Remember those CNN commericals? Sights and Sounds of “xxxx” followed by glamorus shots of beaches, temples and beauties interspered with five start cuisine and superbly furnished hotel rooms? Made you want to instantly pick up the phone and call your travel agent?
Here is one of the sights and sounds of BAF.
As you might guess, Bagram, at least the airfield, is not the quietest place in the world. There are fighter jets, always traveling in pairs. They take off and land at whatever time and interval, known only to themselves and the air traffic controlers, suits their mission.
You hear them first, engines running up to a deafing shriek before one goes blasting by on runways that feel right next both work and living locations. Shortly the second screams by heading for the mountains, climbing at a tremendous pitch before being out of site with only a small vapor trail marking their passing.
They land the same way, one after another, engines running down as they taxi back, pointy noses looking sleek and deadly aimed at the hangar.
That is not to say that there are not other aircraft taking off and landing on a regular basis – it is just the fighters seem the loudest as I watch them pass, afterburners red hot on landing.
