In the days before cable TV and on-demand everything, folks were at the mercy of the big three networks. And, what’s even more amazing, television wasn’t a 24-hour proposition. Networks used to actually “sign off” at the end of the day. And since these sign offs were like a companion going away for the night, they evoked a lot of emotion. Chris Michel, the man who founded Military.com and brought DT to the masses, recently found some classic sign off footage very germane to our audience. Reading the comments you can see that some attribute military careers to these scenes of an F-104 soaring across the sky. And, of course, “High Flight” remains one of the greatest poems ever written about the art of flying.
Speaking of the Starfighter, I had the opportunity to do exercises against Turkish F-104s back in the day. As you might guess from the stubby wings, the F-104 isn’t much of a dogfighter. (It was designed as a straight-line “interceptor.”) An elegant machine, nonetheless.
(Gouge: CM)
– Ward
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
This was on last week’s episode of “Mad Men”, actually.
hey Ward
nice Sunday supplement. I’ve missed them!
thanks!
Ward,
I’ll see your video (an awesome trip back to memory lane) and see if you remember this one: Do you remember “who has touched the sky” I also seem to remember it was a late night Century Series Jet vifeo, but can’t remember any more. It was a Rod McKuen song and on his site here
http://www.rodmckuen.com/flights/190706.htm
The actual words (and a great song as I recall too)
Who Has Touched the Sky
Who has touched the sky
who has seen the wind
as it went running by
none but the few
the few who knew
the night by its first name
the color of the day.
Who has touched the sky
who has seen the clouds
as they went singing by
none but the few
the few who knew
the sun by its first name
the color of the moon.
There have been some who
walked among us
some who warm us
like the child