So, it’s like this: Mom and Dad are in town. Yesterday we went to the Museum of Flight and just as we pulled into the parking lot, a paiir of Air Force F-14s flew in low and fast to land at the strip behind the museum. It was distracting to pokey through the parking lot as my fellow airplane geeks all stampeded to the fence.

A few minutes later the advance team for the Blue Angels, which will be providing the ear-shattering in my neighborhood at the end of the week, flew in. It was serendipitous timing – I had no idea that they were arriving yesterday and it was neat to be there with my dad.

Inside, I was disappointed to see that the Gee Bee racer had been disassembled and perched wingless in the parking lot – later, I learned it had been in the Seafair pararde last friday. My disappointment was made up by both the addition since last week of a Rumpler Taube reproduction and my father’s joy at seeing the amazing, unrestored Caproni.

While we were there, one of the two-person articulated flight simulators froze-up – the computer locked in-flight, and the capsule stopped moving. It was elevated by several feet and as we watched the attendants struggle to release it we realized that the capsule was also upside down.

Anyway, it’s been an enjoyable visit from Mom and Dad. Doesn’t look like we’re going to get out to the mountains with them, though. Too bad.