I love smell of jet fuel in morning! Plenty of it was burned on this occasion. The Red Bull MiG-17Red Bull MiG-17, an old Russian jet fighter now resplendent in a bright red paint scheme, wowed crowd with its sweeping turns and dives. Then an even older American fighter, an F-86 Sabre flown by retired Navy pilot Dale "Snort" Snodgrass, was not to be outdone. The new C-17 Globemaster transport, while not an agile fighter, showed some nice moves and amazed me with its quiet engines. I couldn't hear plane flying by because of little Honda generator powering nearby camera truck! That wasn't a problem with next performer, an Air Force F-15C air-superiority fighter.

F-15E Strike EagleThis jet, with its two huge afterburning turbofan engines, shakes ground as it flashes by, just above runway and just below speed of sound.

Earlier I had spoken with a pilot of F-15E Strike Eagle, an impressive all-weather ground attack version of plane. He clearly liked his jet better than pure air-to-air version, and I agree. My own background is in Navy attack jets, and I figure any time you can take a great fighter and hang big honkin' bombs on it, you've done a beautiful thing.

Heritage FlightEven today, flying isn't just jets. Special propeller-driven stunt planes flown by well-known performers Patty Wagstaff and Jim "Bulldog" LeRoy mesmerized us with their maneuverability.

These small aircraft turned on a dime, and often they became invisible in their own colored smoke trails as they repeatedly covered same small patch of sky.

Speaking of fancy flying, this air show also saw unveiling of U.S. Aerobatic Team, which will compete at World Aerobatic Championships in 2003. Next year should be a great one for aviation.

Few things sound as sexy to me as throaty roar of an old propeller-driven fighter plane. In afternoon we had Las Vegas-style Unlimited Air Racing, with some of fastest prop planes ever flown. These are old fighters with sleek new low-profile canopies and souped-up engines, and they are blindingly fast. They raced a circuit around runway in front of us, lead changing hands several times as they rounded turns very low to ground, their wings banked almost to vertical. Fantastic!

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By Rob LaGrone - Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

Just beside Palazzo you’ll find Uffizi museum, with its unrivalled collection of Renaissance art. If you’re an art lover, you don’t want to miss Uffizi, but it’s not something that can be easily covered in a short 2-hour visit!

Alongside Uffizi you’ll find River Arno, with its many bridges. If you take a right turn you’ll arrive at Ponte Vecchio, famed bridge that houses a multitude of goldsmiths and jewellery shops, with its medieval workshops overhanging bridge. The bridge itself was built in 1345 and is only bridge on Arno that wasn’t destroyed in World War II.

Once you’ve crossed bridge, you’ll arrive in area called Oltrano, which literally means “Over Arno”. Here you’ll find Palazzo Pitti – a large 16th century palace. The palace was originally home to Medici family who ruled Florence almost continuously between 1434 and 1743 and it now houses several important museums and galleries.

You may want to finish your day by taking a relaxing stroll in Boboli gardens, which can be accessed through Palazzo Pitti. These gardens were laid out in 1550 for Medici a year after they bought Palazzo Pitti and were opened to public in 1766. Many parts of gardens give stunning vistas over Florence and make a welcome retreat after a day of walking round city. If you have time, it’s worth returning to view Ponte Vecchio at sunset, followed by a walk along bridge after dusk, when lights on bridge reflect on River Arno and everything seems almost magical.

Finally, don’t forget to take a break from your sightseeing – stop for lunch or a drink in a pavement café, take some time to soak up atmosphere and do a spot of people watching.