine and to see the fighter jets. I guess I can't help but thinking of their true purpose and how awful it must be to hear and see and know the next sound will be a bomb dropping on your neighbor's house, or yours.

Having been in a situation where the sight and sound of Jet fighters bombing and strafing for real meant that I didn't have to expect to endure another Viet Cong rocket attack that night, I don't really share your concern.

Your un-ease with the idea of fighters flying over your housebecause of waht they represent to you does stir some unpleasant memoris for me -- about what it was like to come home from Vietnam and endure the taunts and comments of people who were more concerned about the welfare of people who had been trying to kill me for the previous year than they were about me.

Just a bit of trivia for you: If you can hear a Jet fighter coming, it probably isn't going to be bombing or strafing you -- the least noisy place around a Jet fighter is right in front of it.

 

[SweetPrettyAss]

The Strategic Air Command's motto is 'Peace Is Our Profession'.

They're the ones responsible for the U.S. ICBMs.

How's that for ironic?

I don't see anything ironic. Everybody in the world, especially the leaders of the USSR, knew that the ICBM's were there and what they could do. This is what prevented a nuclear attack by the USSR. If it hadn't been for them, we would all be dead or would be living in various soviet socialist republics.

 

[Belegon]

Having been in a situation where the sight and sound of Jet fighters bombing and strafing for real meant that I didn't have to expect to endure another Viet Cong rocket attack that night, I don't really share your concern.

Your un-ease with the idea of fighters flying over your housebecause of waht they represent to you does stir some unpleasant memoris for me -- about what it was like to come home from Vietnam and endure the taunts and comments of people who were more concerned about the welfare of people who had been trying to kill me for the previous year than they were about me.

Just a bit of trivia for you: If you can hear a Jet fighter coming, it probably isn't going to be bombing or strafing you -- the least noisy place around a Jet fighter is right in front of it.

I'm hoping this is just an isolated musing...

the fact that LadyJ can't help but think about the war going on and what those sounds mean to others does not mean she has any negative feelings about the men & women in uniform or that she has ever disrespected Vietnam Vets...

 

[Weird Harold]

I'm hoping this is just an isolated musing...

the fact that LadyJ can't help but think about the war going on and what those sounds mean to others does not mean she has any negative feelings about the men & women in uniform or that she has ever disrespected Vietnam Vets...

I didn't mean to imply that she felt that way, only that the direction of her thoughts were similar enough to the Vietnam era anti-war protesters to trigger some bad memories.

 

[LadyJeanne]

Virtually every male member of my family has worn a military uniform at one time or another, including my father, for whom I have the utmost respect. Some have worn them in combat for this good ole USA.

Doesn't mean I have to like the tools of war, or that I cannot feel compassion for people who are caught in the middle of it.



Anyway, I guess I just can't say anything around here anymore that doesn't offend someone. Guess that's my cue to exit.

Cheers, all.


Bel -

 

[impressive]

That's so funny because the radio guy I listen to has ridden with both and said just the opposite (that the Blue Angel guys are a little wilder and less reserved).

I haven't ridden with either in the air.

But, seriously, the Thunderbirds always showed up at the parties and socialized with the geeky engineer types (a/k/a my friends & me) whose work made sure their planes functioned at peak efficiency. They even seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves.

The Blue Angels were polite, but really wanted nothing to do with anyone else.

 

[~hellbaby~]

The annual Air & Water show is in town. The jets have been flying around my place for the last four days, first in practice, and now for the show. When I was younger, I used to watch in awe and admiration at the skill of the pilots flying in formation and doing their thing. In fact, it would be a fun weekend at the lake with my friends; the most thrilling was one year when we watched from a friends balcony near the lakefront, and one year we were on the water in a friend's boat.

Now...I have avoided the whole thing to the extent possible. I find it disturbing to hear the ear-blasting whine and to see the fighter jets. I guess I can't help but thinking of their true purpose and how awful it must be to hear and see and know the next sound will be a bomb dropping on your neighbor's house, or yours. I can't help thinking that the people of Iraq don't have the same luxury I do of shutting my windows and blinds to avoid them.

Yet, the crowds at the lakefront continue to ooh and ahh. Makes me sad to see them.

I'm about 2 miles from the contamination cut off line from a Naval Air Base superfund site. Literally all the kids under 10 on my street and the one adjacent suffer from neurological disabilities ranging from autism to speech impediments. Our water quality is in the top worse percentile in the country. This year there are less than 5 lakes in the state of PA. that are at full attainment. Pretty scary to know there is only a handful of surface water sources you can drink from without risking sickness or death. And the largest contributing source of contamination in my area? The federal government.... I could see the shows from my roof but never watch, I'm always afraid I might see a horrible crash.

 

[rgraham666]

Hey ~hellbaby~

Nice to see you back.

 

[Huckleman2000]

I was out of town for the annual SeaFair in Seattle earlier this month. The Blue Angels are an annual attraction, and the Navy brings various ships into the Sound. A few years ago they brought in a nuclear sub, which wasn't open to tours like the other boats, but didn't look like something you'd want to get too close to anyway. At least, not without some training. I've never seen a stealth bomber in person, but that's what the sub reminded me of - an unmistakeable sense of deathly power. It was much bigger than I would have imagined, and sinister-looking enough to make you glad it was on our side. At least, when we didn't have psychopaths in the White House.

 

[LLs Man]

"Qui desiderat pacem, bellum praeparat; nemo provocare ne offendere audet quem intelliget superiorem esse pugnaturem." (Whosoever desires peace prepares for war; no one provokes, nor dares to offend, those who they know know to be superior in battle.) Roman General Vegetius Flavius Maximus (4th century AD).