[ScanIndiana] La Porte Parade flyover

Duane Mantick wb9omc at nlci.com
Wed Jul 7 23:09:41 EDT 2004


comments below.........

> -----Original Message-----
> From: scanindiana-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:scanindiana-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Andrew Baugh
> Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2004 10:16 AM
> To: Indiana Scanning
> Subject: RE: [ScanIndiana] La Porte Parade flyover
> 
> 
> The past flyovers have been excellent.  This year's
> really "tanked".  Actually, the entire parade this
> year "tanked".  

>>>>>I will be eagerly waiting to hear from my folks up
there in La Porte to see what, if anything, the Herald-Argus
sez about it and what letters they will print.  In past years
when the flyover has been hot, a bunch of weenies would
write in bitching that it scared their kids/dogs.  I took 
note and made SURE that my video of the early part of the
event noted that every bloody emergency vehicle in the county
must have been right up front blaring away with all the
"tricky" sirens they could.

>>>>>Now I'm supposed to believe that 30 minutes of mega-
decibel sirens is less "scary" than 5 to 10 seconds of 
two non-afterburning F16's a couple hundred feet up?

>>>>>And I think I would note for the "weenies" that as
a person who occasionally suffers from Meniere's disease
(inner ear disorder) which has caused my hearing to
deteriorate somewhat, I have been advised to wear muffs
when I mow the lawn, use power tools, etc....so maybe
I should bitch to the Herald-Argus about the deafening
and potentially damaging effects of too many sirens for
too much time..........  :-)  :-)

> Normally, the Jaycees use the amateur
> radio club for communications. 

>>>>>Oh, don't I know THAT one all too well.  'Ol WB9OMC
here stood that parade route more than once, I believe,
doing just that.  Our main goal in those days was trying 
to keep consistent spacing between units.  I also remember
getting told by a couple marching band directors to
f*** off, too.  Had to grab "my Jaycee" and let him know
and let THAT guy go nose-to-nose with the band director.
The Jaycee told the guy to "get his s*** together or get
the hell off the parade route".  I was proud of him for
that one.

> This year, they had
> three amateurs there, just in case their cell phones
> failed.

>>>>>THAT probably explains why my HT was so quite on
146.61, K9JSI repeater.  Sounds like the Jaycees either
had a dumbass attack, trying to use cell phones for a
point-to-point job, OR there is some ill will between
the current club and the Jaycees.


>  Not to mention, just before the parade
> started, the county fire decided to do the Sunday test
> for all fire pagers.  If you were right at the start
> when it went off, you were pretty much deaf.  I was
> standing about 10-15 feet away from the engines when
> they toned, and afterwards, I just heard those tones. 
> Sorry to complain.  Maybe next year will be better. 
> One upside to the fly-over, though.  Since they were
> off to the side of Lincolnway, they went directly over
> my house.  Not something I was expecting.

>>>>>Ironically, my folks house is just a bit north of the
La Porte airport.......and just as I was leaving from 
their house to head to the parade, Sen. Bayh's jet flew
in and I missed it.  Heard it, but couldn't see it so it
had to have been straight up on final.  But, my reward was
seeing his motorcade heading back up Lincolnway and then
getting some great video of him walking the parade route
including my own comment "he knows where the cameras are". :-)
He eyeballed me with all the gear and gave me a great shot.

> 
> Andrew
> KC9DZV

Duane
WB9OMC
former Editor of the La Porte Amateur Radio Club Newsletter,
"the Condenser"




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