Sunday October 14, 2007
San Diego, CA - My son and I love to go to air shows. We wanted make sure we caught one this year since it had been a couple of years since our last trip. Edwards Air Force Base did not have their Open House this year, so we set our sights on Miramar. After looking up the performers on the Internet, we learned that the Blue Angels would not be performing. The show, billed as "Thunderbirds Over Miramar - The Sound of Freedom", was going to feature the USAF Thunderbirds. It was the first time in 35 years that the Thunderbirds had performed at Miramar. Usually the Blue Angels fly here but this year they were at Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii.
Today marked several anniversaries. First, the Air Force turned 60 this year. Most air shows featuring the Thunderbirds had some sort of recognition of the milestone. Second, it was 60 years ago, to the day, that Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier up in the high desert of California in the Bell X-1 rocket plane he named Glamorous Glennis. Most of the fighter jets flying today are designed to fly at Mach 1 speeds and beyond. The F-22 Raptor, which only flew Friday, does it without afterburner.
Compared to today's technology, the F-15 Eagle is ancient. But it doesn't know that. The F-15 was starting its demo when we parked. When it kicked in the afterburners, nothing was safe from the noise. It was LOUD! It was so loud that the echo off the building we were in line next to actually whistled. I have never heard that before. Maybe an acoustician out there can explain this phenomenon to me. Anyways, that Eagle flexed it muscles, proving it had more than enough thrust to get the job done. During one low-level pass, the F-15 turned and headed out over the parking lot where we were standing, setting off just about every car alarm on base. He circled back, almost right overhead, burners lit. He was so close and moving so fast that it was hard to follow him. He flew directly over the crowd at show center, probably scaring the mess out of some poor unaware spectators.
The F-117 Nighthawk, aka the Stealth Fighter, was actually silent compared to the F-15. Its routine was much less spectacular. But, looking at it from the element-of-surprise point of view, you could see how the Nighthawk can be as effective at its job as it is. It made one quiet, high-speed pass, causing my son to remark that you wouldn't know this plane was around until it was right overhead; in other words, too late. Hmmm. Sounds like what the Nighthawk pilots themselves said. "The only way you know the F-117 is in the area is when things start blowing up."
One thing I did notice at this air show was the visible increase in corporate advertising and sponsorship. Several resort communities had tents up, one offering a chance to win a Hawaiian getaway. They had video touchscreens to enter your contact info and survey answers. The company reps gave everyone a magnetic card when they entered the gate, which you swiped in the reader attached to the video screen. Inside the hangar there seemed to be more non-military exhibits than military ones. Even a dentist had a space.
Another thing new (to me anyway) was the use of jumbo screens which displayed some of the action. They were hung from skylift forklifts. We were treated to cockpits views, helmet cam views, interviews, views of the announcer, etc. Which is a nice touch, but they blocked our view of some of the ground action. Several of the photos I took had peak action like smoke from the landing gear tires the instant the jet touched down, or one of the Golden Knights stretching for the ground as he landed. But they also had half of the jumbo screen in the photo, or worse, the action was completely obscured. It would be better if the screens were placed behind the grandstands so that spectators in the static display areas could see. Unlike at a sports venue where the jumbotrons are along a wall or hung from the ceiling, there's really no place to put these screens where they won't block views of the flightline.
As with most air shows, there were many booths where spectators could buy pins, posters, t-shirts, and, of course, food. Johnsonville Big Taste Grill, billed as "The World's Largest Grill. Period", was here. It was huge! Certainly no reason to doubt their claim. Unfortunately I didn't get to try one of their brats because they had closed right after the show ended.
Nearing the seating area, we heard the familiar sound of Shockwave warming up. Shockwave Jet Truck is a tri-jet Peterbilt truck that runs at over 300 mph. Sporting 3 Pratt & Whitney J34 engines, Shockwave set a record for trucks at 376 mph. Driver Ken Shockley usually races other planes. From a standing start, he can catch and overtake flying aircraft who have challenged him to a race. Today's victim, er, challenger was Bill Reesman in his Red Bull sponsored MiG 17F. We saw most of Reesman's performance but since we hadn't gotten to our seats yet, we didn't see the actual race. But we could clearly see all the smoke Shockwave generated. Shockwave ran again later in the day, this time solo.
