I can hear fighter jets flying over my house because this weekend is the annual Canadian International Airshow, as part of the Canadian National Exhibition. It takes place every Labour Day Weekend over Lake Ontario.

Last year I joined my friend Arliin in her usual viewing place with friends on the patio of the National Yacht Club. The next day we watched from the dock of the Argonaut Rowing Club and later I drove us to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum for a visit. I won’t be doing that this year, as next week marks nine months since Arliin’s passing. (I learned this morning the recently-released results of the toxicology report, which didn’t surprise me at all: the results showed nothing. Absolutely nothing. Arliin went to sleep and never woke up, and no matter how much we speculate, we will never know why she died. The conversations we had on New Year’s Day still run through my brain like a videotape rewound a thousand times.)

I also found out this week from the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome website that one of their pilots, Vinny Nasta from Long Island, NY, died when his Nieuport 24 replica biplane went down at the end of the airshow on August 17:

Rhinebeck, NY, August 21, 2008:

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome confirms the loss of Aerodrome pilot Vincent Nasta at approximately 3:45 PM on Sunday, August 17. Mr. Nasta was flying a replica of a Nieuport 24 bi plane in a mock dog-fight with the DR1 Fokker tri plane in the final event of the air show when it went down in a wooded area just south of the Aerodrome.

“Vinnie Nasta had experience flying both restored originals and replica Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome airplanes like the Nieuport,” said Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Air Shows President, Hugh Schoelzel. “He was a great pilot who flew in air shows throughout the region and he was a certified commercial flight instructor in addition to his work with Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. The loss of this fine man is devastating for his family and to his extended family at the Aerodrome.”

Vincent Nasta made his home in the Long Island community of Wading River, NY with his wife, Kathleen. He was a teacher and noted illustrator of children’s books. Mr. Nasta was 46 years old.

I’ve been to ORA so many times that I’m sure I have a picture of Mr. Nasta somewhere in my archives. He was connected to many people through being a teacher, a musician, a pilot, and a volunteer that it’s no wonder the guestbook on the website set up in his honour has 21 pages and continues to grow. I couldn’t help but read through some of the entries and be struck by how much he influenced young people, much like how David had with his Civil Air Patrol cadets.

I am truly torn over where to be the next few days. Honestly, hearing all those planes going by overhead right now is making me choked up and I don’t know if I want to be here, because I’m just a spectator. I want to go to the Aerodrome and fly in the biplane — which I haven’t done yet this year — but I had such a fantastic flight last Saturday in the Beech D18S Expeditor in Hamilton that I’m feeling a tad greedy. Maybe I should postpone Rhinebeck ’til later and stay in Toronto this weekend.

I can’t seem to make up my mind!