TOM2018 - The Amazing Sean Tucker In The Oracle Challenger III

To say that Sean Tucker is a master aerobatic pilot would be a massive understatement.

Hammerhead rolls, loops, inverted maneuvers by the ton, and many more thrilling maneuvers were done and he made them all look easy.

Sean Tucker is the only pilot to perform a triple ribbon cut during a show. He flies through the ribbons, which are only 25 feet off the ground, at speed in a right knife-edge for the first ribbon, then left knife-edge, and finally inverted.

Here he zooms in toward the ribbon hanging between the poles, then  turning to make a knife-edge approach.

   He then snaps over to cut the ribbon in a knife-edge pass (Click to embiggen, I rather like this shot that I got just as he hit the ribbon):

All passes were low, fast, and perfect ribbon cuts. He didn't miss at any time.

Later, he landed with ease and taxi'd on by, waving to the audience to thunderous and well-deserved applause.

The incredible custom-built Oracle Challenger III is being donated by Sean Tucker to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

An Amazing talent and a thrilling aerobatic display.

TOM2018: The B17s

The Yankee Air Museum's Yankee Lady took to the skies as soon as the weather was decent to give rides, and then took a beak from giving rides and made some passes just for the airshow.

In addition to the Yankee Lady, The Commemorative Air Force had brought their own B17 to the show - Texas Raiders.

Both B-17s Did a simulated bombing run on the World War 2 reenactment that was taking place.

Some nice close shots as they both came in for landings. Yankee Lady then kept flying the rest of the day giving rides:

TOM2018: Warbird Flight

After the Kalitta Jet did its flyby, three warbirds went up for some formation flying.

An F4U Corsair

An SB2C Helldiver:

A Grumman TBM Avenger Model E:

They did some formation flying, but the TBM tended to not be tight with the other two aircraft, making capturing all three in a shot tricky.

The F4U and Helldiver tended to stay closer together:

Then the Helldiver and TBM landed.

The F4U remained aloft and did further aerial demonstrations on its own.

This included loops and rolls.

It was an excellent formation and aerobatic demonstration of some very historic warbirds.

TOM2018: An Unexpected Airshow Opener

After the C-47 took off, the airshow began.

A Grumman TBM Avenger and a Dauntless SBD started idling on the taxiway and everyone expected they would be up first.

But wait, hold the airshow, a cargo jet needs to leave ASAP.

You don't see too many 747s around these days. No longer doing passenger service, Kalitta Air, a major freight carrier needed to get this plane going after being stuck due to the weather.

A nice takeoff and with a roar of her engines she was gone into the haze.

Ok, everyone figured the show would then start with the TBM and Dauntless taking off.

Then she came back:

Note that she's lower than a bird in that picture and coming in just above tree-top level.

A head-on view of a 747 was something to behold (Click 'em to embiggen and get the full flavor of a Jumbo Jet coming right at you.:

Completing the pass, she headed off on her way,

A very cool surprise opener to the show. Kalitta did not do that demonstration the next day, so this was something special.

TOM2018: C-47D Hairless Joe

The weather started to lift and the planes giving rides began to take off.

Hairless Joe, the recently renamed Yankee Air Museum C-47 Transport which would fly throughout the day giving rides was also available to be seen up close.

Hairless Joe is named after the aircraft flown by Jimmy Doolitle's copilot on the Doolitle Raid when he served after the raid in the 1st Air Commando Group.

Get a load of the rudder during the preflight:

It's not attached at the top except via a control cable. They tightened it up as they did the preflight.

Imagine loading up via this door before a jump over enemy territory:

She then taxi'd to the runway:

She flew beautifully:

A classic warbird, the new historic livery certainly does it justice.

Thunder Over Michigan 2018 - The Fighters, Attack Aircraft, And More On Static Display

There was a Thunderbolt, a P47D to be exact:

Later, we got the lightning and the rain to accompany it.

There was a gorgeous P-51C done up in Tuskegee Airmen colors.

An FM-2 Wildcat, unfortunately still in its protective wrappings and considering the storm that was to hit, it was a wise idea, but not great for nice photography.

For those with more modern taste, there was a sharp looking F16 out of Ohio.

It's not a Airshow unless Bert makes an appearance. Bert who? Brrrrt the A-10, of course.

Of course, you can't kick ass without tanker gas, and the Michigan Air National Guard had a tanker on display:

It was so big and where it was located I couldn't get a decent shot with the whole plane in it.

Then the squall line reached us and the ran began to fall, so we beat a hasty retreat to the photo tent and waited it out.

Finally at 13:00 the rain ceased and the clouds rose enough that the airshow could begin.

TOM2018: There Is A Doc In The House

Perhaps the star of the static display, there was indeed a Doc in the house:

The B-29 "Doc" made a static appearance at Thunder Over Michigan.

All of it polished to a shine, including the bomb bay doors.

The tail gunner position in detail:

A gorgeous piece of flying history.