Six Jet Airplanes - Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky

Today was the Navy's Blue Angels exhibition at the United States Naval Academy - one of the scheduled activities that are a part of Commissioning Week for the Class of 2010. It seems like a good part of the Annapolis community shows up for the display. The photograph to the left tells it all - a mixture of families of soon-to-be Marine Second Lieutenants and Navy Ensigns.... proud family from Maryland, Hawaii, California, Colorado, Oregon, North Carolina.... a mixture of veterans from World War II, Vietnam, the Global War on Terror.... and even an Air Force Academy graduate and Army Tomb Guard thrown in for balance.
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It was a good day for watching. Six jet airplanes zipping by, as if the sky was made for them to slip between sheets of air overhead. A place and time when necks strain and eyes squint and mouths ooohh's and aaahhh's as the groans of turbine engines spin while burning kerosene as the blue and gold-trimmed darts are thrusted forward at imaginary targets in the sky that no one but the pilots see - a celestial heads up display.

There will be 232 Naval Pilots from the the Class of 2010, with an additional 80 Naval Flight Officers (back-seaters like Goose in Top Gun). It is fun to hear the stories from the Midshipmen about their experiences attaining their dreams, and a bit of a shared let-down when disappointments hits - not getting their selection choice to fly or being disqualified for one reason or another after touching it for a short time. Regardless, I appreciate having the opportunity to shake a hand and say "congratulations." They are all rock stars in their own ways - like the heavy metal and rock bands' music playing during the Blue Angel demonstration. What a privilege to have been able to meet them and follow their progress over these past four years. It's was a beautiful day.