Fleet Week
This week is fleet week in San Francisco and I always look forward to it. It holds a special place in my heart. You might be asking yourself right now, "Why would seeing military aircraft flying around hold a special place in Mike's heart?". Well there is a good reason for that.
One of my fondest memories as a child was when my dad would take me to Moffet Field just outside of Mountain View, California and we would go and watch the Blue Angels fly. They used to open up the huge hangers to the public and many different types of aircraft were on display. Some of them were opened up so you could climb into the cock pit, put on the pilots helmet and really get a feel for what it was like. They would have modern aircraft and even some historical pieces. My favorite was always the P-51 Mustang from WWII. It just had this menacing look about it. Now that Moffet Field is all but closed, the Blue Angels and the air show happens over San Francisco bay. While it's a much better location as far as scenery goes, I miss the aircraft displays.
Seeing the aircraft and the show isn't the most heart warming part for me. Actually it has to do with the fact that my dad would take me out to the air show. It was one of the few activities that he did with me and seemed to enjoy just as much as I did. He used to always carry me on his shoulders so I could get a better view of the airplanes as they took off and landed from the runway. I remember one year when we went, we couldn't find a parking place because we arrived late and my dad circled around trying to get us in. I was probably about 7 years old at the time and disappointment was quickly setting in as my dad was getting frustrated and wanted to go home and skip the air show. He tried one more spot that he thought would be good. He circled around to a parking lot for Lockheed Martin on the opposite side of the air field and we struck gold. This point just happened to be right below where the Blue Angels would make their turns after performing various stunts and returning toward the air field. At least 5 or 6 times a Blue Angel jet would fly very low overhead. Car alarms would wail and my internal organs were turning to mush from the vibrations. There were a few other people around and some of them got up on the roofs of their cars to get a better view. I asked my dad if I could do the same with our car and he reluctantly said yes. I quickly climbed up on the roof of our beat up, green Ford station wagon (Yes, in the 80s we had station wagons and not mini vans) and I had the time of my life.
My dad is long gone now and may God rest his soul. But everytime I go out to see the Blue Angels and hear the roar of those engines, I am reminded of those days with my dad letting me ride on his shoulders; when he and I were father and son. I hope that someday if I ever have kids, they will have many memories like that of me.
One of my fondest memories as a child was when my dad would take me to Moffet Field just outside of Mountain View, California and we would go and watch the Blue Angels fly. They used to open up the huge hangers to the public and many different types of aircraft were on display. Some of them were opened up so you could climb into the cock pit, put on the pilots helmet and really get a feel for what it was like. They would have modern aircraft and even some historical pieces. My favorite was always the P-51 Mustang from WWII. It just had this menacing look about it. Now that Moffet Field is all but closed, the Blue Angels and the air show happens over San Francisco bay. While it's a much better location as far as scenery goes, I miss the aircraft displays.
Seeing the aircraft and the show isn't the most heart warming part for me. Actually it has to do with the fact that my dad would take me out to the air show. It was one of the few activities that he did with me and seemed to enjoy just as much as I did. He used to always carry me on his shoulders so I could get a better view of the airplanes as they took off and landed from the runway. I remember one year when we went, we couldn't find a parking place because we arrived late and my dad circled around trying to get us in. I was probably about 7 years old at the time and disappointment was quickly setting in as my dad was getting frustrated and wanted to go home and skip the air show. He tried one more spot that he thought would be good. He circled around to a parking lot for Lockheed Martin on the opposite side of the air field and we struck gold. This point just happened to be right below where the Blue Angels would make their turns after performing various stunts and returning toward the air field. At least 5 or 6 times a Blue Angel jet would fly very low overhead. Car alarms would wail and my internal organs were turning to mush from the vibrations. There were a few other people around and some of them got up on the roofs of their cars to get a better view. I asked my dad if I could do the same with our car and he reluctantly said yes. I quickly climbed up on the roof of our beat up, green Ford station wagon (Yes, in the 80s we had station wagons and not mini vans) and I had the time of my life.
My dad is long gone now and may God rest his soul. But everytime I go out to see the Blue Angels and hear the roar of those engines, I am reminded of those days with my dad letting me ride on his shoulders; when he and I were father and son. I hope that someday if I ever have kids, they will have many memories like that of me.
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