Archive through April 15, 2002

The ClubHouse: Archives: Air Shows!: Archive through April 15, 2002

Xxlt

Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 04:59 pm Click here to edit this post
any air show fans out there???

live outside of los angeles and regularly travel to airshows in the area. One of the best is out in the desert, Edwards AFB puts on a heck of a show......all out flying and acrobatics....
anyone else share the passion?

Twiggyish

Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 07:18 pm Click here to edit this post
We are getting one very soon near us. They are fun to watch. This year we have the Thunderbirds. In the past, we've had the Blue Angels. It's very exciting!!

Teatime

Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 09:41 pm Click here to edit this post
Caught the Blue Angels once, over beautiful Traverse Bay in Michigan. AWESOME!
We've seen a few of the smaller airshows over the years, they're never disappointing.
My husband's passion is flying radio-controlled airplanes and gliders, so we catch lots of the RC air shows each summer. It's the next best thing to the big boys! When we grow up, we want to go to Osh Kosh.

Myjohnhenry

Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 10:22 pm Click here to edit this post
We have a yearly air show near where I live...and I enjoy watching them practice and flying. My home is in the flight path when the Blue Angels, Stealth planes, Fighter Planes....whichever big ones are a part of the show that year. It is amazing to watch although the endless noise gets tiresome. From my yard I can see a part of the actual show without all the noise. I usually go to a better vantage point at some point during the actual show...the next best thing to paying the big bucks for the up close and personal and costly shows.

Urgrace

Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 11:13 pm Click here to edit this post
Yessssss! We've been to several air shows, small and large, in GA, MI, CA, SC,and TX, and live in the flight path for a nearby AFB as well as normal air traffic from several large cities airports. The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels just keep getting younger, don't they?! We also visited the Blue Angels Museum in Florida a few years ago. The Confederate Air Force stages an air show of vintage crafts not far from here, too. My family plans to go the the world's largest air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in July. Next on my list is one of the huge hot air balloon shows.

Wargod

Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 11:21 pm Click here to edit this post
As I am about 45 minutes outside Edwards AFB, I've been to many of their shows. Always fun to watch. But, since the kids are so young, and would not enjoy the loud noises or the big crowds, we haven't taken them to one yet. I'm looking forward to the time they are old enough to go. Part of our joy in living close to the base is watching the planes fly overhead.

Whowhere

Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 08:37 am Click here to edit this post
I live about 2 minutes from Louisville. Each year we have Thunder over Louisville (opening celebration for Kentucky Derby) which consists of all-day air show and then fireworks at night (the nation's largest annual pyrotechnics display and one of the nations best air shows from what they tell me).

We have pictures of stealth bombers, hilfiger blimps, b-52's (and you name it) flying over our backyard practicing and hovering for their turn in the show. It's actually very cool. Especially when you're working on the 25th floor in Louisville and you can hear them roaring passed your building. Well, this year I imagine that will be a bit unnerving.

For any of you who haven't seen it, it is truly awesome. People from all over come to see it.

here's a link to info (only 8 days til show)

http://www.thunderoverlouisville.org/

Whowhere

Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 08:39 am Click here to edit this post
Ohio River before the show:

my picture

Whowhere

Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 08:41 am Click here to edit this post
Ohio River during the show:

my picture

Whowhere

Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 08:45 am Click here to edit this post
Bridges during fireworks display:

my picture

Xxlt

Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 09:18 am Click here to edit this post
who
i am jealous..........
the second pic had me stumped tho.....i'm thinking, that's not snow............duh...
that was before my first cup o' coffee

a closer look reveals those are PEOPLE!!!
There is a 'small' airport in the san fernando
valley that holds an airshow in june....every year
you see people who rent moving vans to park outside the fences. they spend the whole weekend
camping in and on top of the darned things...it's fun to see the way they rig their campsites....

do you have an estimate as to how many people show up for the show?

Whowhere

Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 10:08 am Click here to edit this post
Last year they estimated 600,000. This year Lee Ann Rimes is singing The National Anthem and the theme is patriotic, so I would assume there will be a lot more.

My husband gets a kick out of coming home and watching the traffic on the news. They close all the bridges and it makes it virtually impossible to get anywhere. We just come home and laugh it up.

Xxlt

Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 01:37 pm Click here to edit this post
wow,
the roads out to Edwards are two laned roads that
stretch for a few miles thru the desert,
one year we were stuck in traffic for two hours!!!
it was quite fun because we finally pulled over to the side of the road and had a picnic while getting a distant view of the procedings.

two of my favorite moments was watching the SR-71 fly over burbank as a salute to the Lockheed skunkworks, and seeing the shuttle fly in, piggyback, to be refurbished up in the high desert. Also, we get a real 'air show' when the
Vandenberg AFB shoots off some of the star wars missles over the Pacific....they wait until dusk and the contrails make a weird and colorful pattern in the sky that lasts for a while, kinda
strange knowing something so nifty looking could be the start of a war.

