When I was a kid (8-9 years old,) my dad took me to see the Thunderbirds, the USA Air Force's demonstration squadron. They put on a great show, but the moment that sticks with me, the moment that ingrained a love of speed and raw power in my then tiny head was when they disappeared in the distance. Everyone was spectating in the same direction, waiting for them to come back, and about 3-4 minutes later they did... flying from BEHIND us, directly over our heads. They were obviously higher, but it felt like I could have reached up and touched them. They flew over in what felt like silence; what followed a couple seconds later was the sound of the roar of their jet engines that rippled throughout my body. That feeling was (is) utterly indescribable.
I got to meet them afterwards and got my program autographed. I recall shaking their hands and feeling like I was touching Superman; they weren't real to me; humans couldn't be THAT amazing. My dad says I was too star struck to talk to them, but I couldn't stop staring at them. I wish that experience would have led to a passion and drive to join the Air Force, but they were so completely beyond my comprehension, it seemed impossible. I mean, how can a mere human train to be a god?
To this day, I have a love and awe for jets. Thank you for sharing this.
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