Planes and propellers

Last Sunday was an air show at the local airport.  We went with Yasha and Eden and their mom and had a wonderful time.  Picture lots and lots of old planes, kids everywhere, and military personnel dressed to the nines for the 9/11 commemoration.

We stood as close to this one as we could.  Ari didn't like the noise, but Xander was in love.

Jonathan and Xander went on the tour of the B-17 vintage plane.  

Posing with the propeller.

A little overwhelmed with the close quarters and multiple levels of the plane.

Looking back after the tour.

It's serious plane week: last year, for Jonathan's birthday, Jeffrey and I got him a certificate for a two-hour private flight lesson.  It was forgotten about for over a year, but yesterday he flew!  It was gorgeous out, but really windy.

Note my hair, completely wind-blown to one side.

Pre-flight check.

Waving goodbye before take-off.

Closing up.

My artsy shot of the plane starting to taxi, taken in the door of the flight center.  

Ari and I spent the hour and a half of the flight checking email and talking to Nicole L. (hi, Nicole!).  Jonathan, on the other hand, did a couple touch-and-go landings in this airport and one a few suburbs up, did two high-G 180 degree-turns, a pull-up, a full stall and recovery, and basically flew it insanely crazily with the pilot's express approval.

And last but not least - today was a divide and conquer day.  I went to Nicole R.'s senior sermon and service at HUC, and Jonathan and Xander went to Comic-Con Cincinnati.  He did not want to go home to nap.

It's a bad picture because his face is crumpling about to cry, but I wanted a picture of him wearing his big brother shirt, given to him as a gift from the president of my last student pulpit.

Later today we schmoozed with Rachael and Danyul, and took a long walk to the park in the sunshine.  And tomorrow it's off to see Thomas the Train!  I love full weekends.