Beauty has a name - and it is Raptor!

Today I actually went out into the big wide world! I attended the Mustangs & Legends air show at Rickenbacker AFB. Having grown up as an Air Force "brat" from birth until I graduated high school, I have been to countless air shows. I really love them! Today's was bittersweet for me, however.

I had not been to an air show in many years before today, and certainly not since my father and mother had divorced. Being around all those Air Force men/women really reminded me of him and the life I used to know. It felt so weird for him not to be there with me. I told one Air Force guy who was handing out bags of promo stuff about my Dad being a "lifer" - meaning he retired from the service - and he told me to go home and give him a hug. I just smiled and said I would, but I knew I wouldn't be doing that any time soon...considering I haven't seen the SOB in 10 months. But I digress...

Today I brought my children to their very first air show. I was eager for them to fall in love with the beautiful air craft, to fall under the spell of the military and to appreciate something that meant so much to me in my youth. They did enjoy it for the most part, but they complained about the heat and the jets being too loud. They also ended up getting lost and having to go to the missing kids tent - but we were quickly reunited thank goodness! At the end of the day, they both gave it a thumbs up though. So that made me happy to be able to give them that memory. It also made me sad to know that even if Brandon fell head over heels in love with the idea of becoming a pilot or military man - he couldn't due to his Type 1 diabetes. Maybe Meaghan will give it a shot?

When I was a teenager, all I wanted in the world was to be in the Air Force like my Dad. I was determined to become a pilot...and not just any pilot, but a fighter pilot. I would fly the F-15 E. I took a flying lesson, joined the Civil Air Patrol and even began the lengthy and difficult application process to the Air Force Academy! But when I graduated in the late 80's, women were still not allowed to be in combat, so I was told that I could join the service but I would never be the fighter pilot I dreamt of becoming. Faced with that truth, I decided I couldn't join. I'd never be happy settling for something else. I regret that decision.

Today, women are allowed to serve in combat roles. One of my heroes is Maj. Nicole Malachowski. She was the first women to fly with the US Thunderbirds (#3)! That could have been me. I watched her get into her F-16 today with a mixture of pride and envy. I made sure to point her out to my kids. She is a real pioneer. I wish I could say that I got to meet her, but I was too busy searching for my lost kids to get the opportunity. It didn't matter though because just being there and watching her take the skies was enough.

Today, brought with it a big surprise! Since the mid-eighties I have been a one plane woman...the F-15 E was the only one "good enough" for me. Then I had the privilege of seeing the new F-22 Raptor in flight. Holy Crap! Had I been a man - it would have produced an instant hard-on! LOL Seriously though, it is the most awesome piece of air craft I've ever seen - and that's saying a lot. I'm in love. I'm going to post a You Tube video of it in action after this posting. Take a minute to watch it. You'll not regret seeing it's beauty.

Maybe this post will surprise some of you...I'm not usually a person one might assume is "pro-military". Truthfully, though, I have a lot of respect for those who serve in the military. I love the US Air Force and always will. This does not mean that I support the war or all of that, but I am pretty patriotic when it comes to supporting our troops. For me, that means bringing them home - alive. Today was like coming home for me. I didn't realize how much I missed it.