Community Chat

[cheriere]

Wow!  That is pretty daring!  I'd love to see something like that!❤️

[Mz iMac]

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@catter70 wrote:

I remember my dad taking us to the airshow at Fort Dix in NJ in the late 50's, early 60's, when I was a little girl. They are in a class of their own.

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@catter70   During the 60s, my father took us kids to the air show at McGuire Air Force Base which is right next door to Fort Dix.  I think the entrance gate was Fort Dix.  From there to the right was McGuire.

As another poster already mentioned, the air shows back then had better daring stunts.  Especially, the ones closer to the ground & crowds.  I specifically remember the upside down jets flying right pass or right over the crowds.  You could actually see the pilot(s) waving.  Everyone in the crowd went home dusty.

Those were fun times.  People brought their own lounge chairs, sat under plane wings for the shade, ice cream man & hot dog truck made their rounds for folks who didn't bring their own food.

[On It]

Photos of San Francisco Fleet Week which is every October.

[beckyb1012]

That is so cool, what a sight.

[Group 5 minus 1]

We were just listening to that song (Willy Nelson). I told Hubbs that our little Sparky (Pom Chi) was our angel flying too close to the ground.

[spumoni99]

In 1972 we had one of the worst air crashes during an air show, a jet flew into a Farrells ice cream parlor killing 23 people and injuring many others.  It wasn't the blue angels.

[Icegoddess]

Our last air show was in 2008, probably the last.  We had a trajedy although it didn't have anything to do with the airshow itself.  On the last day a thunderstorm suddenly showed up.  A large industrial AC unit toppled over in a tent where people were taking cover onto a child and killed him.  

I was lucky enough to go to that show.  I actually got a bit of a show in the days before the show as they were practicing and came over the house.  They did some fairly low maneuvers over the runway.  I got a terrible sunburn, but I also took a lot of great photos.  I didn't have a big zoom lens and all my pics were in-hand.  I would think it would be difficult to follow the action with a tripod.  But a big zoom lens would need a very steady hand.  I can't even use that camera anymore now that I need reading glasses so badly.  

Here's a montage of the pics I took.  I like to say he was waving at me, LOL:

[On It]

@Icegoddess Your photos are fantastic. He was waving at you for sure. Flying upside down is not on my bucket list. Watching them could be. Thank you for sharing.

[NEvans2]

@On It  Great picture and my favorite Willie Nelson song!

[Puggywuggy]

They certainly perform exciting, dynamic aerial stunts. I live directly in their flight path when they visit our area and have seen them every fall & early spring since my childhood. They are deafening when my windows are open and if I'm on the telephone as they fly by there is a definite intermission until they have passed by my home, LOL. They are amazing pilots!