Joined
·
2,326 Posts
We have Luke Air Force Base about 25 miles away from us. They are heavy into getting the new F35 fighter jets into the base. I think they already have them locked in but not sure if it is a done deal. About 1/2 mile from me is the Thunderbird School of International Management. It is the original site of the first air base in the Phoenix area. They still have the original tower and buildings and use it for administation purposes. A local group started funding a restoration of the tower and buildings and this last Saturday held a giant party on the premises including a humongus fireworks display. But Saturday afternoon Janet and I were watching the TV (college football games) and we heard this thunder coming. We are used to helicopters flying around and pretty noisy but for some reason it sounded like radial engines???? Went out and looked up and a flight formation of 8 bi-wing trainers flew over trailing show smoke. At that point I did not know about the party at the School so I didn't put 2 and 2 together. Then a B-24 Liberator flew over low enough that I could have jumped up and touched it (if I could jump, lol) and then a B-17 flew over. I'm just setting there with my jaw bouncing off the floor when my wife says---why don't you get out you wonderfull expensive phone with the much better than my phone supercamera in it and get some pictures??? (Yup I also felt a little more than a little animosity in that question, heh) but by the time I got it out and ready it was too late. I'm terrible at remembering to take pics. But then I notice that they are turning around and coming back (just the bombers) so I get in a good position and remember to turn the phone/camera sideways and zero in on the planes. So I think everything is going fine, I'm trying to move without shaking the camera, stay zeroed in on the planes and capture all the footage as they fly over again. As the planes fly off into the distance I realized that I have the phone up and going but I never actually hit the video start button, so no video. I think the neighbors just learned a few new swear words since I invented a couple on the spot. But it was great watching them fly over. We lived about 3 miles from a little airport that was part of a resort back in WI. The manager of the airport was a member of the Rebel Airforce and all those War Bird groups etc. Oshkosh Flyins were about 90 miles from us and many times the War birds etc would do a flyover the airport. The flyovers always incorporated a turn around and it almost always brought them right over our house. Usually any planes actually landing followed the landing pattern which was right over our house. Many incredable planes few over our house. One time we had a flight of 4 P-51s and 2 Japanese Zeros flew over and they did a mock air battle that lasted a good 20 minutes. It was fantastic. That is one thing I miss about the old house up in WI.
Anywho thought I'd pass the experience along. Mark L
Anywho thought I'd pass the experience along. Mark L
