Men in their amazing flying machines

Many, many years ago when we visited an airshow there was a crash and it just left the most unpleasant memories. Not just the horror of the crash but how it changed the mood of every spectator, how we all just wanted to leave, to escape what we had witnessed and how it took hours to get out of the resulting traffic chaos. When they showed it on the News that evening you realised that it's not just information that you can accept was an event of the day.

So, every year since I want to go to the airshows but don't. However, I love planes, I enjoy flying. I imagine how incredible the feeling must be to race through the sky, to go in this direction and that, to try to touch the moon and then plunge to earth but knowing at which second to turn the plane away from gravity. 

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that we went to the Rand Airshow on Sunday.
At the entrance we used they had the field they were using for the helicopter flips. Why would we not. I have flown in helicopters before, to art direct photographic shoots and had enjoyed it.
This was a 2 minute flip to the farthest edge of Germiston Lake and back. Wonderful, until we hovered in one spot for a moment and then made a sharp, I mean sharp, turn right to return. I was wearing a seat belt but I still put my hand out against the door to steady myself, to prevent myself from falling in the pilot's lap, and to settle the contents in my stomach. I think I might even have started a prayer. Ha ha, wow, yes. Of course, once my feet were firmly on the ground again I could say it was a wonderful experience.

A thousand kiosks selling food, drink, hats, bags, biltong, shirts and slushy and at the end of these an exhibit of some planes. The Harvard was my favourite.

Then the show started. The planes went up, up, up, up, they came down, upside down. They flew in formation and at one another, on their sides, they did all sorts of incredible things and made it look effortless. The crowd gasped and was in awe. Cameras and cellphones pointing skywards to capture the wonderful displays. I took 397 photographs and won't be sharing them all here. Thankfully, I hear you say.