Aviation Nation

I forgot to mention our family field trip last week (now two weeks ago by the time this gets posted). Nellis Air Force base does a HUGE air show each year. On Saturday and Sunday they expected to have 100,000 people come. The non-ID card holders park at the race track and get shuttled in. But Matt's ID card is still good, so we got to beat the crowds and go the day before--Friday, family day. It's not the full 8 hours of airtime, (which was too much for the kids anyway) but you get to see plenty of planes in flight, including the Thunderbird show and have full access to all the planes and copters on the ground without the crowds.

When we were driving in and walking to the flight line, there was an interesting mix of planes in the air. An older jet, a bomber and carrier and something else. Sorry I don't know my planes well, and I couldn't get a good picture. They took turns doing maneuvers and flew in formation together. One of them, I think Matt said it was the A-10, was just crazy loud.

We were right at the barrier for the Thunderbird portion. They have the whole flight check with the crew and pilots set to music and it's all very sharp, if rather long. Those planes sat in front of us idling with their engines roaring for what felt (literally, you could FEEL it) like a long time. When they finally got up in the air, it was all worth it. I think I saw the Thunderbirds as a kid, but I don't remember it well. This may be a faded memory for our kids someday too, but it was fun to go together. Their flying was amazing. The #2 soloist is a neighbor of Tim (Matt's partner). The turns, manuvers, near misses and vertical flight were just impossible to catch with my iphone. I think the only way to do them any justice would be to bring a video camera next time. I couldn't help thinking of the Ramstein air show crash that happened just before we moved there, but all was safe and well in NV. It's easy to see how easy it would be to crash.

Makenna trying out the guns on a helicopter.

Isaac in the cockpit of an old, restored, Vietnam fighter.
There are bullet holes in the tail, but it still flies.

Jessica getting her helmet and directions on jumping down the slip rope, seen coiled above her.