From the Usual USAF Source:
Apropos o' not much, I've seen the 'Birds in every airframe they've flown, with the exception of the Thud, which they only flew in six shows. My favorite? The big-ass F-4... loud, smoky, and fast.
Now that was a GREAT aircraft for airshows.
I remember when the 'Birds went to Lawn Darts as I was still on active duty, doing my last year in Ol' Blighty when they switched over from T-38s in 1982/83. The T-38 was a miserable little aircraft for airshow purposes, being too small to be easily seen in the high altitude maneuvers.Thunderbirds Milestone
The USAF Thunderbirds marked their 2,000th official F-16 Fighting Falcon demonstration during an air show at Columbus AFB, Miss., earlier this month. "The F-16 is a remarkable and dependable aircraft. It starts with its design characteristics, but the platform has always had excellent parts supportability, contractor partnership, and engineering oversight from our system program office," said Capt. Lucas Buckley, Thunderbirds maintenance officer. "But the main reason we're still flying the F-16 here is the work done by the exceptional airmen in this squadron, who put in sweat equity each and every day to keep their machines safe, reliable, and effective." The Thunderbirds have flown the F-16 since August 1982, more than half of the team's history. The air show was held April 5-6, according to a base release. (Thunderbirds release.)
Apropos o' not much, I've seen the 'Birds in every airframe they've flown, with the exception of the Thud, which they only flew in six shows. My favorite? The big-ass F-4... loud, smoky, and fast.
Now that was a GREAT aircraft for airshows.
I saw 'em fly the F-100 in July '57.
ReplyDeleteDidn't see them again until a couple of years ago, here at the Redding Airshow.
There's another show this year.
The Snowbirds are coming this time.
I've seen the Snowbirds -- they're very good. One of the best things about bein' an AF Brat was I got to see a lot of airshows while growing up. I haven't seen very many since I left the AF, though.
DeleteThe Hun was my favorite for the 'Birds.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm guessing that the slot bird (when they flew the Phantom) either had its tail painted like the others but those smoky J-79s blackened it up right quick OR they know that would happen so they "painted it black" from the git go. (H/T to the Rolling Stones)
"Knew it would happen." (Dagnabit!)
DeleteI think the Stones had the answer...
DeleteI've not been a huge maven of the air shows in my young life, but I do recall one from the late 90s, whenst I was working at Willow Run, the old WWII bomber plant, with the airfield right off the end of the plant. They used to put on some pretty cool shows there, but none since the late 90s, that I know of.
ReplyDeleteThis show had the Navy's Blue Angels in it, along with various and sundry stunt fliers, and they spent the week leading up to the show practicing, and acclimating themselves to the lay of the local landscape. We had a 2nd-floor office that looked out over the vast expanse of factory roof, so we had prime seats for practice. Once the Angels pulled a high-g maneuver over the roof, showing us their underbellies; I don't know how close they were to us, really, but it looked like only 100 yards or so. Real window-rattler, that one. Not a lot of work got done in the afternoons that week. . .
I have a similar story about the Blues practicing for Fleet Week in SFO. Except my story has my whole company out on the Bay in a "team building exercise," wherein everyone in the company got on this big-ass boat and proceeded to see if we could drink ALL of the free beer. As the Angels were practicing one of the solos did a VERY low pass over the boat which both scared and wowed the livin' Hell out of everyone. We all spent the rest of our time up on the top deck, watching for as long as they practiced. The practice days and the show were really spectacular given the setting...
DeleteI saw the F-4 show at Keesler in 73, and I rented a super-8 camera and bought plenty of film. Alas, said movie has been lost to the ages (grrr). I think I left it in Germany. Everything they flew since, has been like "wanna-be's" :-) There's just no comparison to the thunder.
ReplyDeleteYour last is SO true.
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