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If you are reading this, you know about both and have probably attended and watched them all. The airshows can be small, at local airfields, or grand, like Chicago’s Waterfront extravaganza, Paris, or Farnborough, the aircraft can vary from small private aircraft, the sporty Putts and Yaks, to vintage ones, from WWI and WWII warbirds up to the teams, the Blues, the Birds, and Red Arrows. They all capture young and old for different reasons. The kids dream the old guys are also dreaming of the good days of yore. I’ve done both.
Airshows can be small or large, but they all capture young and old for different reasons.
My first airshow was at Olathe Naval Air Station, featured were the Blue Angels in either Panthers or Cougars, I do not remember which. They were Blue Jets. My most recent was at Atlanta’s Peachtree Airport, where the display included an F-35 Lighting II, a Corsair, and the Thunderbirds. It was probably one of the several hundred I’ve seen; it was my grandson’s first. It was special for both of us.
My most recent airshow featured an F-35.
In between, I have seen the Patrolle de France, The Red Arrows at their home fields and watched the Birds and Blues perform in their Phantoms at Paris in 1972, one of the few times the teams have performed at the same venue. The Phantoms were still top of the line. Smoke and noise were still unmatched, and they drew cheers from the friends of America and boos and the one-finger salute from several on the other side. It was great. A French hot dog gave me a bad night. It was worth it.
Along the way, I was involved with the USAF’s demo program. They used Eagles, Vipers, and Warthogs to show the flag across North America and in some foreign countries. The Navy did the same with their Hornets and Tomcats. Small teams could visit smaller places and show America’s men and women practicing their craft, making moms and dads proud, and getting not a few recruits. I’ll spend the rest of this talking about the Eagle demos.
F-15A on max climb just after takeoff.
My first introduction to the demos was with the one of the First Tactical Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia—the first operational F-15 unit. It was a show dog, advertising the Eagle to audiences across the Nation. The original Eagle routine was contrived by the pilots at Edwards and was designed to showcase the agility and power of the Eagle. I had met some of those pilots, but my first contact with the Air Force Eagle demo guy was with a friend I had served with at George Air Force Base, California, Mike Ridnour. Mike was the first of the first, and under close supervision of the commander, Larry Welch, honed the demo profile and took it around the country. In my book, Mike is demo number one, and all others followed his lead.
49th Tactical Fighter Wing Demo Maintenance Team.
Later, I was assigned as the Director of Operations of the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 49th was home of Tactical Air Command’s (TAC) West Coast Eagle Demo Team; the East Coast team remained at Langley. We shared the responsibility for shows across the nation. Later, on a special event, I had reason to work closely with the East Coast demo pilot, but in the main, TAC scheduled our event and we worked mostly west of the Mississippi while the Langley team covered the other side.
I was new to the Eagle in the summer of 1988. One of my first jobs was to supervise the checkout schedule of our new pilot, the one from the previous show season. Tex had been chosen to lead our William Tell team. Desert Storm got in the way of the 1990 event since the real-world exercise of our jets and weapons was rightly deemed good enough evidence of capability and lethality.
The new demo pilot, Mitch, had been chosen, and his checkout was completing as I arrived. The narrator (another Eagle driver) had been selected along with the maintenance team so that die was cast. Mitch and the other pilots performed flawlessly.
The shows would be scheduled by TAC, but we had notice for planning. The maintainers, typically led by a highly qualified staff sergeant and comprised of specialists in engines, avionics, and aircraft systems, would go via commercial airline on Thursday to be in place at a show location to be in place to receive the two Eagles on Friday for shows over the weekend.
A demo team was in many ways an independent operation. They planned the mission, scoped out the airfield, much like the Thunderbirds do for terrain, obstacles, and airfield facilities. The Birds have a bigger job, working with formations demands more detailed surveys, but the responsibilities are similar. Execution of a safe operation and representation of the United States Air Force, in the air and on the ground. Awesome responsibility for young pilots and enlisted. Over my three years of experience, their performance and appearance were flawless. I never lost a night of sleep when the demos were on the road and got lots of phone calls and letters attesting to their behavior and professionalism.
My second year I picked the team. By then I knew the Eagle and my pilots. There were always volunteers and recommendations. My second-year demo pilot was Dan, “Dragon”. There was a strict syllabus for a demo checkout. The first flight was in an F-15B, the “Tub”, two-seater with the outgoing demo pilot in the rear cockpit. The next few were flown off station at Davis Monthan Air Force Base. The last checkout was with me in the back seat. Not fun. The demo profile has about fifteen minutes of aggressive, high-G maneuvering. Even when you know it is coming, seven to nine G’s are “impressive” for a passenger.
I should spend a few lines on the demo traveling team. There was of course the pilot and the other officer was the narrator, also an Eagle driver, hand selected through interview. He used a script, provided by TAC, modified to fit his style. He had it memorized and the show location provided the public address system. The enlisted guys were also selected from across the wing’s maintenance population. They were skilled and tech-savvy and were able to work independently on their specialties and were members of the crew that launched, recovered, and services the two Eagles. Heck, they were the team. There was no formal chain of command, the demo pilot was the boss, and the senior enlisted oversaw his part and the other maintainers.