Xxlt

Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 01:58 pm Click here to edit this post
myjohn,

yes the noise can be tiresome!
we have a small garden plot on the approach to the airport. one year mom and dad were tending the veggies, when a fighter came in about 150 feet over the plot, poor mom was startled so badly she did the chicken w/o a head dance (dad told me) she said that it almost scared her to death......kinda funny thinking about a 4' 11"
98 lb. woman dancing the hokey pokey amongst the
plants....

I do envy all of you that live under the flight paths!!

there is a small community south of the Van Nuys airport called Encino, they b!tch and complain
about the noise on the friday and monday of airshow weekend. they are the reason that the airshow has become more static over the years.
the pilots know this and 'abort' their landings and often ask for a goodbye flyby on the way out!
on the airport scanner freqs you can hear the controllers denying some pilots a third or fourth pass!!! of course, full afterburner passes never get old for some of us!


it's kinda funny and maybe this year they'll be a little more patriotic and understanding...

Urgrace

Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 09:35 pm Click here to edit this post
Those people from Encino have always been grumpy! Hey do any of you know if they still have air shows at the El Toro Marine Base?

Xxlt

Friday, April 12, 2002 - 09:10 am Click here to edit this post
ur,
no el toro closed down about three years ago....
that was a great show! the base is being split up and turned over to the city down there..

Twiggyish

Friday, April 12, 2002 - 09:49 am Click here to edit this post
The Air Show is this weekend in my town. In fact, there were jets flying overhead this morning.

Xxlt

Friday, April 12, 2002 - 04:52 pm Click here to edit this post
twiggy,
Punta Gorda FL???? checked the schedule..
the thunderbirds will perform there.....
if you get a chance go see the show! if you haven't seen them you'll be totally amazed! out here, back in april 01 the did not perform due to fog and the Big airshow was canceled due to 9/11....
next weekend the california season starts!!!!!
have fun.

Urgrace

Saturday, April 13, 2002 - 07:53 pm Click here to edit this post
Thanks Xxit, I suppose they were one of the bases that got x'd with so many others. Our next air show close by will be in May. Can't wait! They have been practicing already.

Twiggyish

Saturday, April 13, 2002 - 07:56 pm Click here to edit this post
Xxlt, the Thunderbirds buzzed my house..LOL They came right over it in formation. It was awesome!

Myjohnhenry

Saturday, April 13, 2002 - 08:27 pm Click here to edit this post
Cool twiggy! I haven't had a chance to see the Thunderbirds yet, but I love the Blue Angels....I have seen them 3 times. Don't know what this years big attraction is yet....show is a few months away.

Twiggyish

Monday, April 15, 2002 - 06:40 am Click here to edit this post
Well yesterday afternoon it rained. We haven't had very much rain in a long time and yesterday it decided to pour!! It was one of those quick heavy rain storms we get in FL.
Anyway, the Thunderbirds did not show up on Sunday and half the show was rained out! The folks at the show did see a stealth bomber, which made an appearance early on, before the rain.

By the way, the people on the north end of the county did not get any rain. (so typical of our weather)

Whowhere

Monday, April 15, 2002 - 07:36 am Click here to edit this post
That's a bummer Twiggy - our forecast is calling for scattered thunderstorms Saturday. We are all hoping that we have nice weather.

Here's the lineup for the show this weekend. I can't wait!!

The Lineup

From the US Army:
The FLYING TIGERS - 5 APACHE HELICOPTERS from Ft. Knox, KY BLACKHAWK HELICOPTERS – 5 ARMY HELICOPTERS from FRANKFORT. KY ARMY GOLDEN KNIGHTS PARACHUTE TEAM from Fr. Bragg, NC flying in two C-31A’s

Military Demonstrations:
New! F-16 DEMO
F-15 DEMO
F-18 DEMO

More military aircraft:
A-10 – 8 planes
AH-64
C-130 – 2 planes from the KYANG stationed in Louisville, KY C-130J from Baltimore NEW!
T-37 – 2 planes
T- 38 – 4 planes
T-1 F-15E – two planes
F-117 Stealth Nighthawk
F-4 – 2 planes
F-16
B-1B Lancer – 2 will fly together in a Thunder first!
MH-53
MC-130


COAST GUARD AIR SEA RESCUE HELICOPTER

CIVILIAN AIR ACTS:
Aerial Allstars – Skydiving (Performing with Thunder since 1990) Firebirds - 2 Planes
Lima Lima - 6 Planes
Swift Magic - 3 Planes
Red Barons - 4 Planes
Brad Hood (Heritage Flight in a P-51 Mustang)
Canadian Harvards - 6 Planes
Bill Left Night Show

All acts are subject to change without notice.

