Salute To Veterans Air Show

I took my family to the Salute to Veterans Air Show at the Columbia Regional Airport south of Columbia, Missouri this morning. It was already warm when we arrived at 10:30 am, and the parking was becoming less ample. After a short hike, we made it onto the tarmac, set our lawn chairs down, and went for even more of a stroll to gawk at the sleeping aircraft. We saw bi-planes of the Great War, magnificent fighters and bombers of WWII, and modern helicopters, fighters, and jumbo jets used for mid-air refuelling, reconnaisance, troop transport, etc. Among this menagerie of might and terror which keeps us free were the A-10, MH-53, P-51, B-25H, and P-38. Here are a few photos of the magnificent and terrifying instruments of death and freedom I took at the event:

After an impressive series of parachuting maneuvers by Canadian troops, an A-10C from Tuscon put on an exhibition of its flying capabilities, followed by an even more awe-inspiring F/A-18 Hornet...a very loud one.

One interesting moment that could have or should have been made even more interesting occurred during the A-10's show. A couple of leftovers from the 1960's went strolling through the large crowd of spectators wearing placards which read: "Who Would Jesus Bomb?"

Funny

The interestingness quotient was kept low by this author's restraining his profound urge to walk up to them to answer their question thusly: "People...who want...to kill...you..." and then saying, probably half-facetiously, "maybe," probably.
I don't know if anyone else even noticed them, all attention was fixed upon the skies.

Today, I pass along my feeble thanks to our airmen who very powerfully keep us free.