(Download a higher resolution picture
by clicking on any picture below.) Miramar Marine Corps Air Station
Airshow,
|
(Download a higher resolution picture
by clicking on any picture below.)
The Miramar MCAS Airshow was held from October 17 to 19, 2003. Here is a selection of images taken on October 18.
The crowd line at Miramar faces nearly due south. The sun is in front of the crowd all day. The humid air is very conducive to the formation of vapor during high-speed and high-G flight by the fast jets. By the end of the day the air temperature and humidity were both in the 90s. Many of the spectators were sporting red, sunburned faces.
Base search and rescue Bell HH-1N Huey, 158554
made a circuit of the airfield before the show. It wears tail
code SY.
John Helton lands his Piper J3L-65
Cub N26170 on a Chevy Van, billed as the World's Smallest
Aircraft Carrier. The Cub was built in 1940.
Bud Collver taxis North American
SNJ-5 Texan, N1038A War Dog out for the opening of the
airshow. War Dog has been a familiar sight at Southern
California airshows for over fifteen years.
McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier,
164119 #13 of VMA-211 based at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station,
Arizona in vertical flight mode. It wears tail code CF.
Link to the VMA-211 page.
Lockheed KC-130F Hercules, 149795
of VMGR-352 based at Miramar MCAS running up engines number 3 and
4 in preparation for the airshow. It wears tail code QB.
Link to GlobalSecurity.org's page about VMGR-352.
Lockheed KC-130T Hercules, 164999
of VMGR-234 based at Fort Worth,Texas also starting up its
engines. It wears tail code QH.
Link to GlobalSecurity.org's page about VMGR-234.
Patty Wagstaff autographed programs
for her fans after her dynamic aerobatic performance.
Link to Patty Wagstaff's Aerobatics Source web site.
Boeing-Rockwell B-1B Lancer,
86-0112 of the 9th Bombardment Squadron based at Dyess AFB, Texas
takes off. It wears tail code DY.
Vapor forms over the wing and in
the wing tip vortices streaming from Boeing-Rockwell B-1B Lancer,
86-0112 during a high-speed afterburner pass.
Fokker C-31A Troopship, 85-1607 of
the U. S. Army Golden Knights parachute demonstration team taxis
out with a load of parachutists. It has been used by the Golden
Knights since 1985. It is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Fokker C-31A Troopship, 85-1607 of
the Golden Knights taxis onto the runway with a load of
parachutists.
Link to GlobalSecurity.org's page about the Fokker C-31A Troopship.
Boeing-Rockwell B-1B Lancer,
86-0112 taxis back to the ramp following its performance.
Stearman E75, N802RB of the Red
Baron Pizza aerobatic team. It carries Boeing construction number
75-6451 and was built in 1943.
Link to the Red Baron Squadron web page.
Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, NX773RD Marine's Dream has been
owned by Ray Dieckman of Cincinnatti, Ohio since 1996.
North American P-51D Mustang,
N151AF Val Halla wears post war Air Force markings. Its
North American construction number is 124-48278. It has been
registered to the Heritage Flight Museum of Eastsound, Washington
since February 1999. Its pilot is Bill Anders, who was on the
Apollo 8 mission to the moon in 1968. Val Halla still wears its
original Army Air Force serial number of 45-11525. It entered the
civil register in March 1982 as N91JB. It was owned by John
Macguire of Texas. After 1984, it was operated as Silver
Ghost by the War Eagles Air Museum of Santa Theresa, New
Mexico.
The Goodyear construction number of FG-1D Corsair, NX773RD is
3694. Its Navy BuNo was 92433 and it still carries that number on
its tail. It was displayed at the Movieland of the Air Museum at
the Orange County Airport in the 1960s.
Stearman PT-17s of the Red Baron
Pizza aerobatic team open the show by circling a parachutist with
an American flag while The Star Spangled Banner plays
over the loudspeakers.
