A moving aircraft, including the jet engine or propeller, causes compression and rarefaction of the air, producing motion of air
molecules. This movement propagates through the air as pressure waves.
If these pressure waves are strong enough and within the audible frequency spectrum, a sensation of hearing is produced. Lately, if a "sensation of hearing is produced," Walt sticks his fingers in his ears. It can be the garbage disposal from across the kitchen or Mommy coughing at the other end of the sofa, and Walt will look disgustingly, plug both ears securely and say, "That hurts my ears."
In spite of this bit of knowledge and warnings from everyone I know, including Walt's mother, Walt and I set out for the Millington, Tennessee Regional Jetport on Sunday morning for the second day of the Mid-South Air Show. The plan, a good one if I may say so, was to get there sufficiently early to at least get out of the car and onto the tarmac before the noise began so Walt could get comfortable with the idea and perhaps warm to the gradual appearance of screaming aircraft directly overhead. Right.
This is the Red Baron Team. Those plumes are actually thousands of individually wrapped frozen pizzas being distributed to the crowd.
The Red Baron guys were way cool. They accompanied the U.S. Army Golden Knights as they parachuted the Canadian and American flags onto the "flight line" (I learned that term this weekend. It's a fancy, air show word for 'stage') to start the proceedings.
They circled the sky diving flag bearers distributing more frozen pizzas, and, I can only assume, trying not to catch a parachute in a propeller.
And there goes the Canadian flag. As you can imagine, this little moment of détente resulted in some extremely confused Mid-Southerners who only half-heartedly removed their Dale Jr. ball caps during what I thought was a stirring performance of O Canada. As it turns out the Canadian Forces Snow Birds exhibition team was there. They are second only to the Navy's Blue Angels (also present) in air show popularity. It is extremely rare to have them both at the same show. Hey, with FedEx in town, we know how to get some airplanes on the ground. Unfortunately, that is where we had to see most of our airplanes Sunday morning, on the ground.
I guess the wheels were chocked so it wouldn't go anywhere if Walty leaned on it.
And, of course, we'd like to thank our sponsors.
Ultimately, we had to leave after one too many passes by the Ferrari of stunt planes at an altitude of about 45 feet. We were on the "flight line" for less than thirty minutes and didn't get to see any of the big name flight teams or the monster truck demonstration, which I was hoping would swing me another thirty minutes. But even though the smile in this final photo appears forced, I think Walt had a good time. In fact, I know he did because I asked him (after the pitiful, "I wanna go home" whimpers had died down and he'd taken his fingers and the ear plugs I bought him out of his ears), "Walt, did we have fun?" "Yeah, Daddy, we had a little bit of fun." Yes we did, Walty. Yes we did.
