Higher and Higher

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, the Blue Angels are at Jones Beach this weekend as part of the Memorial Day Weekend celebrations and Jones Beach's 75th Anniversary. It was a beautiful day, a little windy for the beach, but the Blue Angels performance was one of the most impressive and awe-inspiring things I've ever seen. [If for some reason you're reading this on Sunday morning, May 30, 2004 and live in the Metro NY area you have time to see today's show from 11am to 3pm. The "Angels" go on (up?) at 2pm. Go!]

The NY Air National Guard was there and had a helicopter complete with guy in flight suit sitting on top who it seemed to me from where Chrissy and I were standing was looking to pick up chicks. If he wasn't the girls were trying to pick him up. "Men in uniform," I guess. [Click on any of the pictures and they'll get bigger.]

The Army was there with some vintage Jeeps and this very cool motorcycle.

Those were a couple of the static displays, we missed the earlier portion of the airshow with other planes, I think some of them were vintage WWII. Chrissy and I got there at 2pm on the dot, just in time for the Blue Angels performance.

A couple of observations. First, it's wasn't easy timing my trigger finger on the camera to capture the right moment so I apologize for the pictures; the Blue Angels website has professional photos. Second, seeing and hearing the machines themselves and what they can do in the hands of our pilots, you get an idea of the dread our enemies must feel when they're the target. The sound off the wide-open coast of the Atlantic Ocean is booming, I can't imagine what it must sound like where the topography would create echos and reverberations. (Like say the mountains of Afghanistan.)

It was great hearing the "Oooohs" and "Aaaahs" of the crowd and the applause after a perfectly executed trick. Not that any of us would know if they weren't perfect. When the two solo planes (the other four fly as a group) play chicken, every spectator held their breath. Especially when they were upside down.

Watching the Blue Angels will inevitably make you think of the video for "Dreams" by Van Halen. And yes, Chrissy and I were singing it to ourselves throughout the show. It may be cheesey, but hey, we are from Long Island remember.

World turns black and white
Pictures in an empty room
Your love starts fallin down
Better change your tune
Reach for the golden ring
Reach for the sky
Baby just spread your wings

We'll get higher and higher straight up we'll climb
We'll get higher and higher leave it all behind

Run, run, run, away
Like a train runnin off the track
The truth gets left behind
And falls between the cracks
Standing on broken dreams
But never losing sight
Spread your wings

We'll get higher and higher straight up we'll climb
We'll get higher and higher leave it all behind

So baby dry your eyes, save all the tears you've cried
Ohh that's what dreams are made of
Oh baby we belong in a world that must be strong
Ohh that's what dreams are made of

We'll get higher and higher straight up we'll climb
We'll get higher and higher leave it all behind

Higher and higher who knows what we'll find

And in the end on dreams we will depend
Cause that's what love is made of

Comments

[Chris A.]

One of the best things about COlorado Springs-the F-16's during the Academy's graduation and football games!!!