Compared to the St Joe airshow traffic was not an issue at all and we got in quite quickly. Big difference, that one was free of charge, courtesy the Air National Guard...this one is paid. With plenty of ANG present for sure, though. At least two active duty flying gas stations were here:
A couple Blackhawks...
And we sat our chairs up right in front of the Thunderbirds.
It was still a while before the flying would get underway but they were running the engines on the AC-47.
Pete and I took a walk...wind was something for sure:
I believe this was a French Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard.
A-10 Thunderbolt...
Walkthrough of a Chinook.
Several non-flyers on static display, I believe from the local (to the airport) Combat Air Museum, which we have frequented in the past.
Beechcraft RU-8D Seminole.
F-84 Thunderstreak.
Czech MiG-21.
F-11 Tiger that performed with the Blue Angels in the 1968 season.
Grumman F-9 Panther. Most all of these are from the Combat Air Museum, as I said.
Inside the main cabin of the KC-135.
Peter climbing into the (very much still active...this plane would be flying out later that day) cockpit. Don't...touch...anything
Army folks had an MRAP to show off.
As well as the Blackhawks.
Pete getting a closer look.
MiG-15bis from the museum...
Passing the Chinook on our way back.
Debra and I went off to get food...a variety of unhealthy things including burnt ends, mac and cheese with bacon and jalapenos, and they got some sort of ludicrous sandwich. Ended up being too much food!
Gretchen and I wandered a bit some more, waiting for things to start. Back at the A-10, a closer look at the ordnance. This AIM-9 does not look like a simple mockup. It might be disarmed but it looks pretty real with those fins.
The targeting pod under one of the starboard pylons.
People were taking tours of the AC-47...
But we got there just when they had to close things down...to get her ready for flight. Miniguns (or more likely mockups) visible in the windows.
Cessna O-1 Birddog, complete with rocket pods.
Some sky writing artistry before everything got underway...
Then Rob Holland kicked off the actual airshow with some insane aerobatics. There was much of this...grimacing and grabbing my arm like a vice.
He definitely puts on a show.
Skipping over the Thunderbirds.
This was a 1930s era racer replica...much less aerobatic (but that was OK with us)
An aerobatic team of T-6 Texans.
Meanwhile kids had gotten shave ice...
A sailplane that the guy had strapped a jet engine too...at which point it kind of isn't a sailplane any more in my opinion. Like if you put an outboard engine on a rowboat, is it really a rowboat any more? Still, nice to see.
To quote Ralphie..."a crummy commercial?" Several fly-by passes with an old DC-3 and this company's business jets. Weird place to advertise, ain't none of us in the market for a private jet.
More aerobatics as the technical folks start coming out on the flight line to prep the F-16s.
Then, the unmistakeable Merlin roar of a P-51 Mustang. Probably the best looking (and one of the most capable) fighters of the war.
Aerobatic flight from a repeat performer from St. Joe, in a Twin Beech.
DC-3, C-47, and AC-47 flypast.
Thunder Water, you say. We brought a water bottle but couldn't find the (promised) filling station, so had to spring for this.
AC-47 this time in the air. Unfortunately pointing its bristlingly armed port side at us.
MiG-17 showing off its speed and maneuverability.
They definitely liked the Me-262 "Schwalbe" idea...very swallow like in appearance.
S-2 Tracker outfitted for firefighting, doing a water drop.
Gretchen meanwhile had made a very very tiny spider friend.
A Dassault/Dornier Alpha jet, that the British announcer guy (there was one...it was just like on Best in Show...alas the American was not like Fred Willard) seemed overly excited about.
Yep, then its time for the last act. Thunderbirds getting ready.
I took a bunch of short videos and for ease of ...my processing time, I put them all in one video. They put on quite a show, but you NEED hearing protection, this does not convey how loud things were. But it was fantastic!