The Army's Golden Knights Parachute Team officially opened the show. A lone jumper parachuted down with the flag, while the Red Baron Stearman Squadron circled around her. Once the jumper landed, the opening ceremonies began with the singing of the National Anthem. Since our jumper, Hal as she's called, had a birthday yesterday, the announcer led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" to her. She also recently received a promotion, for which the announcer congratulated her.
Sean Tucker is, in my opinion, hands down, the best aerobatic pilot anywhere. What he able to do in his new custom-built Oracle Challenger is absolutely incredible. It has to be seen to be appreciated. Planes simply aren't supposed to do what he makes the Challenger do. Pilots aren't supposed to be able to withstand the kinds of forces he subjects himself to.
I had never seen the Patriot Jet Team before. They perform in L-39's, a two-seat trainer. They have a unique red, white, a blue smoke pattern that is absolutely striking when set off against their black paint scheme and a blue sky. One of their signature maneuvers is called a "Tail Slide" where the jet climbs vertically until it stalls, then actually slides backward (downward) on its tail for a second before flipping nose down and resuming flight. No other jet team does this. Only a couple of jets in the world can even attempt this maneuver and survive.
Air show photographers love two types of days. One is a clear day with nothing but blue skies. Aircraft really stand out in photographs with a deep blue sky as a background. The other is days with moisture in the air. Days like today. When the jets made high-speed passes and high-G turns, condensation vapors pours off the wings and stabilizers. When caught at the right instant, it makes for remarkable images. My favorite shot today was catching the F/A 18 Super Hornet during a high subsonic pass. It created a cone of condensation around the body. Yeah! Shots like this are why I love shooting airplanes.
Several others performed throughout the day. One thing I love about Miramar is that there is almost continual flying. Something is always up in the air, or taxiing preparing to get in the air.
MAGTF (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) is a simulated assault from the air and ground. A whole military arsenal is unleashed upon the base. Tankers refuel choppers and jets. Helos drop troops. Hornets and Harriers bomb targets. Heavy lift transports bring in armored vehicles and more troops. While the Marines conducted this exercise for the crowd it wasn't hard to imagine what a real assault looks and sounds like.
By this time the clouds had started to roll in from the northwest. The Red Baron Stearman Squadron had to make a couple of slight changes in their routine because the clouds blocked the spectators' view of them. It was a trade-off; more clouds blocked more and more of the sky but the darker skies and cooler weather made for some hot (no pun intended) afterburner shots when the jets flew.
Last year the Thunderbirds featured the first female military demonstration team pilot. Major Nicole Malachowski flies Right Wing in Thunderbird number 3. She returns for her sophomore season, again at right wing, but is joined by another female pilot, Major Samantha Weeks. Major Weeks flies Thunderbird number 6, Opposing Solo.
As the clouds thickened, only a small patch of blue remained in the sky toward the southeast. Low clouds forced the Thunderbirds to run their short program, which I had never seen before. To give you an idea of how low the clouds were: Major Weeks does a high-speed transition on take-off. She barrels westward down the runway in full afterburner, raises the landing gear and holds it a few feet off the deck. She then she pulls back on the stick, transitioning into a vertical climb. Literally two seconds after pulling up, she vanished into the clouds. Because of the low clouds, the Thunderbirds didn't do their bomb burst or any of the other high-altitude maneuvers.
Getting off the base was slow, which was to be expected. What was not expected was a crash on the northbound I-15 at North County. It took 90 minutes to drive 8 miles. The F-15 could have made it all the way to Washington, D.C. by then. Even with the shortened schedule at the hands of Mother Nature, this was another excellent air show at Miramar.
For the men and women who have served our country, THANK YOU! For the men and women out there in harm's way, THANK YOU! For the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, THANK YOU!
Update: This blog has moved to a new location. Click here to continue following this blog.
