The Big Event--Thunder Over Michigan

Murphy and I were back in Michigan so that I could take my nephew, The Spud, and my father to Thunder Over Michigan 2012, an air show at Willow Run Airport. As an added bonus, my uncle--my father's brother--was able to come along, too. It was a family affair and a "Man Day" at the same time. And this air show was particularly manly in that everything that flew in it or was available for ground viewing was a Warbird, including twenty P-51 Mustangs, 11 of which were in the air at one time during part of the show. Also featured: Stearmans, Texans, P-47s, a P-38, a Corsair, B-25s, a B-17...and Fifi, the last flying B-29 left in the world.

Here's Fifi, just inside the gate. Forefront are my father (in the tan to the right) and his brother Tom (blue shirt, carrying the walker, to the left.) Spud is, as usual, bringing up the rear behind me.

The show also had an F-86, a Sea Harrier "jump-jet", military helicopters, and a land battle between American GIs and German soldiers fought just yards away from the spectators, complete with tanks and half-tracks on both sides. Personally, I was in aviation overload the whole day and I won't be able to do it all justice here...but I'll try. Just expect lots of plane and tank pics and other assorted manly macho gear over the next few days. Now I understand that that won't appeal to everyone because some people actually aren't into fighting aircraft and ground combat. So if that's not your thing, you might want to just click here for a while. Never let it be said that I don't respect the feelings of liberals on this site.