Those Magnificent Men And Their Flying Machines

To finish off Monday - after some errands and food, we visited the Naval Aviation Museum. I think it was the first time for Nathan and Caleb.




It seems getting older, for me, means finding information and history more and more interesting. Mike and I were here with our High School senior trip to Gulf Shores nearly a decade ago. The most notable thing at the time was the simulator rides and cool jets. Mike and I checked it out again during my visit last year and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This year, I was more plastered to the plaques and informational videos than ever.




One of the computer games I was plastered to when I was younger was called "Pacific Strike". A World War II flight simulator game about the naval air conflict with the Japanese. While it was definitely entertaining because of the shoot'em up action, I also gleaned alot of information. Alot of facts and uses of the fleet of planes used by American and Japanese forces, as well as a little bit of flight tactics and campaign plans.

Above was a picture of my favorite bomber, the "Avenger". Below is the awesomest fighter plane of the war, the Corsair. The same plane mentioned in Piper's book this week for Bible study! With six machine gun barrels, air to ground missiles and one of the fastest top speeds at the time.



The U.S.S. Enterprise scale models.


This was the first time I took the outdoor trolley tour. An experienced and enthusiastic retired navy officer deluged us with information about the history and use of all of the decommissioned planes sitting outside. Alot of them were really interesting, but I took pictures of all of them regardless, for Dad. Sorry about the quality.




Did you know that fighter planes, like the ones the blue angels use, first spend a year on aircraft carriers because of the extreme beating they get there? Then, after a major overhaul, are used on the ground until a certain amount of hours and wear are met. Then the blue angles get them before eventually being decommissioned and scrapped.

While information was much more interesting, I was met with one of the difficulties that comes with getting old with children (borrowed from a couple who has them). Nate and Caleb required extra attention to accommodate the short attention span of a child. They were very well behaved, but you can't just drag them along, because you want them to get something out of it too! It's enjoyable in it's own way, but it still makes me appreciate the sacrifices Mom and Dad probably made on many trips, especially the one to Washington D.C.!

When we got home, the fam took a walk around the hood. Mike will have been with the Air Force ten years when he gets out this May, and they have taken care of him quite well during his career. He bought alot of my food during the visit, but I didn't thank him much since it was technically my money anyway :-) Just kidding.

Mike and Holly were some of my first High School friends to have children, and they have been my first and best examples of the joys/difficulties in raising kids in a God-fearing home. Here's how you carry a child.


Knowing now how important maturity with a good sense of humor and sarcasm are to me in my friendships, it's no wonder we've been such good friends. His oldest, Nate, gets along with it pretty well too. It'll be interesting to see how he turns out :-) But seriously, Mike and Holly are great with their kids. I don't consider myself very quick minded or hard-working and watching Mike keep Nate on his toes with questions, observations and jokes is inspiring. If kids ever become a part of my life, I won't be able to zone out mentally all the time like I do now. Mike and Holly are quite on the ball with their kids. It takes hard work at keeping a kid's mind sharp to keep them from conforming to our world's shallow standards, and Mike and Holly do not waste the sharp minds God gave them when it comes to their children. It's like using Gilmore Girl wit for something other than entertaining yourself. Not that that show does that great with it. Speaking of though, Holly does have every season of Gilmore Girls and at least a couple episodes will be watched.


Later, Mike and I hit a bowling alley/pool hall and then a movie.