Have you ever wondered what living in the middle of nowhere sounds like? It is a quiet unlike anything you've ever experienced. It is a world completely devoid of manmade noise. Except on those occasions when the choppers come to visit.
Imagine my surprise the first time I awoke to the thumpa thumpa thumpa in the middle of the night. What the f*?%!?
Turns out that the 7MSN is in a flight path for travel between Kirtland Air Force Base up north and Holloman Air Force Base down south. Thanks for telling me, Real Estate Agent.
The first few times these guys flew over, I was outraged. I have since learned to live with them. It's kind of fun to yell "incoming!" whenever I hear their approach. They fly over a few times a week, sometimes during the day, but most times around 9:30 at night, which happens to coincide with when my neighbor Sue is in the shower, and she swears they're looking in her bathroom window.
If I happen to be outside when they come a'callin', I'll wave. Might as well be friendly. That way, if I happen to have a wreck and am lying face down in a cactus, maybe they'll notice and airlift me out. Or if there's a big blizzard, I can write distress messages in the snow and they can drop me supplies. It's kind of comforting knowing that the U.S. military has my back.
Hey! I'm out of coffee. Can you make a drop next time you're in the neighborhood?
See ya on the back side! Roger, 10-4, over and out, buddy!
We sometimes have the Air Force in our area doing maneuvers and let me tell you it is LOUD when they buzz the tree tops in those jets. I keep waiting for them to land right in the bed with me at night.
ReplyDeleteAmazing to see.
Have a great weekend.
Colleen
I would say that type of noise would take some time getting used to. Great photos though! That sky is so blue and clear.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I suppose that could be comforting, but then again it might be tempting to...oh, never mind...
ReplyDeleteThat's funny, yet comforting. I live across an inlet from our airport, so I know from airplanes. Helicopters, not so much. I don't really hear them though, unless the wind changes and they use an alternate runway. Then big 747's fly right over my house and it sounds like they're going to come right through my living room. Fortunately, it's not too often.
ReplyDeleteWe get similar traffic here, although not as reliably. About once every 3 months an Apache flies right over the back property line so low it's like they're touching the tree tops. We're all big fans of The Unit so we just pretend we're in the middle of a mission. :)
ReplyDeleteLast spring I watched HUGE army transport planes slowly circle our neighborhood for several hours one morning. Around 2 p.m. they started dropping parachutes behind the back field. The wind was blowing away from us so the parachutes wafted away, but I have to admit - we were so excited. It was like something in a movie, seeing all those green things floating through the air.
Later that night a half-dozen or so Blackhawks showed up. It was something. Then again, I can be easily amused!
How funny. I live in a flight pattern as well and yell "INCOMING!" when the helicopters are overhead usually heading out to Edwards Air Force Base or China Lake. Nice to know that I'm not alone with my impersonation of Radar.
ReplyDeleteI live between an Air Force Base, and their practice bombing range. It's fun to hear the machine guns go off in the middle of the night!
ReplyDeleteLOL I love the first photo, and I love MASH! =D And the third photo looks like his blade is about to chop his tail off...hmm that could be a problem!
ReplyDeleteThere's an air show down by my school this weekend and the planes were flying over my school yesterday afternoon. As I was on my way to the bathroom, a HUGE USAF jet cargo plane went right overhead! It was so huge, I stopped to look at it! Then, some jet was doing rolls after school. I think it is the annual Jackie Cochran Airshow in Thermal, CA. I LOVE to watch them!
ReplyDeleteIt's not very often that we see planes or copters fly overhead. I'd rather watch the ducks and geese fly, anyway! Great photographs!
ReplyDeleteYoung men and women just doing their duty.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in college my folks lived on a lake in Tennessee. One night we looked out their front window and saw what looked like the headlights of a car coming toward the house - but up in the air.
In just a few seconds a National Guard helicopter came swooping in for a landing on our neighbor's front yard.
My folks' neighbor was a pilot in the Tennessee National Guard and he decided to pay a quick visit to his wife while he was on a mission.
You're right. If you were in trouble, those young men and women might be your best source for help.
Regards,
Dan
Ah ha ha ha! INCOMING!!! If I were you, whenever I had visitors I would yell that and then dive behind something in a feigned panic. Funny!! :-)
ReplyDeleteFunny we don't have the air force coming in but we do have helicopters that fly in doing some logging. Also we have a flight school and this is a favorite training path. Planes not so much for some reason. But I know what you mean...all of a sudden from no noise to big noise. Kind of a different bird huh?
ReplyDeleteCute post...yep, it's comforting to have them around, even if they are a bit noisy. :-)
ReplyDeleteLol, you're so funny!!
ReplyDeleteWe have F-16's fly over often and I'm always afraid that something will fall off of them (happens all too frequently)
Love the pics!
Sometimes in the winter, when all the neighborhood's dark, they fly so close over my house I swear they're using heat seeking instruments and homing in on my fireplace.
ReplyDeleteAh yes...the unexpected air assaults in the middle of nowhere. Ours are, fortunately, not as frequent as yours, but they are also not helicopters. They are supersonic jets. Ack!! The first time one broke the sound barrier right over our ranch was my first month here and it woke me from a nap with a loud explosion (I thought). I ran outside and down to the barns, certain something had blown up. But all was still and quiet -- even the horses. ??? Then I realized we were in the flight training path for the Texas National Guard jet pilots. *sigh* There's always *something* isn't there?
ReplyDeleteLinda, I would love to be able to hear choppers coming over all the time. We get choppers from Buckley AFB. As an Air Force member, living on base to the tune of B-52's and K135's was fun. Now that will wake you up when they start up or taxi down the run way.
ReplyDeleteWell, in my neck of the woods it's not the military but the police helicopters on a manhunt. That's what you get in Brentwood, NY. Can't wait to retire and move!!
ReplyDeleteSue E. from NY