Started as a filler to build up the crowd before a nighttime fireworks display, the Thunder Air Show could now be a stand-alone event. Ranked as one of the top five air shows in the nation, the 2002 event promises to fill the Kentucky sky with action-packed aviation. The show begins at 3 PM with the best in civilian performance aviation.

Eight skydivers open the air show with three American Flags as part of the AERIAL ALLSTARS 8-MAN FLAG JUMP. They trail colorful Thunder streamers jumping from 5,500 ft. onto a barge in the Ohio River while multi-colored pyrotechnic smoke is electronically fired and changes color in flight.

The Aerial Allstars Skydiving Team is based in Louisville, KY and overseen by Dale Gumm. The Performers are members of the United States Parachute Association and have earned the advanced parachutist license. Some team members have been performing for 24 years and have over 3,500 parachute jumps. Unlike some skydiving teams, AAST has both male and female performers. The Aerial Allstars have performed in every Thunder.

The next two hours feature crowd favorites such as the Lima Lima Flight Team and the Swift Magic Aerobatic Team. Even the Red Barron Squadron will make an appearance. Then the stage is set for an aerial salute to the United States Military with fly-overs from the Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard and US Air Force.

Active duty military aircraft will perform fly-overs including three demo teams with the F-15, F-16 and F-18 Jet Fighters. Representing stealth technology, the F-117 Stealth “Nighthawk” Jet Fighter and B-1B Lancer Bomber will make their eerie returns over the Louisville skyline. In fact, two B-1B’s will fly together in a Thunder first! A special Thunder treat, Brad Hood’s WWII P-51 will fly in formation with the F-15 and F-16 in a “heritage flight”. The military aircraft will fly approximately three hours until sunset, when the civilian performers return with their night shows.

After a dinner break, the crew from Swift Magic will take-off once more to return with their twilight show around 8 pm. Lima Lima and the Canadian Harvards will also fly a dusk performance. A staple of the Thunder Air Show is “THUNDER’S SALUTE TO OUR NATION” featuring the American Flag Pass. Two gigantic American Flags will fly over the crowd to the music of The Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful flown in by helicopters from St. Louis, MO. Serving as an aerial drum roll of sorts, Bill Left returns to the air for an evening show just minutes before “Blast Off” of the Thunder Fireworks. He performs his “Night Show,”a dazzling display of airborne fireworks mounted on the wings and tail. Then…Boom!

Urgrace

Monday, April 15, 2002 - 11:08 am Click here to edit this post
Well, I don't know what all the fly-bys lately have been for after all. The closest air show was ...gulp... last weekend <sigh> The next big air shows in the entire state will be in Abilene (the Tbirds) and Ft. Worth (the Blue Angels) on May 11 and 12.

Found out that there is a hot air balloon club here in town.. WooHoo! It meets once a month at the airport and costs $12/year to join (for postage of the newsletter!!). You are a member of the chase team three consecutive times and the fourth time you get to fly!

Xxlt

Monday, April 15, 2002 - 02:08 pm Click here to edit this post
www.airshows.org

try this page to get the schedules. it's pretty up to date and accurate as to who will fly.

twig,
now i am super jealous! i hope your china hutch was bolted down!

myjohn,

did you ever see the B. A. support plane (fat albert)take off w/ the jato tubes?

(the blue angels support plane is a C-130 that has Jet Assist Take Off tubes, huge bottle rockets that make the plane JUMP into the air strapped to the sides....i saw them three years ago and it was beyond words....still get goose bumps....)

who,
above all see the heritage flight.....it's amazing to see those planes fly side by side....
they flew a p-51 and f-14 side by side at the pt mugu show a few years back, the f-14 looked like it was struggling to 'go slow' but the absolute
best was the final pass over head....they both peeled off and the 14 put the throttles to the stop....

ur,
if i remember correctly there is a balloon festival in albuquerque new mex in october...
my brother went thru, said it was spectacular.....the ballooning thing sounds like fun! and for 12 bucks you can't go wrong......up in north cal you can take a balloon trip over Napa Valley....the wine country, it's a bit more expensive and you can
have a little lunch and wine before you go up...