I don't subscribe to the local newspaper.....

[CHARLIE]

I don't subscribe to the local newspaper so I usually have no idea what is going on around here.  But that is the way I like it.......sometimes.  I had to make a run downtown this morning and saw 3 biplanes flying in formation. New Richmond has the 5th largest airfield in Wisconsin (for smaller planes and private jets), so seeing planes is not unusual, but seing 3 biplanes in formation was.  I stopped and watched awhile and then went on about my business. After I got home, I was working in the shop and heard a lot of airplanes. "What in the cathair is going on!" I thought.  I ran outside (OK......I ain't run in DanG near 22 years and probably forgot how) to see 4, AT6 Trainers from WWII era flying around in formation.  Being mildly curious and loving airplanes, I jumped in my truck and headed for the airfield.  They were having an airshow!  I've never been to one, so I paid the entry fee and really had a good time.  I missed some of the airshow but got to see 4 small stunt biplanes, a stunt monoplane and a steerman biplane perform stunts. And when I say stunts.....those guys are NUTS!  What they did sent chills down my spine!  I saw a lot of snap rolls, barrel rolls, inverted loops and outsided loops but what got me was the stunts they did with no power. They would fly straight up until the plane couldn't climb any higher and just hung there.  Then as they fell, they'd do rolls, flat spins and just flop around up there. The monoplane actually did a forward roll end over end! One of the biplanes came out of a stall and flew upside down at a 45° angle toward the ground! How the heck they know where they are is beyond my imagination. I wouldn't know if I was downside up or where I was.  One guy even took an old J-3 Cub up and floated around up there, kind of flopping all over the place with little power. He even did a few loops with it and they aren't stunt rated that I know of.  Anyway, I sure did enjoy myself. I also saw the AT6 Trainers up close, an old Seabee (RC-3) and a AC47, which I think was the same as a DC-3. The AC47 had been used in Vietnam and had 3 miniguns mounted that could fire up to 6,000 rounds per minute each.   I sure wish I'd known about the airshow earlier, but I still ain't gonna subscribe to the local paper. ;D 

[Paul_H]

Charlie,
I can relate.My small hometown had an annual airshow and it was a lot of fun watching the stunts that the pilots did with their aircraft.There was a local man that had a Harvard from the late 40's and he buzzed the Logger Sports parade on year when I was around 15 years old.Me and some friends were up on the roof of a store and the Harvard dropped in really low,like scratch his belly low and then climbed in a long arc and came back again for another.What a thrill.He took some flak from the powers that be over it all but he is/was half crazy so it was all water off a Duck's back.

I'm glad you didn't miss the show.

[CHARLIE]

Paul, those pilots aren't half crazy, they are full blown NUTS!!  Sure glad they have no fear 'cause it sure was fun watching them spiral straight down at the ground at 200 mph or more and pull back up at the last minute.  I was serious when I said that I could not figure out how they knew where they were, 'cause they were flipping every whichaway!  I think if I had been in the cockpit I would have lost every meal I had eaten for the last 2 weeks!

[Ianab]

Yup.. a good airshow is a day well spent  :D

This is one show I want to go and see one year... plenty of cool planes here   8)
http://www.warbirdsoverwanaka.co.nz/article_2006.asp?id=aircraft

Sometimes you see planes that are just amazing. Hawker Harrier jumpjet, and big Russian cargo plane were pretty impressive. Other times it's something you dont expect that makes an impression. Formation crop dusting or a suprise full throttle low level pass trom a turbo prop airliner. Seeing something you have flown in go past at 300mph, 100 feet up and in a 90 deg bank makes ya go WOW, even though it's a plane you see every day.

The local topdressing company putting on a show at the Fieldays.


Cheers

Ian

[SwampDonkey]

I've never been to one of the air shows, but in the last few years I think 2 or 3 of them snow bird pilots crashed. Just recently I heard of one more, can't remember if he was a snowbird though.

As far as the local news papers, I don't subscribe to them either because they are too biased of their owners in Saint John.  :