Somewhere near my house there's a military airbase of some kind. I really don't know much about it, except that very occasionally (like a couple times a year) we'll hear a shrieking in the skies, and a couple fighter jets will zoom by in formation. Sometimes there will be a few waves of them, going by in twos or threes, but it's always very quick -- just long enough to get to a window and crane our necks to see them go by. And I'm no fan of the military, but I have to admit, it's a little bit cool.
Today -- as I type this, in fact -- plane after plane is shrieking past, and they're obviously practicing some type of maneuver, because each plane does exactly the same thing. They come in unbelievably fast, swoop in low, then very abruptly pull up, and as they gain altitude they bank so sharply to the left that it looks like they're about to roll over. Then they disappear from view, behind the trees. (Hmm -- after about 10 minutes of activity, it's quiet now. I guess they're done.) The point at which they come closest to the ground (still safely above the treeline, but low enough that I can see a lot of detail on these planes), before they pull up, is, uh, right above my house.
Am I nuts, or is my house being used as a pretend target for these pilots to practice bombing runs?
I'll be the first to admit that I could easily be misinterpreting this; I know nothing whatsoever of combat tactics or whatever they're practicing, and what vague notions I do have all come from movies. Then again, I have trouble imagining another use for this particular maneuver.
I'm a little creeped out now. But still, I have to say -- watching them do this, along with the "Uh, what exactly are they learning, and how does my house fit into their scenario?" I'm still catching myself thinking "Whoa, check that out! That is totally cool."
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