Those Fighter Jets

We had workmen in the other week and we got talking about the army camp up the road, and how we often see the army helicopters fly by.  I then remembered about all the fighter jets that we used to see flying past when we lived in Appleby. 

With Appleby being in the Eden Valley, the valley was the perfect place to practice their “maneuvers and war games.”  Most of the time you never noticed them, as it became background noise, just like living next to a busy road, or a train station.  However occasionally you knew about them and I remember a couple of times that happening.

I was in my late teens and was bringing in the washing when we lived in Clifford Street.  I was minding my own business then boom, a couple of planes went over head.  I remember dropping the washing and screaming blue bloody murder and running into the house terrified.  I have no idea why I had that reaction; I just remember being absolutely terrified.  Now whether there was a “sonic boom” from one of the planes at that time that frightened me I don’t remember.

Another incident that stands out, is at dh’s mother‘s funeral.  We had flown over for it a couple of years ago and we were in the middle of the service at Kirkby Thore church when the vicar had to pause as there were a couple of fighter jets flying over and you couldn’t hear her speak.  I had forgotten about how loud they were.

And finally, when I was working over here, the office was beside Airport. When the airplanes took off and landed, they would sometimes go above the offices.  Believe it or not you never really noticed them as it became like background noise.  That is until a different type of plane took off or landed.  One day a fighter jet came into land, and the guys were all saying what was that noise?  I piped up and said that it was a fighter jet.  They were all surprised that I knew exactly what they sounded like, so once again I told the story of how they flew all around the Eden Valley.