Yesterday I took my recyclables to the closest city facility, which happens to be at Ellington Field. It was gray, overcast, and drizzling. The cloud ceiling was probably around 200 feet. As I started throwing the cans into the dumpster, I heard the typical airplane roar behind me as something took off from Ellington. It was loud enough that I figured it had to be one of the jets. I turned and looked up just in time to see an F-16 roar off the runway and quickly disappear into the clouds, shock diamonds visible in the exhaust of the afterburner. It was so cool that I actually exclaimed out loud in the drizzle in the empty recycling parking lot.
I ran to the car for my camera, because the F-16s (belonging to the Air National Guard) often take off in groups of four. But alas, not yesterday. There was only the one.
Very cool! You need your own picture of shock diamonds!!! 🙂