Unlike last year's eighty-five degree weather, this year we froze our buns off. Okay, it wasn't literally freezing, but temperatures in the sixties and absurdly windy days make for a cold trip to Florida.
Since no one in my family wanted to die of exposure on the beach, we headed to the naval base to watch the Blue Angels practice. The Blue Angels are the Navy's flight demonstration squadron.
Translated: a group of six airplanes that do cool maneuvers at top speeds in the sky.
Now that I'm really thinking about it, it's kinda like Top Gun, only live. I like Top Gun. Top Gun makes me happy. I freely admit to thinking "Ooh, perhaps I will see Maverick and Goose … or at least Iceman and Hollywood here today. That would be pretty sweet."
(It should be noted that I did not see Maverick and Goose. Or Iceman and Hollywood.)
(Phooey.)
The Blue Angels are noted for their "diamond" formation in which all six planes are flying together to form a diamond shape.
These planes are zipping along at over four hundred miles per hour. Think about that. 400 mph. That's considerably faster than we drove on I-65 on our way to Florida.
The loops were pretty impressive. I've always wanted to try something like that, but not in a Honda on I-65.
As someone who finds it difficult to draw a straight line with a ruler, I found it mind blowing to see all five planes fly in a fairly straight, even line.
Towards the end of the practice, the Blue Angels did a signature move in which all six planes flew in a diamond formation with each plane peeling off until only one was left flying on the original path. I don't know if I was amidst a Top Gun fantasy or what, but I missed photographing the first plane leaving formation.
Sorry.
I did manage to pull myself together long enough to get the next couple planes leaving the formation.
Once leaving the diamond formation, I kinda lost track of the departing planes. Well, I lost track of the planes until they each did a very low and very loud flyby over the crowd.
I may or may not have simultaneously jumped, screamed and wet myself a little.
Well played Blue Angels. Well played.
Actually, it was a classic magicians trick: diverting attention from one thing on to another. In this case, drawing attention to this plane over here while diverting attention from the other planes. I should have known that those other planes were getting ready to do something naughty. Like make a slightly doughy, forty year old Midwestern mom wet herself.
The Blue Angels are absolutely incredible to see and I highly recommend that you see them sometime. The whole experience was pretty unique and fab.
Right down to the concession stand.
I do so love an establishment in which one has the choice of purchasing coffee, water, earplugs, or a danish. It's not everyday that one has the opportunity to buy earplugs from a food truck.
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