Confessions of a Convert – M’Blog Part Two – Living with an AvGeek

Since the publication of my first blog entry, I’ve apparently become something of an internet sensation …well, my husband said it was all right and I bookmarked it. I have been inundated with an email asking me how I cope living with an avgeek. The answer is simple – be grateful it’s jets and not Star Trek. I’d rather have a living room covered with aviation memorabilia than dodgy plastic Spock pointy ears and Lieutenant Uhura costumes.

So now I would like to share my wisdom with all the avwidows who may chance upon this blog entry while innocently perusing their partners t’interweb history – not that you’re spying – I understand that. I hope you will see this as a beacon of light and hope in an otherwise geeky world.

It may seem that there will be no end to the times that you come home to another oddly shaped jiffy bag and a curiously excited other half…knowing that there will be yet another aviation relic proudly displayed on the coffee table. BUT!! This can be used to your advantage…smile and show an interest and before you know it, you’ll have a husband (in my case) who will amaze you with his depth of knowledge of the difference in the location of the pitot tube on the B2 Vulcan, to the B1 Vulcan (before anyone asks, the B1 has them on the wingtips, the B2 on the fuselage…). While this may not appeal to all, at least he’s talking to you rather than a lot of strangers on the web.

Showing an interest can also lead to you being whipped off to some extremely exotic locations. My first trip was to a rather windy airfield in Leicestershire. Portaloos, cagoules and flasks…what more could a girl want!

And I must admit, I was impressed by the number of long lens cameras and video cameras – if you half closed your eyes you could almost imagine you were at a film Premiere!

Ushered across to the runway, I discovered a number of people wearing very brightly coloured ear muffs and smiling a lot…once more I was flummoxed…personally, I was cold, slightly damp and needed another jumper and a hot water bottle quite badly – not necessarily my most smiley moment! The wind was blowing away the voice over the tannoy so I had no idea if he was announcing the opening of the tea tent or something more interesting…turned out to be something far far more interesting!

Turning to my right I spied something jet shaped and shiny…grass and trees waved wildly behind it for what seemed like an interminable amount of time…then…WHOOSH!!!! Well, I say whoosh, it was more of a screaming, heart stopping, oxygen stealing, after burning type of feeling. Catching my breath and wiping the grit from my face, I turned to my husband and said…

‘!!!’

This seemed to be becoming a habit of mine…

The crowd went wild, in a refined sort of way. No Justin Beiber type screaming here.

After that, the jets came thick and fast, Provosts, Lightnings, Buccaneers, a medley of big ones, small ones, silver ones, red ones, single ones and multiples and, at last, my favourite of the day, the Victor.

‘Teasin’ Tina’ slowly moved towards the top of the runway (or is it the bottom?). An immense, hulking, menacing, glorious presence. And she certainly did Tease us, spooling up, spooling down, spooling up again, only to spool down again…the trees behind her were almost horizontal. The engines got louder and louder…until I thought something was going to go pop in a spectacular way. She thundered down the runway and, as she raced past us, the air seemed to disappear leaving us all breathless and rosy cheeked. The jet wash was immense…for a moment it felt like we were in a dry dusty desert storm…then quiet. Although, to be fair, it was mainly quiet because Tina managed to render me deaf for a few moments!

My husband appeared to be in the same boat as he was only really able to turn to me and grin broadly…a shared moment of joy.

I was still cold, slightly damp, with fingers and ears of ice…but it has to be said, I can’t wait to go back to the next one!

@AvGeekette

 

Comments: 1

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  • I enjoy reading your blogs. That exilirating feeling one gets just being on an airfield is one symptom of avmania, a benign disorder which we don’t mind suffering from. The V-bombers certainly infect anyone who ever comes near them. Welcome to the community.

     
     
     
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