It rained a few times. We could hear thunder, and a couple of lightning bolts were spotted. I have an outline of two shoes on the back of my white pants. The kids had coats wrapped around their legs. The unlocked port-a-potty door I chose to open already had someone behind it. And the Timbits were sold out.
But beyond a doubt, we had a good time at the ‘Canadian Forces Day’ Air Show at Base Borden.
There is something absolutely amazing about watching pilots perform remarkable feats of flying in prop planes, jets and helicopters. Especially if you’re someone who gets motion sickness by simply driving to the event. The show opened with a remote-controlled Avro Arrow model plane. It was fun to watch but - shades of Diefenbaker’s ghost - it unfortunately crash landed.
Then The SkyHawks began their parachute jumps.
Parachute jumpers astound me. They step out of planes - that are moving -in the sky.
“I made a jump once,” I reminded my husband as we watched the jumpers.
“I love you,” he answered, “But missing the last step on the front stairs and hyperventilating into a paper bag for five minutes does not qualify as having ‘made a jump’. “
“Maybe. But the sense of freedom I felt as I plummeted towards our welcome mat will live with me forever.”
I learned some important things at the Air Show this year:
1. If you are surrounded by thousands of people at an outdoor event, it’s best to err on the side of caution when deciding whether or not to lock your port-a-potty door.
2. If you are sitting on your husband’s jacket and you decide to give it to your son because his legs are cold, think twice before assuming that your semi-wet shoes would be a good seating alternative.
3. It’s a good idea to listen carefully to the event announcer even if you are lined up for coffee and reeling from the realization that the Timbits have just sold out. That way if a CF-18 Hornet Fighter Jet suddenly flies overhead you will have had enough warning to pull the awning off the Tim Horton’s tent and jam it into your ears. CF-18’s are incredible but a little on the loud side.
4. There is nothing quite as tranquil as lying back and watching a glider perform ballet in the sky accompanied by the sounds of classical music - especially if you have a running commentary provided courtesy of your children.
“I don’t see it.”
“It’s right there.”
“That’s a bird.”
“Not the bird. The other thing up there.”
“I don’t see it.”
“The thing in the sky. I’m pointing right at it.”
“I don’t see it!”
“Let’s ask Mom if we can have another ice cream.”
5. If you can’t make out what’s on your digital camera’s preview screen when you angle it upwards, then there’s a pretty good chance that at least 50 per cent of the pictures and videos that you take will be of nothing but sky and possibly a little plane exhaust.
6. If you unthinkingly park at the furthest possible distance from the event site and afterwards realize that you need to move your van closer to your family, the military personnel running the event have seemingly endless patience for people with a tendency for excessive apologizing and a shaky grasp on exactly where they originally parked.
Thank you to Cpl. Nagra MP, Sgt. Thompson, and to Cpl. Pettit who had the added enjoyment of backing the van out for me when I realized that I didn’t have the mandatory three car lengths required for me to squeeze out of a parking spot.
Thanks to all at Base Borden for a wonderful day.
