Flying into the past

Anthony stands next to a pair of jet engines at the air show 

A Corsair sits next to a trainer

A P-40 Tomahawk and the firepower, below, of the B-25 Mitchell.

The Blue Angels sit ready to go.

BRUNSWICK — Anthony and I were walking toward the car when a formation of vintage World War II planes passed loudly overhead. We suddenly felt like extras on the movie set of "Tora, Tora, Tora," an exceptional movie about the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Watching the planes overhead triggered a conversation between a father and son about Pearl Harbor. Not many people to get to see these magnificent planes from the past stream across the open sky— unless you attend an air show.

Pilots fly out of the past and into the present in planes that gave America an edge during a world war where air superiority played a huge role in ending a global conflict.

Watching these remarkable relics from yesteryear maneuver without the slightest hint of wear and tear is a privilege and a history lesson worth learning. How these exceptional pilots keep these 60-year-old crates airborne is a testament to endurance and patriotic pride.

And yet, there they were — an all-star lineup from World War II that included a well-maintained Corsair, a fearless Japanese Zero, and two B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, roaming the skies and dazzling thousands of spectators at the Great State of Maine Air Show on a hot and humid Saturday afternoon.

For years, the former Brunswick Naval Air Base (now called Brunswick Landing) was responsible for organizing this aviation event, but when the base closed, a private enterprise produced this year's event.

Anthony and I have been attending the Brunswick air shows for the past six years, and it never ever gets old — no matter who is running the show. It's a chance to get up close and personal with military hardware and an opportunity to meet these adept pilots.

Right now, as Hurricane Irene, turned tropical storm, lashes Maine on Sunday, we were wise to attend Saturday's event. The show was cancelled Sunday.

We examined a number of World War II planes, including the firepower of a pair of B-25 Mitchells. There were also A-10 Thunderbolts - Vietnam leftovers that  have been refurbished and continue to play a major role in close combat support in the Middle East. The entire aircraft was built around the A-10's 2,000-pound Gatling gun.

Another big draw is the Blue Angels, featuring pilots who light up the sky in their F/A-18 Hornets. Besides aircraft, there were several military vehicles on hand and displays of jet engines.

For this father and son, it was an opportunity to watch these "oldies but goodies" streak overhead and remind us of a nation that looked to the skies to preserve its way of life during World War II.