I've told this story before but it warrants retelling... Decades back,
the early 70's, the Thunderbirds were coming to Selfridge airbase for a
Sunday airshow... I was invited down to see them arrive on Firday
afternoon... Standing at the flight line the 'announcer' kept telling
everyone how they were so many minutes out over the lake and coming
from the east (over Lake St. Clair), then it was two minutes, then one
minute, "and keep a sharp eye out folks"... For whatever reason I got
suspicious and turned around and there they were coming from the west
in a battle line, tree top high and pedal to the metal... As they
flashed onto the airbase they lit the afterburners (F4 Phantom), and
went supersonic out over the lake, then stood on their tail and went up
out of sight through the cloud base... There were some really rattled
folks standing around and quivering for several minutes after their
pass... The concussion was strong enough it broke some windows on the
base, and you felt like someone had punched you in the chest... The
warm, kerosene wind blew paper and dirt all over the base... I loved
it..
That evening at the banquet the Major in charge of the base officially
welcomed them, said he had over 200 phone calls from Mt. Clemons
homeowners angry about their houses being rattled, " . . but it was
worth it! ." He got a standing ovation...

denny