Saturday was airshow day, so be prepared for lots of photos of aircraft. After last year where it rained so heavily in the preceding week they canceled the show due to flooded car parks - I mean fields - (and you need a lot of them) - there was an air of excitement in our household all week. This airshow celebrated NATO's 60th Anniversary and the airshow was a " showcase display of aircraft that represent not only the wide variety of tasks NATO performs, but also illustrate its past, present and future". The "occasion was marked by aircraft and aircrew from around the globe coming together to make a spectacular tribute to the core values of NATO: freedom, democracy and security. The Air Tattoo charted the chronology of NATO's 60 year history, illustrating its political and military growth alongside its crisis management and peace keeping involvement in the Korean War, Cold War, Kosovo and the current War on Terror...
Anyway, while Harry was busy taking photos of this aircraft spectacular I was doing some thinking. A while ago I put in a blog that someone had classified people who went to English beaches, so to pass the time and give me some fun that is what I tried to do this weekend while Harry was busy taking photos closer to the action. So, according to me those that buy tickets to the airshows can be classified into the 3 "S's".
SERIOUS - big on photography if the size of some of their cameras is anything to go by and seriously keen on aircraft (they are the ones that get there first to stand on the flight path - or wish they had got up earlier), they rarely sit down, eat between flights, see most of the show through the eye of their camera, and very rarely murmur a word to others. There is varying degrees of seriousness (from very serious to extremely serious) and this is generally shown by the size of their cameras, and how much they eat during the day, but they all know the names of aircraft, when they did or did not see action, and are totally focused on 'aircraft spotting' for the day.
SUPPORTERS - they come with the serious, and could be partners, friends, sons and daughters, aunts and uncles - they sort of having a passing interest in planes but not as dedicated as the Serious. If they have young children they spend most of their time watching the planes from the sidelines of the merry go rounds and simulators, buying food or wandering the craft stalls. If they came with only a 'serious' they have the luxury of a peaceful day (there is no one to interupt the reading of a magazine or books, the crossword or sudoko, the drinking of a coffee or 40 winks in the chair. They usually come armed with chairs, chilly bags, thermoses, blankets and perhaps a tent and umbrellas - prepared for all weather and for a long day.
SOCIALISERS - they usually come in a group and enjoy raising their eyes to the skies sometimes to see the planes, but only with a beer and burger in their hands, or perhaps a picnic lunch and a cup of tea but many don't come that prepared - content to spend money on food and drink and what ever amuses them. They enjoy watching the planes, have some interest in what they are seeing but it is just as important to chat to a group of friends and it really is an excuse for a day out.
So, I guess it is easy to classify Harry and me into one of the groups - I'll leave it up to your imagination. The day went reasonably fast, was really quite cold and windy at times, but thankfully the rain stayed away. I spent some of my time 'cloud watching' again quite impressed at the cloud formations (when asked by friends a while ago about my fascination for the clouds 'We thought you would have got the same clouds formations at home', I wished I had been quick enough to say 'No, never seen a cloud before I came to England'). So, Harry took 761 photos of aeroplanes and I took about 10 of the sky (vaguely frustrated when a plane got in the way) and sang all day the Joni Mitchell song ...And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
from up and down
and still somehow it's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all.
And just when I thought I had managed to convince everyone that Kiwis were pretty normal I read this...'Airlines are coming up with novel ways to get passengers to listen to their safety briefings these days. One video uses kids as flight attendants while another raps the instructions, but Air New Zealand takes the cake with a video of flight attendants wearing only body paint! So you may be in for a surprise next time you fly...' and for anyone who hasn't flown recently by one of the best airlines in the world - its true - I looked at the videos on the web (along with the other 4.3 million viewers). They have made them into a series of ads which I am sure kiwis and probably aussies will be treated to over the coming months - anyway be prepared cos there is a certain song that will stick under your skin...its a different arrangement to the one Frank Sinatra sang - much catchier ...Ive got you under my skin
Ive got you deep in the heart of me
And then soon, there is another one the world's first Matchmaking Flight in October when a flight leaves LA full of singles bound for Auckland for the Great Matchmaking Ball. The airline will help with the introductions by linking you up on their website and at the ball - a novel dating game I guess and quite cheap for $780. And I guess the words on the back of someone's teeshirt at the air show kind of goes with the 'singles flight' ie 'Without attitude you are the bait'.
Sunday, it rained - all those black clouds on Saturday I guess had to dump the water somewhere but a bit of a pity it was on those attending the Sunday airshow on that day. We hoped to go to the Banksy exhibition but forgot about the tenacity of the English in all weathers (the queue on a very wet Sunday was longer than on other days). So we had a bite to eat down at the floating dock (in the sun), went to the library (books and dvd day), and then ran to the car (when it bucketed down). In the afternoon while it rained and the sun shone intermittently we settled down with a packet of pineapple lumps (it is so annoying that we always have to cut the last one in half) and watched 'Days of Glory' a war story about the Algerians fighting for the French during the Second World War. They fought on the same side but like so many nationalities didn't have the same treatment (eg different food, no promotions and less priveleges) and once the war was over weren't entitled to pensions since Algeria was requesting independence from France. It finished with an 80 year old man, sitting in a little bedsit contemplating his life and wondering what the point of his friends dying was. Very sad.
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