Picture Sunday

Hello, blogees. I'm home now from a fun-filled weekend in Cleveland. I did something I'd never done, never thought I'd do, and if it happened in my back yard, probably wouldn't have made the effort to do. I went to an air show.

Yes, the Big-Ass Cleveland Air Show was this weekend, and Mr M was itching to take me along with him. He's done it many, many times, since he was a kid and the Wright Brothers performed, and he wanted me to go along with him this time around.

The news? I had a great time. I really enjoyed it.

The other news? There will be no Acro tomorrow, but please do tune in, because Acro will be replaced by my own version of Picture Sunday. And that's because of the other other news.

And the other other news? Well, that's that tonight's Picture Sunday is being hijacked by Mr M with a story and accompanying footage that will not only knock your socks off (if you're wearing any, you layabouts), but will forever make you look at me in a different light (which can only be an improvement).

So take it away, Mr M!
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Howdy, folk.

As Bet has written, she and I decided that, because we had a long weekend, we’d take a trip to Cleveland to see the Cleveland Air Show.

In subsequent blogs, she’ll fill you in on all the other interesting things that went on yesterday—a day jamb-packed with excitement--but she thought it would be a good idea if I, Captain A, would tell you the story of the high point of the air show for her and me: one of those experiences that “just happens” to the virtuous.

It started as we were walking around the grounds looking at the aircraft.

Bet went somewhere or other to look at something on her own, or to get a drink, or go to the bathroom, or something like that, so I decided I’d wander around on my own for a bit. A few minutes after we parted, I got interested in the A10 Warthog plane, so I walked over to the display. There were a bunch of people packed tight near the plane, so I decided to see what was going on.

Turned out that there were a couple of the Army’s Golden Knights parachute team having a Coke before their next performance, and they were signing autographs.

Now, if you know Bet very well, you’ll know that, first, she’s not one to start a conversation with someone on her own, and second, she’s not very good at letting people know that she would like something, even if it’s a small thing. On the other hand, I never have a problem talking with strangers (even big-shots like these guys at the show), and I’m not ashamed to ask for favors. (All they could have said was “no.”)

When I saw them, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could arrange something special for Bet!”

Bet had said several times that she was really looking forward to seeing the Golden Knights, so I thought, “If she likes sky diving so much, what would be more special than to get her involved somehow in a Golden Knights performance!”

Never being one to shy away, as I said, I started a conversation with the two (Trevor and Rachel), and I put it to them! “My friend Bet can’t stop talking about the Golden Knights and sky diving, and I know nothing about sky diving, and she’s too shy to ask herself, so what are the chances you might take her up (and down) with you?” Well, Trevor said, “Let’s talk about it,” so he and I and Rachel wandered toward the C5.

Rachel said that they needed the answers to two questions before they could say yes or no: Trevor asked me, “Does she REALLY want to sky dive? I mean, does she REALLY REALLY want to?” and Rachel asked, “Does she play the clarinet?” Two affirmative answers clinched it. They said, “Great! Let’s get her over here!”

Not wanting to spring the surprise on her as soon as she came back, I suggested we go over to the C5 Galaxy cargo plane, and said that I though it would be cool if Trevor and Rachel, accompanied by two of the ground crew, waited inside the C5, and I’d bring her to them. (I wanted this to be a BIG surprise!) I’d bring Bet into the plane on the pretense of looking at the plane’s innards. (By then I could see her coming, but she was still far off.)

When she finally arrived, I lead her inside the C5, knowing that, because it was much darker inside the plane than out in the sun, it would take our eyes a minute or two to get used to the change, so Bet didn’t see the Golden Knights there until we were already inside.

Before Bet knew what was happening, Rachel walked up behind her and started strapping the chute harness on as Trevor extended his hand to her and said, “Bet, it’s going to be a pleasure to have you jump with us this morning!”

Bet got this blank look on her face and started trembling. She was obviously so excited that she was tongue tied. However, obviously struggling with the realization that a life-long dream was going to come true, she did manage to sputtered out, “I’m…going…to…do…what? …where?

