It sucks, because it is backlit. But it is free, and it is in the backyard...
US Air Force Thunderbirds - A Thunderbird performance displays the pride, precision and professionalism of the team while highlighting the skills and training indicative of all members of the U.S. Air Force. Years of training and a lifetime of dreaming are brought together in the hour-long demonstration, exhibiting what the Air Force is all about.
US Army Golden Knights - The United States Army Parachute Team, nicknamed “The Golden Knights,” is the U.S. Army’s official aerial demonstration team. The Team travels around the United States, performing parachute demonstrations at air shows, major league football and baseball games, and special events, connecting the Army with the American people.
The Budweiser Clydesdales - Majestic. Powerful. Graceful. They are the Budweiser Clydesdales. For over 75 years, they’ve embodied the Budweiser brand heritage, serving faithfully as ambassadors of the Great American Lager, and icons of American industry.
MiG-17s from Fighter Jets Inc. - The act is flown by air show veteran pilot Randy Ball, a fifteen-year air show veteran who started by flying WWII aircraft in the CAF. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Randy soloed his first aircraft at the age of 18 and today is an airline captain. Randy gives air show fans an energetic 12-15 minute aerobatic demonstration of the remarkable capabilities of the MiG-17F, including 8g turns, 500 kts passes and spectacular vertical afterburner climbs. The MiG-17F flew predominately in the Vietnam era, with this particular MiG taking part in the Czechoslovakian Uprising in 1968.
Fred Cabanas, AT-6 - Cabanas Aerobatics has been doing airshows since 1986. The extremely low level routine pleases the crowd from the start with an inverted ribbon cut on takeoff followed by an outside loop. The entire show is performed beneath a max altitude of 1500 feet. At that altitude only for a few seconds before tumbling with lots of noise and smoke to perform many low level high speed maneuvers.
Matt Younkin, Twin Beech 18 - Matt Younkin’s Beech 18 performance is likely the most unusual act on the airshow circuit today. The Beech 18 was never designed for aerobatic flight; however that doesn’t make it incapable of doing just that. The performance begins and ends to light-hearted music which capitalizes on an overly obese airplane executing maneuvers that its designers and airshow audience members alike never conceived possible for a large transport plane. As a contrast, the majority of the performance flows with beauty and grace to equally beautiful music and a special tribute to Bobby Younkin.
Rob Holland, MXS-RH - When you experience the thrill of watching Rob Holland flying the MX Aircraft MXS/RH at airshows across North America, that is exactly what you will be asking yourself. Millions of people have marveled over Rob’s non-stop, action packed airshow routine. Stepping off his Gold Medal Finish at the 8th World Advanced Aerobatic Championships, Rob brings a whole new and exciting set of world-class maneuvers to his performance year after year!
Mike Goulian, Extra 330C - Millions of air show spectators around the globe have witnessed the ferocity of a Mike Goulian air show performance. Every roll, pull, and tumble of his flight is a deliberate execution of precision. With his aggressive approach to the air show arena, Mike Goulian has mastered the ability to convey his message of passion through flight.
Red Tails - The volunteer-driven Red Tail Squadron was created in the mid-1990s as part of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). The Squadron’s purpose is to honor the accomplishments of America’s first black military pilots – the Tuskegee Airmen – and their crews. It does this by educating people about the Airmen’s history and legacy as men who had a goal and let nothing stop them from achieving it.
USO Jet Car - Out on the taxiway you can hear the deafening roar of an engine and see billowing clouds of smoke. You can feel the reverberations of mini sonic booms. You look up and realize it's not an aircraft. In front of you is the USO Jet Car preparing to accelerate.....
Mike Wiskus, Pitts S-1 - Mike Wiskus demonstrates breath taking aerobatic stunts with the The Lucas Oil Pitts.
Fowler Cary, T-33 - This particular T-33 was produced in 1958, and served in the USAF until 1976 when it was sold to Yugoslavia. It was active in the Yugoslav Air Force until 1986 when it was sold into private hands in the US. Fowler's late partner, Randall Hames, purchased the T-33 in 1990 while it was still disassembled and began an extensive 2 1/2 year restoration. The airframe and engine were totally overhauled, and the distinctive USAF Thunderbird paint scheme added.
Black Diamond Jet Team - The black Diamond Jet Team is a seven-ship aerobatic civilian-owned jet team. With five L-39s and two T-33s all in the Arctic camouflage paint scheme, the Lakeland, FL based team is an exciting addition to the current demonstration teams this year.
Sky Soldiers - The Sky Soldiers Demonstration Teams are dedicated groups of veteran pilots and ground support staff that perform at various events around the country in a patriotic tribute to our country's military. These are real Army aircraft with real Veteran military aviators performing real combat flight maneuvers.
Aerostars - The Aerostars are a precision aerobatic demo team whose aerial ballet captivates air show audiences large and small. They fascinate the crowd with a combination of graceful aerobatics flown in tight formation, spectacular breakaways followed by breath-taking opposing passes and awe-inspiring inverted maneuvers.
Dr. Joe Masessa, OV-1D -
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