Stearman PT-17s of the Red Baron
Pizza aerobatic team open the show by circling a parachutist with
an American flag while The Star Spangled Banner plays
over the loudspeakers.
Stearman PT-17s of the Red Baron
Pizza aerobatic team perform a formation loop.
Stearman PT-17, N805RB of the Red
Baron Pizza aerobatic team carries Boeing construction Number
75-2729. It was built in 1941.
The Red Bull Lim-5 (MiG-17), NX117BR taxis in at the end of its
aerobatic performance.
Lockheed KC-130F Hercules, 149795
of VMGR-352 flies the Jolly Roger as it taxis out for the Marine
Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) demonstration.
Lockheed KC-130T Hercules, 164999
of VMGR-234 based at Fort Worth,Texas taxis out for a refueling
demonstration.
A trio of Boeing-McDonnell-Douglas
Hornets taxis onto the runway; F/A-18C #303 and #305 of VMFA-232
and F/A-18D, 164651, #04 of VMFA(AW)-242. The tail code of
VMA-211 is WT and the tail code of VMFA(AW)-242 is DT.
A pair of McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B
Harriers follow the Hornets onto the runway; #09 and #14 of
VMA-214 based at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station, Arizona. They
wear tail code WE.
Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, NX773RD returns to the ramp.
Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallions #17 of HMH-466 Wolfpack
and #67 of HMH-465 Warhorse based at Miramar MCAS have engaged
the refueling drogues of Lockheed KC-130F Hercules, 149795 of
VMGR-352.
Link to HMH-466 Wolfpack web site
Lockheed KC-130T Hercules, 164999
of VMGR-234 with a pair of AV-8B Harriers of VMA-214 and a pair
of F/A-18C Hornets of VMFA-232.
AV-8B Harrier #14 of VMA-214 and an
F/A-18C Hornet of VMFA-232 have engaged the refueling drogues of
Lockheed KC-130T Hercules, 164999 of VMGR-234.
Boeing-Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight,
157670, #02 of HMM-165 White Knights picks up ground troops
during the MAGTF demonstration. It wears tail code WK.
Boeing-Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight,
157670, #02 of HMM-165 White Knights picks up ground troops.
Link to the HMM-165 White Knights web site.
Link to GlobalSecurity.org's page about HMM-165 White Knights
Vapor shrouds the wings of
Boeing-McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18D Hornet, 164651, 04 of
VMFA(AW)-242 as it turns sharply during its egress from show
center.
Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallions #17 of HMH-465 and #67 of HMH-466 based at Miramar MCAS deliver artillary to the
MAGTF demonstration. They wear tail code YK.
Boeing-Vertol CH-46D Sea Knight,
154829, #07 and Sea Knight #12 of HMM-165 depart the drop zone as
a pair of Bell AH-1W Super Cobras move in to suppress enemy
gunfire.
A trio of Boeing-Vertol CH-46 Sea Knights of
HMM-165.
Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallions #17 of HMH-465 and #67 of HMH-466 depart the drop zone.
A cloud of vapor forms on the wings
of McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier #14 of VMA-214 as it pulls out
of its diving atack.
The next three frames are from a single near sonic pass by Boeing-McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18D Hornet, 164651, #04 of VMFA(AW)-242.
Vapor forms in the low pressure
surrounding Boeing-McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18D Hornet, 164651, #04
of VMFA(AW)-242.
Vapor billows in the low pressure
behind the shock wave over the wings of Boeing-McDonnell-Douglas
F/A-18D Hornet, 164651, #04 of VMFA(AW)-242.
The vapor cloud over the wings of
Boeing-McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18D Hornet, 164651 dissipated within
moments.
Page 2 of the 2003 Miramar MCAS Airshow
features a performance by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
Static Displays Page 1 - Combat Aircraft.
Static Displays Page 2 -
Transports, Tankers, Helicopters, Trainers, Electronics warfare
aircraft.
Static Displays Page 3 - Vintage Aircraft.
Go to the Airshow Page
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