Monday, May 23, 2005

You don't see THAT every day...

With the warmer weather upon us in the DC metro area there are often imprompteau neighborhood gatherings. This evening , for instance, Jeannine picked me up at the metro station. As we were unloading the kids from the car we ran into a couple down the street and their two boys. While Sebastian was running up and down the sidewalk with Evan and Davis and Jeannine and I spoke with Ken and Athena there was suddenly the very distinct sound of a military jet on afterburners. Once you hear the sound you never forget it and will not mistake it for a civilian/commercial airplane. I looked around and suddenly there appeared a grey angular shape hustling through the sky south to north. An F-16. About 15 seconds later a second jet appeared. We watched them fly off in the distance and then circle back around. This is not TOO unusual as we live fairly close to the flight path to Andrews AFB. I've seen two F-117s flying in formation, several C-17s, a few C-5s and a fair amount of F-16s. So, not completely unusual but worth looking up. The odd part was the afterburners.

Then we saw the Cessna.

The F-16s circled it like sharks around a bleeding surfer.

Then we we saw one of the F-16s line up on the Cessna and fire a flare. A very bright flare. The Cessna began to change its course and was escorted by the two F-16s out of our view. We suspected that there was a pair of pants that needed changing at 2000 feet.

About 10 or so minutes later we again heard the roar of the jets flying back down south towards DC. At the same time a MD State Police helicopter flew north over our houses in the direction it appeared the F-16s escorted the Cessna. Somebody was not going to make it home for dinner.

posted by Anonymous, 8:45 PM

3 Buffaloes were bitter enough to post comments:


Blogger Bill Purdy, said:
Wow! Great account!

On one hand, things like this make it seem you're really fortunate to be living in DC. On the other hand, things like this make you realize it's kinda scary to be living in DC.

Are you going to tell everyone how you saw Gang of Four in DC, too?
...on May 24, 2005 8:59 AM  

Blogger Bill Purdy, said:
I wait. With bated breath.

As do we all.
...on May 24, 2005 10:09 AM  

Blogger Pat Angello, said:
Suddenly, having a police helicopter hovering over your house with a search light in you back yard at midnight doesn't seem so bad! Maybe we should keep the house?
...on May 27, 2005 10:05 AM  

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