Multi National airshow exceeding expectations

It was a last minute decision to make a trip to the USA due to cancellation of another trip and I joined up with friends for the second week of their trip which included this Air show. American air shows can often be underwhelming but of course they are free too so we cant complain! But this show exceeded all expectations with a superb static display and personally my last chance to see A-10s in a flying display.

After a long wait to get in due to the usual necessary security you are first treated to some nicely displayed preserved aircraft in the warrior park including my favourite fighter an F-4E Phantom II .

Some of the highlights in the static as seen in the photos on this page were two special marked 'Peace Carvin' Republic of Singapore Air Force(RSiAF) F-16s and RSiAF AH-64D Longbow Apache and two Oregon Air National Guard F-15 Eagles made the trip . We heard they only got the budgetary OK last minute. We were extremely grateful to see the beautiful special marked Sandman jet in attendance. The scheme commemorates the heroic actions of David R. Kingsley, bombardier on a B-17 named "Sandman" during a raid over Ploesti, Romania. The B-17 was hit and doomed but Kingsley noticed the tail-gunner was wounded and his parachute was missing. Kingsley gave the gunner his own parachute. He died a hero and is honoured for his supreme sacrifice with this special scheme. The airfield the 114th FS "Eager Beavers" jets are based at in Portland is also called Kingsley Field.

Also on display were two Canadian Forces CF-188 Hornets ,an ATAC civilian owned ex French Air Force Dassault Mirage F.1CR and an ex Israel Self Defence Force F-16A operated by locally based Top Aces. This jet also sported a Syrian jet kill mark. Both are contracted for DACT - Dissimilar Air Combat Training and a few were here on detachment to test the Luke based squadrons and the visiting Canadians.

The KC-135 Stratotanker's days are now numbered with new KC-46A Pegasus tankers finally coming on line and a Phoenix based Arizona ANG KC-135 was in the static with recently applied special tiger marks.

There was also a huge C-5M Galaxy and an anonymous C-130J Hercules showing the new unwelcome instruction of not displaying a serial number , tail code or squadron marks. The serial number was only visible on the tiny data block.

The A-10 in static and indeed the two which flew as part of the tactical demo were from the 47th Fighter Squadron 'Dogpatchers' Air Force reserve squadron coded DP based at Davis Monthan air base,AZ The two jets in the flying display sported small nose art and were named 'Appagionata' and 'The Wrecker'. I didn't notice if the static jet had nose art. The put on a superb demo along with two Holloman based F-16s and two Luke based F-35s.

We were also treated to a solo flying display by Maj Lindsay Johnson in 'Black Lightning' the former IN ANG A-10C now based at Davis Monthan and re-coded DM. It has also lost its 100years ANG commemorative marks. The South East Asia camo Warthog being back up jet also looking great. 

The F-35A solo demo was as impressive as ever too. For the 2024 season in the hands of Capt. Melanie “MACH” Kluesner from the 388th FW at Hill AFB Utah.

The Thunderbirds rounded off the flying display and put on a great performance as always.

All in all a very enjoyable show and also mercifully cooler than it can be in Phoenix but still with some sunshine too.

Author & photography: Paul Newbold