Every day at Airventure is an adventure! Today I elected to walk to the Fun Fly Field which plays host to everything ultralight. I took up station under the tail of a Grumman Widgeon to shelter from the Wisconsin sun.
In the Fun Fly Park, you can browse anything from powerplants to propellers, instruments and everything in between. I took a stroll around to see what was on offer. Some very interesting flying machines can be had for relatively little money in the USA. Also, the fact that some ultralight aviation can be done without a medical here and some even without a license this is sure to stimulate the flying industry.
The afternoon airshow promised to be another hit, I retired to the comfort of camp Plakkerfontein to catch up on some editing and writing the first part of this report.
Equipment charged and myself refuelled, I headed down to the show centre for today's airshow. I managed to snag prime position right at show centre in a media enclosure. It was a full program!
The afternoon airshow started off with a paradrop with the American flag proudly displayed and the anthem ringing out through the PA system.
JAARS is a non-profit with the goal of out-reach work. They displayed their Helio Courier. The STOL capabilities certainly impressed.
Several Vintage aircraft were on display next. The Howard DGA, Lockheed 60 and a beautifully polished Swift made an appearance.
Skip Stewart gave another high energy performance in his highly modified Pitts Special called Prometheus.
With is being Jet Day at Airventure a large formation of jet trainers was launched. The pure blue sky made for fantastic photography!
The Mig 17 was the Soviet answer to the American made F86 Sabre. The largest ever formation of Mig 17's displayed at Airventure. It was announced that this is a new record for EAA Airventure.
Greg Koontz was also on hand with his bright red Citabria. His ongoing commentary during his routine had me wondering how he was not out of breath. An excellent display indeed!
Next up was possibly one of the shiniest P51 Mustangs that I have ever seen! It glinted in the summer skies as it made its' initial dive for the program at 500mph!
Michael Goulian is no stranger to high performance aerobatics. A previous USA National Champion and Red Bull AirRace pilot he always brings high G excitement to any crowd!
The C17 first flew in 1991 and it is one of the mainstays of the USA military. It delivers ground forces and other types of cargo to the far reaches of the globe. It is literally the Swiss Army knife of the US Airforce.
The F22 Demo Team also displayed again on Thursday. Razz Larson takes the F22 through an exhilarating display. It flies like no other aircraft!
How do you make a beautiful blue-sky day go IMC? You invite Matt Younkin to the party. His lovely Beech 18 has a smoke system that very few aircraft do.
The EA 18 Growler is the successor of the F18. It features advanced electronic warfare technology. The Growler Demo team brought the noise on the Thursday afternoon.
The energy drink brand Red Bull has extreme sports at the core of their business. The Red Bull Airforce brought Kevin Coleman in his Extra 300L and Aaron Fitzgerald in the BO105. They kept the crowd well entertained.
The Victory Flight was launched that featured the Spitfire, Hurricane and Mustang. These machines evoke memories from days gone by.
This years' Airventure is full of surprises the B1 Bomber made a welcome return. The blue hue from its' afterburners is a highlight!
With that day four concludes! What a day it was, see you again tomorrow for highlights from the international parade and day 5's flying action.
