Well folks I did not go on a storm chase because it was already too dark for safety... but as I headed home I saw what appeared to be a DC-9 family aircraft (most likely an AirTran 717) cross over the highway on its approach to CAK.

I decided to get some ice cream and as I sat in the parking lot I saw the same lights coming toward me in Kent.  I was treated to at least a half-hour of this aircraft circling overhead... possibly using the Kent State University Airport as its reference point.

As I sat there and watched, there was another storm starting to encroach from the northwest.  I wondered if this flight even had a chance to divert to CLE if necessary.  The storm to the northwest was not labeled severe, but who knows what wind shear it might have been producing.  The storm over CAK was only moving at about 20 mph so it was "sitting there" for quite some time.

  I also realized that this was probably the inbound flight from LGA - one I've been on before.

Finally after a half hour the aircraft broke out of the holding pattern and went in for a successful landing.

This is the first time that weather has allowed me to see an aircraft in a holding pattern.  I wonder what the passengers were seeing - and how they might have been feeling if they knew how close they were to the airport.  I hope that they enjoyed "the light show" without too much anxiety.  Since the aircraft was holding at less than 10,000 ft. I assume the pilots couldn't give a lot of information due to the sterile cockpit rule.

Just my random thoughts today.