Born and grew up here, and now I'm back. Saw/heard Hustlers crack a bedroom window going supersonic.
Saw the MITO take-offs. One BUFF after another, water injection on, roaring. I was probably 6, standing in my back yard, fingers in my ears, spring in the air, and feeling my chest cavity viberate from the sound.
And they were smokey, back in the day.
I did wind up in the AF eventually. TAC, not SAC, first time around.
/johnny
bump johnny #9.
Most amazing thing I ever saw there was a British Vulcan bomber in the ‘83 airshow. It performed maneuvers I never believed possible in an aircraft of its class.
Same story for me, except with B-36s.
I visited a childhood friend after he enlisted in the Air Force. As A kid he was always fascinated by my bedroom ceiling because it was festooned with model airplanes. I got real sick when I was young with scarlet fever and then soon after chicken pocks and then some nasty coughing sickness. My mom to keep me entertained and quiet would sit at a table near my bed and build all these wonderful model airplanes. One of favs was the gigantic B52. I like it so much I would get mom to take it down just so I could hold it (took both hands)
My air force fried remembered my love of the BUFF and when I visited took me to where I could observe a B52 starting up and then taking off. I asked why we were so far away And can't we get closer. (IIRC about 60 yards or so) He informed me weren't allowed to get closer and besides YOU DON"T WANT TO BE CLOSER. In a few minutes I understood why.
I've seen and heard some awe inspiring Loud events Rock Concerts, a Live Fire Exercise at a tank training area. Even got to see a live fire exercise of a destroyer and a ship defense system called the R2D2. And then there is the memorable Goal Line stand in Cleveland Stadium when the Browns held the Bengals on four consecutive downs. (I could have fired a 12 gauge right next to my wife's ear and she would never have heard it because of the crowd noise. It was feral in nature, the combined voices of 80,000 people in a rage.) BUT nothing comes close to that sound I FELT from the B52 when it got to full on startup of all those engines and then taxied out and hit the thrust!
Its one of those things you can't explain. You just have to experience it and when you tell another who has also went through it they nod knowingly.