Category Archives: Airshows

Following pictures of  flying CAF SoCal aircraft, static CAF aircraft, and static civilian aircraft, plus a first batch of static military aircraft, it’s time for one more batch before we get to the main course.

Perhaps not strictly military in this iteration, this is the Breitling Jet Team prior to their takeoff. They put on an exceptionally good show.

A C-130 cargo plane with four big turboprop engines.

The front of a helicopter, with a big camera platform hanging off the nose.

That same helicopter from the side, with one of the propeller blade coming at us like a cheezy 3-D movie. I’m about 99% sure this is a Blackhawk, but if I’m a member of the 1%, someone will correct me, I’m sure. (That’s one of the reasons the Internet was invented.)

An A-6 Intruder.

Again, perhaps not strictly military at the moment, this MK-58 Hawker Hunter is one of many owned by a company called ATAC. They fly these as targets in military training flights, among other things.

Another C-130 variant?

A C-17 cargo jet. These things are freakin’ huge. Not quite as freakin’ huge as a C-5 Galaxy, but there’s huge and then there’s huger, if you know what I mean.

It’s a treat to watch a C-17 demonstration. Even with a full load these things can take off in an obscenely short distance, even on an unpaved runway or remote site. Better yet, they can land on that unpaved runway or remote site in the first place, then stop on a dime and give you nine cents change.

Following pictures of  flying CAF SoCal aircraft, static CAF aircraft, and static civilian aircraft, let’s look at some military hardware up close and personal. (There’s a LOT to see at an airshow!)

The pointy end of your standard issue F-18 Hornet fighter. The lens makes it look much further away than it is. When I say “up close and personal,” the emphasis is on “close.” Touching the planes is a good way to be asked to leave, possibly with an escort and to a place other than where you want to go, but just getting a good look? That’s easy.

This is simultaneously both the “go fast” and “stop fast” end of the F-18 Hornet. Those two engines with afterburners can push you vertical with ease, and up to Mach 1.8 (1,190 mph). That big hook in the middle is how you stop eleven tons of flying machine on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

The B-52 bombers just keep going and flying on forever. These planes were built prior to the birth of their pilot’s parents for the most part, but they keep getting upgraded and maintained and nothing better’s been developed yet.

The best utility of a BUFF (or any other large cargo or transport plane) at an airshow is providing shade!

The A-6 Intruder. That weird proboscis? That’s where you nuzzle up to the nozzle hanging down from the tanker for mid-air refueling.

The A-6 in profile, and amazingly, without anyone standing in the way! I think I waited ten minutes for that to happen.

The E-2 Hawkeye is a communications center in the air and a reconnaissance platform. It can simultaneously track over 2,000 targets and up to a 100 ongoing target intercepts over an area out to over 400 miles. That’s a lot of command and control.

These big eight-blade propeller make a lot of noise and deliver a lot of thrust, always useful on a carrier takeoff. They also sound odd compared to a jet, which is why this plane is sometimes called the “Hummer.”

The big dome on the top rotates as the radar system works. The double, extra wide tail is needed to deal with the disruption of the air coming over and around the radar disc.

Last Wednesday I shared pictures of our CAF SoCal aircraft flying at August’s Point Mugu airshow. Friday I shared static aircraft from other CAF units. Today, static aircraft from other civilian owners.

Shiny! I’ve seen this Beech C-45 Expediter at many airshows. It’s stunning.

The C-45 will carry two pilots and five passengers over 1,500 miles at a cruise speed of 207 mph, with a max speed of 234 mph and a max altitude of 23,300 feet. This would be a fantastic plane to own as a personal aircraft!

More shiny! This is, of course, a P-51 fighter, in a different configuration and paint scheme from ours.

Aside from the paint (or lack thereof), the biggest difference between this P-51 and the one we fly is that this one has not been converted to fly with a passenger.

This is another Beech C-45, an “H” model. Different paint scheme, but more similarities than differences.

