One Sunday afternoon a bit less than 40 years ago, my friend and I were playing in his back yard. We heard the roar of powerful jet engines. When we looked overhead, we were treated to the sight of an AVRO Vulcan flying directly overhead at 5,000 feet (or less). It was on the downwind leg before landing at McClellan AFB for an airshow that weekend.

We both knew what it was, because my friend was an AF brat who was born and raised in England and I had been an aviation buff from age five. That was one beautiful aircraft, despite being comparable in size to a B-52.

--SSgt Baloo