The recent crash at Reno reminded me of the first and only time I took my wife to an air show.
This was at Sussex Airport in northwest NJ. A small local field in 1982, I am guessing the year.
When I say Sussex was small, I mean small. We all set up chairs in the grass along the runway and watched the show, right in front of us, almost over us and sometimes right on the runway as the Flying Farmer would land his Cub on a flatbed truck.
The show started with the Army Golden Knights parachute drop, with a couple T6's circling them.
As the chutes and the planes get lower, the T6's are getting louder, props are popping at times, I hear my wife say, "This is dangerous."
"What?" is my snappy reply.
"This is dangerous and I want to leave now!"
Now I never once thought of danger while at an air show, I am too mesmerized by the sights and sounds. I was flabbergasted.
"Leave?! The show just started!", I point out while pointing up at a T6 right overhead.
"I want to leave now."
We left, she was scared and it was not fair to subject her to that type of situation.
Thinking about my wife's fear made me realize that, heck yeah air shows are dangerous. Did I stop going? Heck no.
Not trying to make any kind of a point really. Just telling a tail about seeing the world through anothers eyes.
