"7-28-12 Jenny Blue Angels
Who will go with me to the airshow at TWF? I planned to go to Hill and that didn’t work, so I don’t want to miss this. Student Jenny jumps at the chance. I get up early, top off the plane, and throw a 2 gallon jug of gas in the back. Off to Blackfoot 0620 and land about 0645. Smoke layer. Jenny is waiting. She hops in and we go. Off before 7 and arrive TWF about 0820. The traffic is light and I am cleared straight in, exiting on 12-30, and parking at the end with local GA pilots. There are fewer planes than I expected and they are all Cessnas. Later there are 2 Pipers and I joking chide the helpers about why they let them into Cessna parking. I dip the tanks to find I am using more fuel than expected. I pour in the 2 gallons and then we wait for tickets to become available. They finally arrive and we look at planes on display until the airshow starts. We walk around looking at planes, getting our exercise and aviation needs fulfilled at the same time, and take advantage of the free water stations. A Chinook chopper looks like it has a hand rail outside? I ask the crew, and it is a radio antenna. Bob Hoff’s planes are there, and I see him at the Reeder office. I buy 3 gallons of fuel from them so I am not nervous on the way home. This is a delicate balance. If I add too much, it will overflow. Not enough and run out. It is embarrassing to buy 3 gallons in front of a well-off pilot like Bob, but more embarrassing to run out of gas. Turns out we didn’t need the 3 gallons, but better safe than sorry or even nervous. Jenny and I tour a KC-135 tanker. It is empty inside; the tank is below deck. I get into the boomer position and talk to the pilot, who lets me sit in his seat and move the manual flight controls.
The air show starts at 11:15. The edges and extras all look alike, but I enjoy Ken Peitsch’s 3 standard routines and Matt Yonkin in his twin Beech. There is steady action with the only break just before the Blue Angels. They put on a great show and then there is a mad dash to depart. The tower is deliberately delaying GA departures. I call ground control anyhow and so I am the first in line to go. I get off just before 5:00 and have Jenny fly GPS straight to Blackfoot, with a slight detour to land at Hazelton because I have never done so before. We have a tailwind and some updrafts and my early start catches up with me so Jenny flies while I take a nap. Landing at Blackfoot is routine and we get fuel from Joel Milloway and wash the bugs off the windshield and wings. I fly home solo to conclude this great adventure"
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