Usually when I fly on an airplane, I sit perfectly still and pray that the ride ends soon. I close my eyes on takeoffs and landings, and every bit of turbulence scares me. So when I was lucky enough to be asked if I wanted to fly with the greatest pilots in the world, the Blue Angels, I was a little bit hesitant. Then I realized that it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I had to take the chance.

A week before, fellow Criterion reporter Leslie Pratt sent me a text telling me that she was flying with them and said she could bring one more person. I thought she meant to just go to the air show, so I told her that would be great. Then she mentions mailing me a medical waiver, which confused me, so I had to ask if I would be in the plane. She told me yes, and that I better not chicken out. At that point I was very excited, but as the week went on I got more nervous. My dad told me that if I backed out he would beat me up when he saw me. That wasn’t a problem, however, because when you are presented such an amazing opportunity, you don’t pass it up.

I got to the airport Friday and immediately felt excited after seeing all the planes for the air show. I met with the other members of the media from around Grand Junction and we were all ready to fly. After a bit of a wait, we were finally transported to our ride: a big, beautiful C-130, A.K.A. “Fat Albert.” This giant plane has four propellers and a huge deck area inside. The Marines use the C-130 to transport supplies and men to war areas, so it’s a very important plane.

That being said, I did not expect it to be a “crazy” ride. I figured it would be fun, of course, but nothing that would accelerate my heart rate. After talking to the pilots, it seemed that I may have had the wrong idea. They explained that despite its size, it can outmaneuver other combat jets that try to lock it in as a target. They also explained how the plane can accelerate in a very short amount of time on a short runway, and take off at a 45-degree angle. By comparison, a commercial airplane takes off at a 12-degree angle. Fat Albert can ascend 1,500 feet in under three seconds. Basically, this plane means business, and I wasn’t prepared for it.

We finally boarded the plane and strapped into our seatbelts. We waited for the plane to warm up and the crew to get in position. Time to take off. My world was rocked.

We went so fast in such a short amount of time that I thought I was going to fall off of my seat. In no time at all, the plane went into the sky and I was holding on for dear life (for no reason at all). We reached our desired altitude, and the plane went from a sharp 45-degree angle to zero in a snap. When that happens, there is absolutely no gravity for about four seconds. I’m not into science and didn’t know that. A couple crew members who were hanging on had their feet hit the top of the plane, and that small seatbelt was the only thing keeping me down, but my feet, arms and camera were all in the air. That was by far the craziest moment of the ride and something that I still struggle to grasp.

The rest of the ride was unforgettable. The turns the pilots made were extremely sharp as we spent most of the time looking at the ground through the side window. After about 10 minutes in the air, we had to land. Just like take off, we had to take a big angle downwards in order to land, which gave us about three more seconds of no gravity. Then we leveled out and it turned out to be one of the smoothest landings I’ve ever experienced on a plane.

As soon as the engines turned off and I was able to control my thoughts again, I knew it was an experience I would never forget. The pilots said that all the moves they did were maneuvers they do in combat, not just something they do to please the eye. They also explained that they push hard to tell kids how bad drugs are and that you don’t need them to live the good life.

The pilots wanted to pose with each of us in a picture and thank us for coming along. They, some of the greatest men in the entire world, thanked me, some average shmuck who has had hardly any impact on the world. I’ve always looked at military personel as heroes, and that makes this experience that much better. I got to fly with the Blue Angels, something most people will never be able to say, and I will never forget that.