St. Louis Air Show, other activities

Our high flying mission comes to an end with four of us senior couples having been dispersed to fly our separate ways

Mission report. This morning we reported our mission to Mongolia to the High Council. They will set a date for a take fireside/devotional where we will put on an evening program for church members and guests. It will  probably be sometime during the 2nd weekend of June.

Lots of work projects. We have been busy helping with yard projects, table refurbishing and staining, and clearing out the honeysuckle trees and bushes from the forest behind our daughter and son-in law's home.

We need to be busy and helpful and we've found a few ways of doing that for our two daughters and their families that live in St. Louis.

Besides preparing a garden, I restacked their firewood and cleaned up a fire pit area

We do some timely babysitting, mow lawns, attend children's events such as band concerts and softball games


12 year old granddaughter Mariah just hit a single

Spirit of St. Louis Airport's 50th year celebration. One big treat was attending the US Navy's Blue Angels Air Show held to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the airport.

Over 25,000 people came to the Air Show

Crowds along the flight line

This B-25 attracted a lot of attention

There was a Veteran's Motorcycle club to lead the parade

We sang the National Anthem to start the show. This flag was supported by a giant crane.

We spent the morning looking at the military exhibits, STEM booths (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and vintage aircraft on display.

Chase donning the body armor and fighting gear

Alec ready for combat

Two boys enjoying themselves

The children could operate this robotic photography spy device 

Alec riding in an armored Humvee

The Air Show begins. In the afternoon, we enjoyed the Air Show culminated by the Blue Angels performance of precision flying.

The Blue Angels were started after World War II as a recruitment device to attract pilots to Naval aviation. 

In the diamond formation, the wing to cockpit separation is 18 inches

Echalan formation

We've seen the Blue Angels perform once before as well as the USAF Thunderbirds. It's been a long time and it was like seeing them for the first time.

Wow!!! What a show. I was fortunate to get some good photographs of some of their maneuvers. 

Art in the sky

There were three stunt pilots who displayed their aerobatic skills and several World War II planes. 

Also Army Aviation Skydivers put on a demonstration of a Viet Nam era simulated helicopter rescue flight as a warm up for the Blue Angels.

The Blue Angels will perform in 35 cities this spring and summer and give 55 performances. The Blue Angels consist 6 F-18 Hornet planes and an additional demonstration of a C-130 Hercules cargo plane.

Not to be outdone by the stunt pilots, the Blue Angels tried some dangerous stunts of their own.

Landing gears up or down as the case may be

Two planes flying upside down in formation

Two planes making a knife pass in mid-air

The margin of error is very slim. Don't try this at home without parental supervision. Darlene wondered what it would be like to be the mother of one of these pilots.