It starts with my dad waking us up early on a Saturday morning with instructions to be ready in an hour. We would be somewhat groggy but excited about the day planned ahead. Peggy would have packed us a cooler filled with fried chicken, cookies, sandwiches and sodas for the long day. We would all pile in the station wagon (the kind with side panels) and off we go to current air show. We would arrive and pile out onto the hot tarmac and head towards the hangers where we would look at all the planes on display. Willis and my brothers would go over all the details of the various planes as I listened intently. Willis didn’t think girls would or should be interested in such things so I was left to entertain Chris. usually that meant that I would have to hold her hand and keep her in control of whatever she thought she was doing. Sometimes all of us would be able to sit in the cockpit and Willis would take our picture as we “flew the plane”. Then it was time for the actual air show with the little and slower planes first. Then the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds would perform. They were the highlight of the show: loud, fast and fabulous. We would squeal with delight at watching those planes go upside down at full speed or when they slow down to almost stop in mid-air. After the show we would stand in line and get autographs and pictures with the pilots. We always had a full day and we would all be talkative during the ride home. I always looked forward to the next one, although Willis would not want to us girls thinking that we were too much trouble and didn’t really enjoy the day. Now that I am older I realize how much of those days are still in me. I forced Bob out of the house when the Blue Angels fly into town and we sit on Alki Beach to watch them fly through the city. The next day we are on a hill off of Rainier Blvd. watching them practice. Thanks Pop for unknowingly giving the love of airplanes!
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