McConnell is home to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing and the static displays made this very apparent. An aligned group of KC-135, KC-10, and KC-46 tankers were lined up for the public to visit and learn more about.

Much to our pleasure, we were able to secure two Fokkers for the first night. The beautiful black and white striped Knights of the Sky Fokker Dr.I, and the Manfred von Richthofen's red paint-schemed Fokker Dr. I (equipped with a modern engine).

The Zero and Mustang put on a great tail-chase over the field, twisting and climbing into the deep blues before diving on each other and passing over us, maneuvering into the sunset. The sound of the two fighters blasting around was incredible…

The aircraft was towed into position and cameras positioned as the sun set. Once the natural lighting disappeared, the artificial lights were turned on and the Flying Lab came to life. With both engines turning, the Flying Lab light show began.

While this year’s show was remembered as a scorcher for being in the high 90’s temperature-wise, I also remember watching a scorching performance by Patrick McAlee of Extreme Flight. We had a chance to catch up and chat with Patrick to find out more about his experiences as an aerobatic pilot.

Full Disc Aviation attended Thunder Over Michigan in July, and with our new resident Brit’s first time, it promised to be a great show.

Before long, it was the start of the show; something I had eagerly awaited, knowing that many aircraft I had never seen, let alone photographed, would soon grace the skies of Reading, PA.

All of these warbirds are mainstays in the north east and all three take up plenty of space on our hard drives, but we were excited to see them in a new light. The evening did not disappoint.

In an ever-changing world, one thing seems to remain constant: flying is cool. And if the old saying 'the only constant is change' holds true, the flying seems to have gotten even better. That might explain why we all missed the second T-birds sneak pass. Keep looking up, y'all.

Chris Rose had a front row seat to capture the magical moments of these warbirds coming to life under the lights.

The boom window opened up, light began to come flooding in. I looked out over 27,000ft of California/Oregon wilderness, revealing endless miles of snowy, mountainous scenery.”

Fully suited and with headlamps ablaze, we nervously ducked under the fallen tree and started walking up the snow-covered access road. Our walking sticks punched through the snow and into the mud while the wind howled through the trees above us. Our hiker train rubbernecked once we finally reached the trailhead parking lot; another journey milestone achieved.

I kept these plans to myself. Only through very cryptic messages did the most perceptive of FDA pick up on the fact that I had made my way to Switzerland. I wanted to surprise the guys with something special, as well as challenge myself by doing this on my own. With every step and every stage, the anticipation grew and the more this adventure meant to me. I put it in my mind and in my heart that I needed to climb that mountain.