A simple gesture made it clear to her:




















(That’s Trevor, pointing to the sky. Sorry about the lousy picture, but I was too excited to fix the camera, and there was no time for a re-take.)

Now Bet became completely speechless, and started shaking even more, but she was able to thank whatever power there is in the universe for giving her this gift. (It might seem as if she’s hiding because she went into a declivity in the cargo area where nobody could see her, but she just wanted to give thanks in private.):




















Bet’s legs were failing her by now, and she couldn’t get any better command of her emotions than to splutter and get teary, she was so happy and excited, so Trevor, Rachel, and the three guys on the ground crew picked her up and carried her to the jump plane.

(Oh, I forgot to mention that Trevor and Rachel would be accompanying Bet on the jump, but Bet would leave the plane first, and the other two would catch up with her later on because they still had three minutes owed them for their break.)

I went to my seat, and just as I realized that my chintzy little digital camera would hardly be adequate to document Bet’s performance, the team’s photographer, Cheryl, came up to me with a camera, tripod, and a 200mm-1000mm zoom lens. She said that she figured my camera wouldn’t do the job, so she’d make some photos for me! So not only would I have great still pictures, but I could use my own camera in “movie mode” to film the jump.

So, folks, here are the pictures, thanks to Cheryl. And what pictures they are!

Bet’s plane climbed to 1200 feet for the jump, checked the wind, and circled the field. As Bet was urged to the door, Cheryl made this photo of Bet in the doorway, ready to go:

















Cheryl got a great close-up of Bet's excited face as she was standing the plane's doorway.

















In fact, the camera and lens were so good that Cheryl was able to take another shot of this detail, showing that Bet wanted to do a really good job in front of the big crowd:

















Although the distance was too great for me to see what was happening, Cheryl said something like “They’re having trouble getting her out,” though I probably misunderstood her, but before I could ask her to repeat what she said, Cheryl said, "NOW she’s out," and took this photo:


















Her sky dive begun, Bet assumed the “gliding” posture:





















Note the gleeful expression on her face in the close-up that Cheryl took next:





















How can one person be that happy?

Bet, being somewhat of a show-off, and never willing to leave something alone without embellishing it, did this maneuver:





















After her jump, and before Bet rejoined me, I asked Cheryl what that maneuver is called, but she said she’d never seen it before—that it was something new, as far as she could figure.

I think Bet should call that “The Stinger.”

Anyway, Bet continued her performance until she reached 5000 feet. (Trevor and Rachel joined her at about 9000 feet, as you’ll see in the movie). Then her parachute opened:

























Here’s another close-up from Cheryl showing that Bet was still enjoying every second, and continued to do so until she finally landed and a truck brought her back to the seating area!:

























That’s it for now. There may be more pictures later, but I wanted you all to see these as soon as possible.

Thanks to Cheryl for these great photos. But these still photographs just don’t give justice to Bet and her first sky dive. Make sure you watch the movie! It’s thrilling, and you can hear Bet expressing her enthusiasm even through the wind noise and from such a great distance!

(Don’t say anything to her, please, but she was so popular among the Golden Knights that she’s going to be surprised by another group from the team, with parachute and harness, poised to buckle her up and sweep her off her feet for a trip in the friendly skies again. I’m told that this probably will happen sometime during the night so that nobody in the neighborhood is disturbed by Bet’s cries of happiness.)

Yours truly,

Captain A.

P.S. I’m sorry that the video doesn’t cover the whole performance, but I didn’t have much memory left in my camera. I’ll get the whole thing next time.



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Thanks, Mr M. What an assh - um, friend - you are. I read what you wrote, though. I'm keeping my doors and windows locked at night now. And don't think I don't remember how you suggested to me maybe I should try airplane wing-walking.

Happy week.

Betland's Olympic Update:
* As I said, be sure to stay tuned for more of our adventures in the Land of Cleves.