Last week, I read an article in the local newspaper about an historical display that begins at noon today in my town and concludes two days from now. I have never seen one of these items in person in my life, but I have seen many, many, many of them on TV and in books since I was a kid. I have fantasized most of my life about seeing one in person. I remembered this event again yesterday and was thinking about going, but I had once again forgotten all about it this morning.
About twenty minutes ago (which was right at noon), I was sitting at my computer here in my basement. I had the world completely tuned out because I was concentrating on the task at hand. Suddenly, I heard an airplane approaching the house. This is not too terribly uncommon since our small airport (which caters only to small planes) is only about five or six miles east-northeast of my house, and Denver is southwest of my house; but the sound of that plane snapped me out of my trance so quickly you wouldn't believe it.
I said out loud to myself, "Oh my God! That's it!"
I knew the sound of that plane by heart even though I had never heard one in person in my life. I jumped out of my desk chair and ran to the window.
And there it was! Flying low right in front of my house!
A fully restored World War II B-17 bomber!
This very plane!
It is named "Sentimental Journey" and is one of the very few fully restored B-17s in the world that still actually flies. Even though this isn't an uncommon route for airplanes to take to the local airport, it certainly isn't the only route. I couldn't believe it actually flew right past my house on the way to the local airport.
I only caught a glimpse of it through the window. I could have seen it really well if I had only stood still and watched, but I didn't. I wanted to film it!
I knew I would be too late in getting outside, but I still quickly grabbed my new Canon ZR-700 digital camcorder, unzipped its bag while running to the front door (trying to remain calm enough not to fumble the unzipping process), and ran outside. By the time I started filming and had barely reacquainted myself with the On, Record and Zoom buttons, the plane was already too far away to capture its features very well (and the video quality of my new camcorder stinks, which is very depressing). Here are two images of the plane just before it disappeared behind the apartment building next door and one image just after it reappeared behind the building. I'm sure the history lovers among you will still be able to recognize that very familiar outline.
[P.S. Even though the video quality of my camcorder royally stinks, it does an amazing job of importing old VHS videos, so I couldn't bring myself to return it for a refund because that's why I really wanted it.]
[Update 6-10-08: Here is the local newspaper's story on this plane. Several press people got to take the first ride in it yesterday. I shall have more later.]
