it happenend again

I was walking down the street today, when three F16 fighter plaines flew by. It made a hell of a racket. Even without afterburners on.

Of course just the noise made me stop and look up. First two fighter jets more or less side by side flew past. When they were out of sight, a third came along. I saw it bank and turn towards its mates.

And then it happened again.

I really don't know for sure why it happens. But it does. I was deeply moved. Almost to tears. I felt it in my heart.

Was it pride? Was it sensory overload? Was it the sheer power displayed by these machines?

For a long time I thought this feeling was restricted to very specific wartime machinery. Such as the famous B17. Sure, a low flying Lancaster was a sight I didn't want to miss, but the B17 was something special.

Then I visited a museum where a Spitfire was on display. I didn't even have to hear it, to get emotional. I could drum up the sound of the Merlin engine from what I had heard in movies. And I choked, again.

So... Am I a kid still in awe of some great machines of war? Or is it something else that gets to me?

I really don't know.

I only know that I'm a bit ashamed of it, actually. I try not to show it. I try to act as if it doesn't move me much. And that makes dealing with the emotional outburst - or rather: INburst - even more difficult.

I'd really like to know what it is that gets to me, every time.