Fishing, a twin GA and a C17.

[KevinJarvis]

My wife and I along with our 4 year old grandson were at one of the local parks fishing in the lake.

My grandson is just as plane crazy as I am so when a twin Cessna came shrieking over he yelled, "look grandpa, an airplane".

I looked up to see the Cessna moving from South to North at about 1500 feet. I figured he was lining up to land on 31 as the airport is just about 5 miles from where we were.

But a minute or so later the Cessna comes roaring back to the south. Apparently having done a quick 180.

Not but a few seconds later between the clouds I see this huge dark spot. I look up just in time to see a C17 turning from a westerly heading to the south.
He was probably about 3 miles away at about 5000 feet.

I yelled, "Jacob, look at this". Just as I said that the -17 ducked behind a huge cloud.
As I held Jacob in place telling him to watch a certain patch of sky, the big lumbering cargo plane suddenly appeared.

I thought Jacob was going to jump off the dock.

"That thing is huge grandpa", he yelled.

We watched it for a minute or so before it disappeared behind a cloud formation.

I only wish I would have had my camera with me b/c it sure was a site seeing this big aircraft in our area.

I can't imagine what he was doing here and especially at that altitude.

KSPI is about 35 miles east but the Illinois ANG has had all it's F16's moved to Ft. Wayne.

Anyway, it was exciting. Plus Jacob caught a 10 inch small mouth that made his day.

[kungfuman]

Somehow that reminds me of one of the "feelgood" Calvin & Hobbes cartoon strips that used no words, where they go off into the countryside and have the most awesomely idyllic time, eventually returning home at the end of the day, tired but very happy!