Something on the horizon caught my eye. It looked like a wisp of smoke. Since we’d had a really dry spring, I hoped it wasn’t a brush fire. But it was miles away from where I sat in the stands at the Pocono Raceway.
The day was sunny and unseasonably warm, but a cool, gentle breezed kept everyone comfortable. And the blue skies above were cloudless. Perfect weather for an airshow.
I looked around the stands, briefly taking in the diverse sold-out crowd, including a throng of young families, with their little tykes in tow. One little blond lassie, about four years old, even sported hot pink ear muff ear protectors, while the older folks in the crowd opted for bright orange ear plugs.
For the past forty minutes, we had been entertained by the most awesome aeronautical aerobatics ever seen. Beginning with the P51 and F22 Raptor Heritage flight soaring into the azure firmament above us, followed by a Vampire, a Sukhoi, an MXS-RH all carbon craft and then the United States Coast Guard doing a search and rescue demo, it was heart-stopping entertainment.
Those pilots and their aircraft performed death defying stunts. Their aircraft soared and swooped while we in the stands squinted into the sunlight following their vapor trails as the flash of their wings rose high into the sky and turned into specks.
But now there was lull in the activity and it became rather quiet in the stands.
Some folks looked into the skies left and right anticipating the next round of daring do, but for some reason, my eyes were drawn back to the horizon.
That wisp of smoke I had seen just a few moments ago had now become a rather large cloud. It was straight ahead, growing larger each second and headed right for us, dead center. I watched mesmerized as the smoke trail grew and six tiny specks grew with it.
Afterburners!
It wasn’t a brush fire I was seeing. The “smoke” was the afterburners of fighter jets. In what seemed like mere seconds, those specks had turned into the deep navy blue and gold insignia of six F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets and they were flying directly at us.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” the announcer intoned, music blaring in the background, “the Blue Angels!”
In a now classic maneuver, six jets flying in a tight diamond, peeled off and soared into the sky, afterburners leaving their classic Fleur di Lis pattern against the azure sky. The crowd roared in awe and delight.
A blue sky full of Blue Angels, soared and rolled in the heavens above us. Delta rolls, diamond loops, knife edge passes, vertical rolls, inverted crossings and much more. The maneuvers were flawless, breathtaking and fearsome.
Back in 1946, in an effort to raise public interest in naval aviation and continue with the precision flying Navy pilots had learned, a flight exhibition team was created by order of Admiral Chester Nimitz. And the tight formation, low flying Angels have been entertaining us ever since with their spectacular maneuvers.
Watching the awe-inspiring Hornets in the sky above, I felt a particular rush of pride in my country. The young men and women of the United States Navy and Marine Corps performing that day were truly heroes. And we are so blessed as a nation to have them.
I looked over again at the little blond lassie with the pink ear muffs. She was clutching the seat in front of her, her eyes riveted on the aircraft above.
There’s our future, I thought. Oh yes, the sky’s the limit for you, little one!
Blue Angels Forever, Forever Blue Angels!
Blue Angels Motto
Janice Monahan Rodgers 