Xema
09-30-2007, 07:46 PM
This was a giant event held in Columbus, OH this weekend. I got invited because I know the event organizer. He gave me and a friend VIP tickets.
It was about the best airshow I've ever attended (and I've been to Oshkosh 7 times). Displays included: C-5A, C-17, B-52, B-17, B-25, C-47, C-130, T-6, P-38, P-40, P-47, P-63, F-16, F-15, F-18, F-22 and something like 88 P-51s (the largest gathering ever, and more than half of those still flying).
Airshow highlights included the Thunderbirds, Stearmans (Stearmen?), Extra 300, T-6, P-38, P-47, P-63, B-17, B-25, F-15, F-18, F-22 (absolutely amazing), and many, many flights by P-51s. Perhaps the highlight was a close-formation 4-ship flyby: F-15, F-18, F-22 and P-51. I know a couple of guys who were there with their own P-51s and they were quite impressed with everything about this event.
The "Legends" were original P-51 pilots and other celebrities. I shook hands with Bob Hoover, whom many pilots regard as the greatest of all of them. Several original Tuskgee Airmen were there.
Arnold Palmer was there, not because he's a P-51 pilot, but because Lee Lauderback (event organizer) started out as his private pilot. (Arnold has a reputation as one of the nicest people you could meet, and he did nothing to dispel this - a class act.) Not present was Chuck Yeager, who is apparently a serious prima donna, and whose exotic terms for appearance could not be met.
Weather was absolutely perfect. I haven't heard the official attendance figures, but I heard estimates of over 100,000 each day.
I've decided the VIP ticket is the way to go (especially when it's a gift). We had a giant tent, free food (of high quality), soft drinks, wine and beer, and a front-row-center view of the airshow.
It isn't likely this event will happen again, but if it should, by all means be there.
It was about the best airshow I've ever attended (and I've been to Oshkosh 7 times). Displays included: C-5A, C-17, B-52, B-17, B-25, C-47, C-130, T-6, P-38, P-40, P-47, P-63, F-16, F-15, F-18, F-22 and something like 88 P-51s (the largest gathering ever, and more than half of those still flying).
Airshow highlights included the Thunderbirds, Stearmans (Stearmen?), Extra 300, T-6, P-38, P-47, P-63, B-17, B-25, F-15, F-18, F-22 (absolutely amazing), and many, many flights by P-51s. Perhaps the highlight was a close-formation 4-ship flyby: F-15, F-18, F-22 and P-51. I know a couple of guys who were there with their own P-51s and they were quite impressed with everything about this event.
The "Legends" were original P-51 pilots and other celebrities. I shook hands with Bob Hoover, whom many pilots regard as the greatest of all of them. Several original Tuskgee Airmen were there.
Arnold Palmer was there, not because he's a P-51 pilot, but because Lee Lauderback (event organizer) started out as his private pilot. (Arnold has a reputation as one of the nicest people you could meet, and he did nothing to dispel this - a class act.) Not present was Chuck Yeager, who is apparently a serious prima donna, and whose exotic terms for appearance could not be met.
Weather was absolutely perfect. I haven't heard the official attendance figures, but I heard estimates of over 100,000 each day.
I've decided the VIP ticket is the way to go (especially when it's a gift). We had a giant tent, free food (of high quality), soft drinks, wine and beer, and a front-row-center view of the airshow.
It isn't likely this event will happen again, but if it should, by all means be there.