I'll give the US credit for one thing, they certainly do know how to put on a good air show. Carol and I headed out to Andrews Air Force Base (about 20 min from home around the beltway) with Nikki to watch a few aircraft fly around the sky and also watch the USAF display team, the Thunderbirds put on their show.

We arrived about 8:30 in the morning and it was all happening from the moment we arrived. The list of aircraft doing demonstration flights that day was very impressive. They started with old pre-World War II aircraft, aerobatic displays, World War II aircraft and then into the jet age. Everything from old Sabers, A-10, F/A-18E Super Hornets, F-15, F-117, F-22 (which would have to be the best flying display I've ever seen) and finally topped off with the Thunderbirds.

Nikki was friends with one of the Thunderbird pilots (another Nicole - call sign FiFi) so we managed to have seats in the VIP section, right in the centre of the flying display. FiFi flies as the number three in the diamond formation. The Thunderbirds display was fantastic. They were very precise, with smooth transitions and there is something about a jet aircraft display team. We'll have to see the US Navy Blue Angels to compare.

The list of static display aircraft was just as impressive. Carol got to look through the massive C-5 and C-17 transport aircraft and Nikki gave her a quick lesson on the F-15E Strike Eagle. There were also an assortment of bombs and missiles (all inert) so I could try and explain what I did when working on the aircraft.

All in all a very impressive day.

FiFi's F-16 used in the Thunderbirds display	Harrier jet, which is capable of vertical take off and landing	An old B-17 Flying Fortress - same as that seen in the movie Memphis Bell	B-29 aircraft - used in the Doolittle raids on Tokyo
		P-51 Mustang - very impressive aircraft to see fly	Carol getting her lesson on the F-15E from Nikki	Adam in front of the F-22 - that's about as close as we could get otherwise the armed guards might get a little touchy
		Carol in front of the Joint Strike Fighter - Australia is looking to buy some of these in a few years time	Inside a C-5 transport aircraft	Carol and Nikki at the front of a very big aircraft - C-5
Inside a C-17 transport aircraft - Australia has just purchased four of these	F-22 - put on possibly the best flying display I've ever seen. This thing is extremely capable		What they call the heritage flight - P-51 Mustang in the front, F-15 on the left, F-22 on the right and A-10 at the back	F-117 stealth aircraft
FiFi is third from the left	Thunderbirds in close formation			Carol watching the going's on