re: Best flyover or military aircraft experience

When I was a kid, I went to the Wings Over Houston airshow. They had a Harrier there. I was fascinated by the airplane. The Marine aviator was out with the aircraft talking to people that were looking at the plane. I talked to him for a while, and he kept asking me questions about the plane and I kept answered what I knew. Showed me the nozzles, gun pod, all kinds of stuff. When I said bye, he pulled the Velcro Harrier patch off his flight suit and gave it to me.

Now, he might’ve had a box of them behind the table and did that for every kid that walked up. But I thought it was the coolest thing that a real life fighter pilot gave me his patch. Still have it to this day. I’ve always been enamored by the plane.