Look at the lights on the nose, the landing gear, the vents in the leading edge of the wing between the engines and the fuselage — all the same as the silver plane. Some small differences in the engines, but planes can have different engines on the same body.

It’s still a great looking plane.

This aircraft started life as an Army B-24 bomber, then ended up as a Navy PB4Y-2 Privateer. This is a standard for nomenclature for plane types used in both the Army and Navy during World War II. For example, the Army B-25 bomber became the Navy PBJ – the PBJ we’re restoring at the CAF SoCal is a Marine aircraft, further upgraded with machine guns so that it could be used as an attack bomber instead of just as a bomber.

After World War II this aircraft went to the Coast Guard, then used in private service as an aerial tanker and fire bomber.

Finally, another SNJ trainer. As with the Army B-25 and Navy PBY, for trainers the Army had Texans, the Navy has SNJs, and the British had Harvards. Texan = SNJ = Harvard.

I don’t know who owns this one (I forgot to get a picture showing the plane’s “N-number” or registration number) but it might be part of the Condor Squadron that flies out of Van Nuys Airport.

Wednesday I shared pictures of our CAF SoCal aircraft flying at last month’s Point Mugu airshow. Today let’s look at the first batch of static aircraft (i.e., aircraft sitting on the ground) from that airshow. Most of these are from the CAF, but not the SoCal Wing.

This is from the CAF SoCal wing, our F8F Bearcat. You can also see the nose of our P-51 Mustang on the right hand side. I show this picture to note the SoCal Wing didn’t have any static aircraft at Point Mugu this time. The five aircraft we had were all flying and thus parked on the “hot ramp.”

Planes on the hot ramp can be seen by the public, but only from a distance. About a hundred yards off on the left, over by the C-53 (big, green airplane; see below), you can see a fence behind which people are standing. The general public and active aircraft don’t mix well and safety’s really important at an airshow, so planes with turning propellers and popping engines and large fuel loads are kept by themselves.

Also way off by themselves, for looking only, are the F-18s the Blue Angels fly. Again, a hot ramp, but theirs is right out in front where everyone can see them.

If you’re going to your first show, know the flight line is the place to grab a seat if you can. Generally, there will be fencing lining a long stretch more or less parallel to the main runway. The closer you can get to that fence, the better your view will be. Also, it will (hopefully) be sunny, so check the restrictions for the show you’re going to to see what you can bring in as far as umbrellas (usually okay) or pop-up pavilions or tents (usually not).

Two PT-22 Ryan trainers came out from the CAF Inland Empire Wing. These are “big brothers” to the PT-19 trainer that we have at the SoCal Wing, which I got to take a ride in last weekend.

I’ve shown these planes flying at our Wings Over Camarillo airshow, both this year and last year. (Different years, different pictures, same planes, same formation.)

Also from the CAF Inland Empire Wing are the aforementioned C-53 Skytrooper, “D-Day Doll,” and their Piper L-4 scout plane, tucked under the C-53’s wing on the left.

The C-53 is a variant on the C-47 cargo plane, with the C-53 modified to be utilized as a platform for dropping paratroopers.

The Inland Empire Wing has their facility out in Riverside, CA, and just as we do at the SoCal Wing, they sell rides in their aircraft, including D-Day Doll.

This German ME-108 is also a CAF aircraft (see the logo right above the wing at the rear of the cockpit window) brought out by the Third Pursuit Squadron.

Remember at the top I mentioned the hot ramp and the fence that separates it from the static aircraft and crowd? This picture is taken from the opposite viewpoint, with the fence right behind the ME-108’s tail and one of our aircraft off in the distance on the hot ramp. Just for reference.

The Third Pursuit Squadron operates out of Cable Airport in Upland and also brought out their Antonov AN-2, “Big Pandamonium.”

I’ve also posted pictures of Big Panda in flight at last year’s Wings Over Camarillo airshow. I have yet to get a flight in her, but hope to soon. She’s been out visiting in Camarillo several times in addition to her WOC appearances.