Wild Blue Yonder
Today was the Kuwait show of military might. No sandstorm, thanks be to God. Somehow, I had thought yesterday was Wednesday and thought how sad it was it would have had to be cancelled. When I woke up today and realized it was Wednesday, I could hardly wait.
Just the sound of the roaring jets gives me a grin. I once lived near a huge airbase, and we lived with the sound day and night. It never bothered me. I always knew these were men and women who sacrificed their lives to serve their country in a profession that looks a lot more glamorous than it is. Flying can be exciting, but it can also be very tedious. You are away from your family for long hours. It gets old. They persevere.
The young men and women chosen to fly these fighter planes have to have superior physical condition and reflexes. Think about you and the car your daddy gave you – it may be expensive, but it didn’t cost billions. These planes do. It’s an amazing responsibility, a privilege and an honor to be selected.
Bu Yousef, tell your friend he was supposed to waggle his wings when he flew by so I would know which one he was! 😉
Macaholic, it was a little hazy, but the attack helicopters are for you. 🙂
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You might be too young to remember this, but when I was growing up and TV stations “signed off” at night (maybe KTV still does?), they used to recite “High Flight” to video of a fighter plane. Your photos reminded me of it:
High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air….
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
The sonnet has a fascinating history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gillespie_Magee,_Jr.#High_Flight
PS – do women fly fighter jets in Kuwait? I don’t think so, but maybe I’m wrong.
DG
in kuwait Women only fly their porsches down the highway
LOL, Purg.
Desert Girl, I didn’t live in my own country a lot of my life. I have NEVER heard that poem, but I have heard references to it. I love it. It thrills my heart, especially the line about dancing the skies on laughter-silvered wings, I love it.
Some countries have females fighter pilots – I know the US does. 🙂 I think maybe Qatar does. Maybe a couple in Jordan . . .
Daggero – LOL – I thought mostly they are driving Lexus.
intlxpatr ;
i think if my memory serves me right the first line of the poem was used (after slight modification )
by President Reagan in an eulogy speech honoring the crew members of the space shuttle challenger who were killed in the explosion .
Yes, you are absolutely right, Daggero. I read the Wikipedia piece Desert Girl recommends – it has been used a lot! It’s like a Space anthem! It says all first year students at the Air Force Academy are required to learn the entire poem by heart, and it has been put to music several times. It’s a fabulous piece, isn’t it?
I think all US military aviators know this poem. It is certainly used in many of their ceremonies involving aviators and particularly at their funerals.
Man, that makes me miss home and sitting out in the yard and watching the jets and choppers fly over.
And the smell of aviation fuel . . . welcome, Bry 🙂