Today, Handsome and I drove to the Charlotte County Airport in Punta Gorda for the 2009 Florida International Air Show. This has become an annual "date" for the two of us, and we really look forward to attending. I am just like a kid again when we go to the air show. I just love it all...the sound of the planes, the military pomp and all the people. It's all just so wonderfully patriotic. I wish everyone could attend a show somewhere in the country if they haven't already. The weather was perfect - mostly sunny, breezy and dry. It doesn't get better than this in southern Florida.The Navy Blue Angels were the featured performers this year. Before they appeared, we were treated to feats of derring-do by wingwalkers on a biplane and acrobatic plane performances. We watched the "Heritage Flight", which featured an F-16 fighter, a P-51 fighter and the Air Force F-15 fighter plane - making its final appearance at events such as this. My brother served in the Navy on the U.S.S. Nimitz and my father was Air Force, so I have a special affinity for those two branches of the Armed Forces, but the Army and the Marines were also represented. In fact, two of the Blue Angels pilots are Marines in this rotation.
In addition to watching the air show, I got to people watch - one of my favorite past times. I was completely taken with a young Amish girl who was sitting three rows in front of us. I can't imagine a more interesting dicotomy than that of an Amish girl and high tech jets, but there you have it. In addition to photos of her, you'll see a little boy who started playing with his model planes when he tired of the show on the runway, and a boy's t-shirt that really tickled us! There are even a few shots of Handsome with some of our favorite aircraft at this show.
Click on my Flickr link (in the left toolbar) to see my favorite photographs of a wonderful day spent with my sweetheart.
Just to give you a heads-up...I'll be starting my great nephew's Christening gown project this week. I hope you'll be back to follow my progress!
I appreciate you stopping in to visit. See you again soon.
Joy!
Deece
The Heritage Flight always chokes me up (as does the Blue Angels' "Missing Man" formation). Two of my uncles were in WWII, flying for Britain (I'm Canadian). One flew Lancaster bombers, and survived. The other flew fighters and was shot down and killed over the Netherlands in 1945. Before my time, so I never got to meet him.
ReplyDeleteAnyway! Wonderful photos! I'll show them to B when he gets home this evening. For a number of years we owned a sweet little Cessna Skylane, so we are "plane people". :) Love the little Amish girl (and her sunglasses!) and lol at the tee-shirt slogan.
Great blog.
xoLiz
Hi Liz!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comments. Wish I could thank both of your uncles personally for their service and sacrifice for our country. The Missing Man formation gets to me, too!
My dad used to have an Aercoup (Don't know if I'm spelling that right...). Anyway, I used to be really afraid of heights, but I was willing to "go up" in that little plane just because Daddy was flying it. It was great! I actually think I prefer flying in the small ones to flying in the big ones. lol
Thanks for stopping by, and for your comments. Hugs,
Donna