San Diego, CA - My son and I love to go to air shows. We wanted make sure we caught one this year since it had been a couple of years since our last trip. Edwards Air Force Base did not have their Open House this year, so we set our sights on Miramar. After looking up the performers on the Internet, we learned that the Blue Angels would not be performing. The show, billed as "Thunderbirds Over Miramar - The Sound of Freedom", was going to feature the USAF Thunderbirds. It was the first time in 35 years that the Thunderbirds had performed at Miramar. Usually the Blue Angels fly here but this year they were at Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii.
Today marked several anniversaries. First, the Air Force turned 60 this year. Most air shows featuring the Thunderbirds had some sort of recognition of the milestone. Second, it was 60 years ago, to the day, that Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier up in the high desert of California in the Bell X-1 rocket plane he named Glamorous Glennis. Most of the fighter jets flying today are designed to fly at Mach 1 speeds and beyond. The F-22 Raptor, which only flew Friday, does it without afterburner.
Compared to today's technology, the F-15 Eagle is ancient. But it doesn't know that. The F-15 was starting its demo when we parked. When it kicked in the afterburners, nothing was safe from the noise. It was LOUD! It was so loud that the echo off the building we were in line next to actually whistled. I have never heard that before. Maybe an acoustician out there can explain this phenomenon to me. Anyways, that Eagle flexed it muscles, proving it had more than enough thrust to get the job done. During one low-level pass, the F-15 turned and headed out over the parking lot where we were standing, setting off just about every car alarm on base. He circled back, almost right overhead, burners lit. He was so close and moving so fast that it was hard to follow him. He flew directly over the crowd at show center, probably scaring the mess out of some poor unaware spectators.
The F-117 Nighthawk, aka the Stealth Fighter, was actually silent compared to the F-15. Its routine was much less spectacular. But, looking at it from the element-of-surprise point of view, you could see how the Nighthawk can be as effective at its job as it is. It made one quiet, high-speed pass, causing my son to remark that you wouldn't know this plane was around until it was right overhead; in other words, too late. Hmmm. Sounds like what the Nighthawk pilots themselves said. "The only way you know the F-117 is in the area is when things start blowing up."
One thing I did notice at this air show was the visible increase in corporate advertising and sponsorship. Several resort communities had tents up, one offering a chance to win a Hawaiian getaway. They had video touchscreens to enter your contact info and survey answers. The company reps gave everyone a magnetic card when they entered the gate, which you swiped in the reader attached to the video screen. Inside the hangar there seemed to be more non-military exhibits than military ones. Even a dentist had a space.
Another thing new (to me anyway) was the use of jumbo screens which displayed some of the action. They were hung from skylift forklifts. We were treated to cockpits views, helmet cam views, interviews, views of the announcer, etc. Which is a nice touch, but they blocked our view of some of the ground action. Several of the photos I took had peak action like smoke from the landing gear tires the instant the jet touched down, or one of the Golden Knights stretching for the ground as he landed. But they also had half of the jumbo screen in the photo, or worse, the action was completely obscured. It would be better if the screens were placed behind the grandstands so that spectators in the static display areas could see. Unlike at a sports venue where the jumbotrons are along a wall or hung from the ceiling, there's really no place to put these screens where they won't block views of the flightline.
As with most air shows, there were many booths where spectators could buy pins, posters, t-shirts, and, of course, food. Johnsonville Big Taste Grill, billed as "The World's Largest Grill. Period", was here. It was huge! Certainly no reason to doubt their claim. Unfortunately I didn't get to try one of their brats because they had closed right after the show ended.
Nearing the seating area, we heard the familiar sound of Shockwave warming up. Shockwave Jet Truck is a tri-jet Peterbilt truck that runs at over 300 mph. Sporting 3 Pratt & Whitney J34 engines, Shockwave set a record for trucks at 376 mph. Driver Ken Shockley usually races other planes. From a standing start, he can catch and overtake flying aircraft who have challenged him to a race. Today's victim, er, challenger was Bill Reesman in his Red Bull sponsored MiG 17F. We saw most of Reesman's performance but since we hadn't gotten to our seats yet, we didn't see the actual race. But we could clearly see all the smoke Shockwave generated. Shockwave ran again later in the day, this time solo.
