re: Best flyover or military aircraft experience

I was aboard Eisenhower in 86 off Toulon France. We were doing an airpower demo for some French brass. First an S3 Viking ASW plane dropped a 300 yard line of smoke buoys some distance off the port side. Then 3 A-6s bombed up with 30 500# gpbs each laid a continuous stick along that line from 500 feet up. Magnificent wall of water snakes up, then down.

THEN in the middle of all the smoke and spray a submarine does an emergency surface! Applause from everyone on deck, and consternation on the bridge!

The last was not planned of course. I got the story later in Naples from a guy off that boat. The sub was operating indepently, and her skipper wanted some periscope shots for bragging rights at the O-Club. When the sonar operator called the buoys hitting the water he spun the scope, saw the smoke and the approaching bombers, and called a crash dive.

The guy said the shock blew every light bulb on the boat. They did an emergency surface, to unknowing applause.