I do not recall any highlights from Dragon’s year, which is a statement of success. I do know he went on to have a military career including resting of operational capabilities and foreign equipment exploitation. Currently, he is the Chief Test Pilot for the Air Force’s next-generation trainer. No surprise for me.
Spad with Commander of Chilean Air Force.
My third demo was another highly qualified Eagle driver, Spad. His selection and checkout followed that of Mitch and Dragon. The big deal of the Spad’s tour was the selection of the 49th Team to represent the Air Force at RFIDAE 90, an international air show in Santiago, Chile. This was the first appearance of the American military since the revolution several years earlier. It was a big event. We would fly two demos every day over five days and be the featured display.
The team expanded to include Air Force photographers, a bright young Public Affairs officer, and an expanded team of maintainers and spare parts. We had a KC-10 for transport, which allowed taking a spare engine, the parts, and test equipment. It was right-sized and allowed us to fly the full schedule. We took three single-seaters, not wanting to have to offer or refuse any flights by local dignitaries.
It was a great trip and we were treated as visiting celebs. Later Spad went on to be Thunderbird Lead. He was a perfect fit. I treasure an autographed photo of him in a max climb out of the FiDAE air space, and his comment to my grandson, “I’d follow your Granddad anywhere.” This is especially poignant since he gunned me on my last flight at Holloman. Not long ago Spad perished in an aircraft accident. RIP to a wonderful guy, an outstanding officer, and a man his family and many of us miss.
Today outstanding aviators, guys, and gals fly America’s finest iron, crewed by exceptional enlisted men and women. The planes are technological marvels with turn, climb and G-rates that never fail to impress. Go to an Air Show and take your family and friends. Wave at them when they fly by. Even as they tickle the sound barrier, they will know and appreciate you!
As a closure, there are many Demo pilots—Snort, TC, Fogy, Gork, to name a few more. The all deserve your thanks. And If you know of others, don’t hesitate to give them a shout-out.
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Steve, my wife and I took our oldest daughter to an airshow at Maxwell AFB with the T-Birds capping off the day — she loved it! I told her of the Juvats ‘2-snakes’ salute where, as you taxied out, you would raise your two arms, like Conan the Barbarian, in a salute to the SOF in the tower. If he too was a Juvat, he had to return the salute, or else buy you a drink. As the T-Birds were taxiing out, I flashed the salute to each of them and finally got a return salute from #5. When the show was over and the pilots were ‘working the rope’ shaking hands and signing autographs for the crowd, I saw #5 coming and, as he neared where he had seen me flash the salute, he flashed it and I responded. He immediately came up to me and introduced himself with his Juvat callsign and I responded with mine. Those demo pilots are a ‘cut above’ the average fighter jock! Hope to see you at our next Daedalian meeting!
Cheers & Check 6! — Boots
My little man has been to several airshows but my favorite one that he attended was the Lancaster (KLNS) Airshow last year! They had a “Widow Maker” who taxied back while the organizers lined up all the children on the ramp. The announcer then told the kids to spread their hands out and give the Corsair pilot the signal to raise his wings up, then down, then up, then down … the kiddos had the time of their life doing this! And the bird wasn’t even flying! It taught me a lesson too: Planes don’t have to fly to be fun!
AlexGrest story. One of my best experiences was in Chile whe that brought out callas rooms of kiddo never seen an airplane up close. My guys pilots and maintnresxwewxas excises the kids.excited
Very good article
Thanks. Good people. Good times good memories. Glad you enjoyed them
My wife really likes air shows, which does not seem like her usual taste. Thanks for an interesting view from another side.
And to the editors, this article could really have used more editing. Somewhat painful at times.
Peter thanks for your reply. Lucky guy to to have a mate that enjoys the air show environment. I was as well. Don’t beat up the editors. They did some clean up on isle 6 but I am an engineer by education and a (old) fighter pilot by good luck The style is mine. But I would appreciate any hints and comments. Learning is a life journey.
Steve
Great article, Steve. Would love to meet you some day as we are neighbors. As an old Thud driver and combat veteran we likely have a lot in common. An interesting perspective via the air show POV…I met and spent some time at Davis Monthan AFB several years ago and we were hosted by the 357th TFS, a former Thud squadron at Takhli, Thailand in 1967.
The A-10’s that the demo pilot was flying did a fabulous job and impressed a bunch of us old Thud jocks.
Interestingly, the demo pilot was the GRANDSON of a friend of mine and a Thud pilot who was unfortunately KIA during my tour. It’s a small world…..
Ca. Send me an email. Let’s see what we can do. I was in UPT at Vance when the first Thud drives showed up Dick Hackford, Solomon Burke, John Casper, SlyevevSanders and, yes Meryl Defelson. I remember them all.
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