Today we attended the Luke Air Force Base Open House which included an amazing air show. The base hosts this event every other year, and we were lucky enough to get to see it. The weather couldn’t have been better. It was overcast which kept the temperatures in the 70s and made it easier to look up into the sky. It wasn’t too cloudy to see the planes perform.
They estimated that about 200,000 people would attend. The event was free, but parking was very limited so there was little choice but to pay $10 for parking. After quite a long walk, we got to the runways where the show was held. There were many planes on display to look at and tour.
The airshow started at 11:00 am and lasted until 4:00 pm. We brought our little stools to sit on and found a place close to the main viewing area to sit.
Sixty year old Chuck Aaron is the only pilot licensed by the FAA to perform aerobatics in a helicopter. I would have never believed a helicopter could fly upside down and do rolls.
This is an F-22 fighter jet. Wow, was it loud!
They called this the Heritage Flight. It represented planes from different eras in the history of the Air Force.
The Army’s Golden Knights Parachute Team put on quite an amazing demonstration. It’s unbelievable that they can land on a small x on the ground. They jump out of the plane at 12,500 feet where it is zero degrees and winds were 50 mph. They fall at about 120 mph until they open their chute. What a rush that must be. No thanks!!
But, the highlight of the show was definitely the Air Force Thunderbirds. The precision of these pilots is incredible.
Here are a few shots of them in action. I didn’t get the best shots. They’re so fast!
On Saturday we attended a baseball game between the Brewers and the LA Dodgers at Camelback Ranch Park in Glendale, AZ. It’s a huge facility where the Dodgers and White Sox train during spring training. It was built 3 years ago. It was the biggest crowd we’ve seen so far with over 12,000 in attendance. The game ended in a tie after 10 innings. After that, they quit playing.
They had some very interesting landscaping around the park. There were many stone walls all around made out of chain link fence boxes with rocks inside. I’ve never seen that before.
I’ll leave you with a picture of Saturday’s Super Moon. It was party cloudy so it wasn’t the best full moon I’ve ever seen. However, since the media hyped it so much, I have to put in a picture. After all, the moon won’t be this close to earth again for another 18 years.
This quote was in the RV Workers on Wheels Newsletter today. It made me think of all the people who told us they could never do what we’re doing because of all the what ifs. What if you get sick, what if it doesn’t work out, etc. etc. As I told them, it’s a calculated risk we’re willing to take. We refuse to live in fear.
Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death. ~ James F. Byrnes
