Sunday, August 9, 2009

Thunder Over the Valley 09

I tend not to make really personal based posts on here. I try to keep it art stuff only, with my ramblings tacked on, and half related to what I drew, but I just have to include these photos. This won't be a day I soon forget.

Thanks to my girlfriend, Rachel, and her father, Dave (mostly him as he got the very scarce tickets), I got to attend the "Thunder Over the Valley" Air Show held in Vienna, OH. Seriously, wow. This show was in my opinion incredibutacular. I made up that word, but it was, this is no time for proper grammar. After waltzing onto this particular air force base, the place is just cluttered with aircraft old and new for people to grope and stare at; all the while with planes flying over head pulling off grandiose stunts and feats of impressive military strength. Throughout the day I used my iphone to snag photos and mostly videos, and I've compiled some of the few photos I had taken. I ended up with way more videos, but you need the sound to accompany the ones flying. The feeling of an f-16 flying over you at a speed faster than sound... well, a cell phone picture doesn't begin to cut it.

Really lucked out, as this was my first Air Show, that the U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds returned to the base in 20 something years. I used to think jets were ok, run of the mill. When it came to flying contraptions I really loved the theatrical qualities of old bi-planes, and WWII fliers. There was just something about them that just seemed more worthy. The thunderbirds have changed that. They do things in jets that I never knew was possible. To be honest, those pilots have to be a bit off to do what they do (pretty much playing chicken at 1000 mph) but man do they make an impression and a good one at that. I still love the old machines, but wow, are the new ones intimidating.

Special mention to the jet car, whom thankfully raced a flying plane far enough away not to be scary as all heck. Cause in my mind, not too many good things can come of an jet engine, a seat, and four wheels. Well, except unmitigated joy.

Special, Special mention to the b17 bomber I managed to crack my face on. Coolest way I've hit myself in the nose yet. Sadly, it left no mark, and I can't tell people my cool scar was from getting hit in the face with a plane.

Anyways, excuse the quality, it's a phone camera, but I just wanted to share a bit of the show. I barely touched on anything here it feels like. Be ready for me to gush about planes in the next post too, because they are just so nonsensical I have to.

EDIT: Blogger made the pictures really, really small. I'll split it up and post it in two parts. But it will have to wait till tomorrow, photoshop just crashed, and I'm going to bed.

6 comments:

Jack C. Gregory said...

Nice. I don't know how far you are from Dayton, but the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Museum has a nice collection of old aircrafts.

Kira said...

100% awesome. We used to go to airshows all the time when I was little, and it made me want to be a jet pilot when I grew up.

I still do kinda wanna when I see stuff like this.

Mike Puncekar said...

Jack: The big c-130 they had at the show was from that base actually. Man that thing was huge. Just one big enormous tube with wings, ready to carry stuff. After this I would like to see that, but my next trip is reserved for the brandywine museum.

Kira: I know the feeling. I was pretty much an excited little kid the entire time anyway. I couldn't really keep my mouth shut, which is a rare occurrence.

Mike Puncekar said...

My mistake.. it wasn't a c-130 hercules, it was a c5-a galaxy.

Unknown said...

Super awesome! I've been watching the dogfight shows on History channel recently. Kinda cool to see some actual pics of cool planes and not just digital recreations. Sounds like you had a blast. Now make an illustration about fighter jets!

Leah said...

those photos are awesome, they look like an old school photo strip the way you have them arranged like that, and with the colors.