Give Thanks...For Those Planes

We traveled south last week, had a few errands to run. We stopped at a store in Ogden, my wife ran inside and that's when the F-35s flew overhead. I watched them circle, then fly to Hill Air Force Base where they landed.

Man, I miss those planes.

Those planes were my childhood, or my childhood from my teenage years up. When I went to jr. high school in Kaysville, we heard the roar of those jets everyday. I think back then they flew F-4s, then F-16s. Now, they fly F-35s (the F-16s are my favorite...). We'd be in class. The teacher would have to stop his or her lecture until the roar dimmed, then they would resume. I was only a student--others who lived in southern Weber County and northern Davis County dealt with the jets all the time. I'm sure they just accepted it, like us student did.

When I worked in Clearfield, we had a huge window facing north. We saw the planes take off and land, and once, we even saw the planes practicing for an air show, something people used to put on and attend before everything went to crap.

I'm grateful for those planes, what they represent, what they mean to the community and for the country. I'm grateful for the men and women who dedicate themselves to the service of others. I hope those in the planes screaming overhead and the crews keeping them aloft know that we're grateful and we love seeing them up there.

We now live north and the only planes I've seen are the passenger jets 35k feet in the air or small single-engine Cessnas. 

Not the same...

Looking Up At The Sky...And Thinking

Normally, on Monday mornings, I'm down in the basement hard at work for the great citizens of the State of Utah. This morning, I was also hard at work, but instead of being stuck at my desk, I was taking public transportation to attend training. Like any job, keeping up with constant change is important.

After the training, I was subjected to non-rush hour commuting. Basically, I had to wait for the next train that comes once an hour. Thankfully, I was prepared for the weather and it wasn't that cold. It was while I was waiting that I heard a low rumble and thought it might be the train. If so, it was about ten minutes early. That just doesn't happen. Since the train station is near several busy roads, I thought the sound was coming from a large truck passing by. I dismissed that, too, because the sound kept getting louder.

I looked up and saw six military helicopters flying overhead.

It got me thinking.

There's so much I don't know about military life and military operations. I wondered if these copters were returning from a mission, training or otherwise. I wondered if they were flying in the correct flight pattern (I have no idea if they have preference to fly anywhere they want...).

It's a little weird seeing military vehicles and planes, especially among us civilians. You see them driving in a caravan on the freeways. Where are they going? It's like they're a secret society and we're living in their world and not the other way around.

I took out my phone and videoed the aircraft as they flew by. I'm assuming they were flying to Hill Air Force Base, but they could have been going anywhere. There's so much I don't know about the military. I think it would fascinating to learn more.

Waiting For The Jets...On Independence Day

The first time I saw the jets flying on July 4th was probably more than a decade ago. We were at my in-law's neighborhood enjoying a holiday breakfast. We're used to having military aircraft taking off from Hill Air Force Base to the north, but rarely do they fly directly over our little town. That morning years ago I watched as several jets flew in formation heading south to give parade attendees an extra thrill for the holiday.

I've tried to watch for them--when I remember--ever since.

I woke this morning earlier than I normally would, thanks to the puppy (see blog post from 7/2/18...). Around 8am I decided to take a chair out to the back porch and wait.

And I waited...

And I waited.

It was a nice morning to be out in the fresh air. I sat and watched the sunlight slowly creep toward me. The moon in the southern sky also was beautiful. Plus, I couldn't leave--I felt like if I did, the jets would fly by at any moment. Because of their incredible speed, my window of filming opportunity was very small. Around 8:20am, I did a quick Siri search to see if the plane's schedule was on-line. Turns out, it was. A report in the Ogden Standard Examiner said the jets would be flying around between 9am and 11am.

Still, I sat and waited. Because I knew that even though it only takes a few minutes for the jets to reach almost any city on the Wasatch Front, if I left my chair at 8:45am, for example, the jets would fly majestically by at that very moment. And when I did go inside thinking I'll hear the planes, the sounds of large trucks hauling stuff up and down the mountain one street over tricked me several times in thinking I was missing it.

Finally, my patience paid off. Just after 9am, I heard the rumbling. I rushed outside, activated the video mode on my phone and recorded. Luckily, I was able to catch them as they returned to base. And since there's opposition in all things, I succeeded, but my wife did not. In an attempt to see the jets in person, my wife hurried outside. She bruised a muscle or damaged a tendon trying to get down the front steps in a hurry. She now has a fashionable boot as evidence of her zeal.

Next year--hopefully--the jets will again return to the sky to entertain and act as a reminder of their true calling. I plan on doing the same thing. I'm sure my wife will not. Happy Independence Day, everyone!