The Virginian Pilot reports that former President George H.W. Bush attended the dedication ceremony for the keel of the aircraft carrier that will bear his name. As most people know Bush was a naval aviator during WWII, and the dedication ceremony held a little surprise for him.

While a keel-laying ceremony traditionally ends with a flyover of the most powerful jets, this ceremony ended with a restored Torpedo bomber flown by a Chesapeake pilot making two rounds overhead -- much to Bush's surprise.

"It brings back a lot of memories," Bush said on his way out. "He was going full speed, 150 knots, I could tell. Low and slow, and very stable. It's so different from what these guys fly today."

You can see a photo of the torpedo bomber that flew over the ceremony here. Yes, that is me standing in front of the TBM that flew over Bush 41's ceremony, and yes I have flown in that plane. Ken tells me that the former President also came by later to check out the plane.