During my squandered decade in Washington, D.C. I was a regular attendee at the Joint Base Andrews Air Show, the largest in the U.S.A. Literally hundreds of aircraft on static display and more than seven hours of non-stop air work each day for three days. I saw the F-117 and B-2 up close and personal for the first time, though each was heavily guarded and surrounded by a painted perimeter on the apron which stated "Use of Deadly Force Authorized." Types I never knew existed were there, and flying demonstrations of the AV8 Harrier, V-22 Osprey, F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, and F-16 Fighting Falcon were astounding. My five-year-old daughter and I were privileged to have front row show center box seats due to my then wife's position as Speaker's Liason to the Pentagon. Unforgettable to watch the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels during the same CAVU afternoon. The only casualty of the day was one of the 2,000 paratroopers launching from C-141 Starlifters; he landed on the ground control radar and had a few goes on a merry-go-round before his risers were cut. He waved at the crowd and I and my little one were relieved.
On the bus back to the Capitol, my beautiful little Fiona turned her sparkling blue eyes up to me, then she asked: "Daddy, can we go back tomorrow?" And we did!
Last edited by cavuman1; 16th Oct 2022 at 00:29.
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