Up in the air, I fly

Last Saturday I checked out the Avalon Air Show. It was terribly cold the whole day - but well worth the effort. Flying still takes my breath away.



It was amazing to see what you can do with a plane - I really thought that they were going to crash during many of their death-defying stunts. One of the planes looked like a flying brick - doing barrel rolls and loops over and over - before landing virtually on a 5 cent piece.

I think I learned something about planes - for example, that there are some planes through which you can 'cut' to make an emergency exit, that some have a special toilet just in case the plane crashes, and (assuming it is intact) you need to 'go' while you're waiting to be rescued. There are planes that are still in service, having been used since the stone ages (almost); and then there are planes that are specially designed killing machines - costing $2000 per second for a round of bullets.



There was one thing struck me, amid the constant whirring and screaming of various aircraft flying overhead. It was the thought that for us Australians these sounds mean security in an unpredictable world (at least we think we're secure). But what if those sounds were not welcome, if hearing those meant you had to run for cover because the Americans were coming? What if that sound was the same sound you heard before you once lost a loved one? The helicopters looked a lot more menacing as I stood and thought these thoughts...

Overall, it was a good day, especially since I got to hang out with my friends and relax.