I was having a five minute break in the garden with the camera watching butterflies and bees , contrasting the light, fragile flight of the brilliant jewelled wings with the impossible lumbering progress of the huge bumblebee making the rounds of the morning glory.
The unmistakeable sound of a kite overhead made me look skywards… I had, of course, no better luck this time than any other with the red kite… and, to be fair, was too caught up in watching the aerial display of grace and power to be really focussed on photographing the great bird as it soared overhead. It doesn’t matter that I see them daily here… it is never enough, and always a gift.
So I was already looking up when the sound of the engines caught my heartstrings and drew my attention to the sky above the village fields where two other masters of flight were, for some unknown reason, indulging in an aerobatic display, looping the loop, flying with incredible skill and precision for the next few minutes. The distinctive wings, the sound of the engine and the invasion stripes of the Spitfire, accompanied by the yellow-nosed P51Mustang were an unexpected delight on a Sunday afternoon.
Next weekend weather permitting, of course, I will also be watching a plane overhead, only then it will hold both my sons… not for long, though, as they plan on jumping out of it for charity. Please take a moment to read their story and see what they are doing and why, and if you can, please help by sharing their story, sponsoring them or just leaving a word of encouragement for them on their Facebook event page (and the vallium for me!). Thank you.
Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
That’s one thing I don’t think I could do–jump out of a plane–I did a bungee jump once over water and the only thing that kept me from dying in midair was knowing if the rope broke I could swim.
LikeLiked by 1 person
120 miles an hour for about 15,000 feet… no thank you! My heart was in my mouth watching the pair of them bungee jump years ago… I never fancied that idea personally, but happy to throw them off a tower crane… 😉 but they have wanted to do this a long time. Once upon a time I might have joined them.. but not any more!
LikeLike
Beautiful pictures, Sue. And I know exactly what you mean about the engine noise of those old fighters, it never fails to get to me either and yes, aren’t they just a joy to watch? However, harking back to our sad conversation of a few days ago, these two beautiful aerial machines were both built to kill – so where do we draw the line between beauty and function? In my younger days I took people on safari and showed them Spotted Hyenas >>> and said that if functionality is beauty then these animals are supremely beautiful, they are extremely good at running down and eating their fellow creatures. I wonder if this applies to these planes too? Adrian
LikeLike
I think there is a lot in that. A sword also is beautiful, in form and functionality. The hand that wields it determines its purpose though..
LikeLike