DC area aviation nerds: the airboss for the airshow is operating on the Potomac Approach channel, 128.0.

Instruction everyone serms to be getting: “Turn Right after Washington Monument. Do not overfly the Capitol.” So they fly over the (green) reflecting pool but not the Mall.

Everyone gets a “nice job” after they make their turn.

We are now at the “alarmingly loud over all of DC” part of the show.

Blue Angels coming up in 10 mins. Symphony of Car Alarms coming up in 11 minutes.

Every time a fighter jet does a loud flyby, I’m transported back to the weeks after 9/11 when combat air patrols were constantly buzzing the city and everyone on the street would involuntarily duck.

Not my favorite kind of Proustian moment.

AF1 (the new emolumental 747-800) is in the air, with Trump possibly on board for some reason, for a flyby later. Callsign is AF1 on ADSB, suggesting Trump on board, but using “Freedom 1” on the air.

So… a bunch of storm cels came in just as the parade of AF1 planes was heading to the Mall. Just before they went by, the Mall was evacuated. In the words of the Skyboss on the radio: “Fucking awesome planning here”

The rest of the airshow has been pushed back an hour. But because the mall has been evacuated, there will be no one to see it. And it will be dark out.

They’re busily asking everyone on the radio how much fuel they have. The show controllers have switched from their calm air traffic control voices to their “I will cut you” voices.