The Army's Golden Knights Parachute Team officially opened the show. A lone jumper parachuted down with the flag, while the Red Baron Stearman Squadron circled around her. Once the jumper landed, the opening ceremonies began with the singing of the National Anthem. Since our jumper, Hal as she's called, had a birthday yesterday, the announcer led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" to her. She also recently received a promotion, for which the announcer congratulated her.
Sean Tucker is, in my opinion, hands down, the best aerobatic pilot anywhere. What he able to do in his new custom-built Oracle Challenger is absolutely incredible. It has to be seen to be appreciated. Planes simply aren't supposed to do what he makes the Challenger do. Pilots aren't supposed to be able to withstand the kinds of forces he subjects himself to.
I had never seen the Patriot Jet Team before. They perform in L-39's, a two-seat trainer. They have a unique red, white, a blue smoke pattern that is absolutely striking when set off against their black paint scheme and a blue sky. One of their signature maneuvers is called a "Tail Slide" where the jet climbs vertically until it stalls, then actually slides backward (downward) on its tail for a second before flipping nose down and resuming flight. No other jet team does this. Only a couple of jets in the world can even attempt this maneuver and survive.
Air show photographers love two types of days. One is a clear day with nothing but blue skies. Aircraft really stand out in photographs with a deep blue sky as a background. The other is days with moisture in the air. Days like today. When the jets made high-speed passes and high-G turns, condensation vapors pours off the wings and stabilizers. When caught at the right instant, it makes for remarkable images. My favorite shot today was catching the F/A 18 Super Hornet during a high subsonic pass. It created a cone of condensation around the body. Yeah! Shots like this are why I love shooting airplanes.
Several others performed throughout the day. One thing I love about Miramar is that there is almost continual flying. Something is always up in the air, or taxiing preparing to get in the air.
MAGTF (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) is a simulated assault from the air and ground. A whole military arsenal is unleashed upon the base. Tankers refuel choppers and jets. Helos drop troops. Hornets and Harriers bomb targets. Heavy lift transports bring in armored vehicles and more troops. While the Marines conducted this exercise for the crowd it wasn't hard to imagine what a real assault looks and sounds like.
By this time the clouds had started to roll in from the northwest. The Red Baron Stearman Squadron had to make a couple of slight changes in their routine because the clouds blocked the spectators' view of them. It was a trade-off; more clouds blocked more and more of the sky but the darker skies and cooler weather made for some hot (no pun intended) afterburner shots when the jets flew.
Last year the Thunderbirds featured the first female military demonstration team pilot. Major Nicole Malachowski flies Right Wing in Thunderbird number 3. She returns for her sophomore season, again at right wing, but is joined by another female pilot, Major Samantha Weeks. Major Weeks flies Thunderbird number 6, Opposing Solo.
As the clouds thickened, only a small patch of blue remained in the sky toward the southeast. Low clouds forced the Thunderbirds to run their short program, which I had never seen before. To give you an idea of how low the clouds were: Major Weeks does a high-speed transition on take-off. She barrels westward down the runway in full afterburner, raises the landing gear and holds it a few feet off the deck. She then she pulls back on the stick, transitioning into a vertical climb. Literally two seconds after pulling up, she vanished into the clouds. Because of the low clouds, the Thunderbirds didn't do their bomb burst or any of the other high-altitude maneuvers.
Getting off the base was slow, which was to be expected. What was not expected was a crash on the northbound I-15 at North County. It took 90 minutes to drive 8 miles. The F-15 could have made it all the way to Washington, D.C. by then. Even with the shortened schedule at the hands of Mother Nature, this was another excellent air show at Miramar.
For the men and women who have served our country, THANK YOU! For the men and women out there in harm's way, THANK YOU! For the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, THANK YOU!
Update: This blog has moved to a new location. Click here to continue following this blog.
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