Thursday Thunderbirds

As promised, here's more pictures of the Thunderin' Thunderbirds at Thunder Over Michigan

They demonstrated some serious precision formation flying

Lots of very precise formation maneuvers with no variation in spacing throughout the maneuver - everything was done perfectly, reflecting the ultra-high level of skill and hours of practice put in by these pilots.

The breakaway maneuver was very impressive.

An F-16 coming at you head on is quite the sight, and as soon as you see it, then WOOSH! - It's gone.

It was an awesome display of skill and precision by the USAF Thunderbirds.

Biplane-Curious? - The Screamin' Sasquatch Jet Biplane.

Thunder Over Michigan had a very curious biplane all its own.

The Jack Links Screamin' Sasquatch.

It's a Waco biplane - with a jet engine added.

They didn't just bolt on the jet engine, they had to structurally reinforce the plane to take the extra power.

This beast could stand on its tail and go straight up - and it did:

Then come right down in a twisting dive:

Here's a closer look at that propeller and jet configuration:

Something about a biplane having a jet engine just doesn't seem right, and the sound of a jet screaming overhead and all you see is a biplane flying by had a lot of people shaking their heads.

He put on quite the aerobatic display and he sure had power to spare, and then some.

Thursday Thunderbirds

After a hiatus due to a petulant Obama administration in administering the sequestration, The Air Force Demonstration Team, The Thunderbirds, came and rocked Thunder Over Michigan.

To say they put on an awesome display of airmanship would be an understatement.

The level of formation flying was beyond impressive.

The F-16 is a very nimble and fast aircraft, and the Thunderbirds made them dance across the sky.

Check out the biographies of the pilots on the team. These men and a woman have thousands of flying hours under their belts, including combat time. They don't just get in the planes, they wear them and make them instruments of their will.

Also check out the vital enlisted members of the team that keep the Thunderbirds flying.

The show was narrated by one of the Thunderbirds, and we also got some opportunities to hear commands form the cockpit of the lead bird as the pilot ordered different formations and movements.

If you find out the Thunderbirds are performing near you, be sure to go! It's an awesome and loud demonstration of American Air-power you won't soon forget.

I'll have more Thunderbirds pics up, so stay tuned for the next Thunderbirds Thursday.

The Airborne Obsession Of Murphy's Law - The 0-2 Skymaster

Some men obsess over guns, some cars, some women.

Murphy's Law is continuing his obsession with the 0-2 Skymaster:

A centerline thrust twin engine aircraft built by Cessna, the 0-2 served as an observation and Forward Air Controller Aircraft over the skies of Vietnam. With a push-pull design you can actually shut one engine down and keep flying, or have them both running for more power.

With a maximum speed of 200 mph and a range of 1,3215 miles, I'd reckon it'll take him wherever he wants to go quite a bit faster than in his trusty 172.

He came back after the aerial demonstration finished to talk again with the pilot and admire it:

It turns out the pilot is quite the expert on the 0-2, and assisted in restoring many to flying status on the civilian market. ML got his number, so you know what that likely means.

They are beautiful aircraft, and I suspect one will be tied up on ML's ramp sometime soon, replacing his 172.

B-24 Magic - Diamond Lil

One of only two B-24s currently in flyable condition, the Commemorative Air Force's Diamond Lil was at Thunder Over Michigan. The most produced bomber in American history and only two are still flying today.

Made famous by the Ploesti raids, this bomber fought in every theater in World War 2.

The 25th of over 18,000 B-24 Liberators built, Diamond Lil never saw combat, being damaged in a landing accident shortly after being built on its delivery flight and then used by its builder Consolidated Aircraft Corporation as a company transport.

The roar of her four radial engines was impressive.

A less well known function of the B-24 Liberator in World War 2 in addition to being a strategic bomber was its yeoman work as an anti-submarine patrol aircraft. With it's long range, B-24s were able to reach areas out of range of other aircraft and were responsible for sinking or assisting in the sinking of 93 U-Boats.

She also made a pass with the gear down:

The B-24s had many notable occupants as crew, including Jimmy Stuart and Congressman Stewart Udall.

While this B-24 was not one them, many a B-24 was built right at the home field of Thunder Over Michigan - Willow Run. At Willow Run, Henry Ford's Bomber Plant mass produced the B-24 Liberator for the allied war effort, and he turned them out at the rate of one per hour.

Diamond Lil is living history on the wing.

Ground Battle At Thunder Over Michigan

In addition to the airplanes, there were some serious ground reenactors present.
Whenever you get some reenactors together, a battle breaks out. In this case, Americans and Brits vs the Waffen SS.

It all started when a landmine flipped a US jeep, resulting in the driver getting captured by SS troops waiting in ambush.

Hand Hoche Amerikaner!

But then they see whats coming up the road:

Schiesse! Where'd all those troops come from?

Double Schiesse! They've Got tanks! Run Away!

We got 'em on the run boys!

Charge!

Let's use their guts to grease our treads!

The Germans retreat in the face of the armored assault:

Uh Oh, the Germans have brought up a Hetzer to join the fray.

Rally on der Hetzer!

The engagement becomes general:

Fire!

Advance!

The Allies emerged victorious after flanking the Hetzer with their Stuart tanks.

It was an interesting display of World War 2 weaponry and reenactors doing their thing for an appreciative audience.

Knights In Shining Parachutes - The US Army's Golden Knights

You don't need to fly a plane to wow the crowd at an air show. You can also impress by jumping out of a perfectly good working aircraft.

The US Army's parachute demonstration team, the Golden Knights certainly impressed.

The Knight's Fokker transport at altitude with the door open and ready for paratrooper deployment:

Jumper #1 is out:

Good chute:

And landing dead center of the landing zone for a perfect precision landing.

One was good, so next they decided to double the fun with a tandem jump.

Again a perfect landing right in the center of the landing zone.

Then the rest of the team jumped and did a formation parachute demonstration:

Again, they all landed perfectly in the landing zone in a remarkable display of control and precision.

That was a very impressive display of what a team with nothing more than parachutes, hard training, and a lot of guts can do. A great and thrilling demonstration.

King Of The Rare Birds - The P-63C Kingcobra

The only Bell P-63C Kingcobra currently flying made an appearance at Thunder over Michigan.

The engine in the Kingcobra, just like its predecessor the P-39 Airacobra, is behind the pilot, and the propeller shaft ran beneath the floor of the planes' cockpit.

Note the 37mm Cannon in the center of the propeller hub, and the twin fifties mounted above and synchronized to shoot through the four-bladed propeller.

In addition to the nose cannon, the air scoop is a very distinctive feature of this plane:

The P-63 also stands out as it is one of the few American World War Two Fighters with a tricycle landing gear configuration rather than being a tail-dragger.

While the US Army Air Force considered it inferior to the P-51 Mustang, the Russians liked them and received 2,397 via Lend-lease. They were used primarily as an air-to-air combat aircraft. The Russians didn't tend to use them for anti-tank missions, preferring their native Sturmovik for that role. it was a great to watch its pilot run this rare warbird through an aerobatic display.