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2017 Dayton Airshow Marred By Thunderbird Accident But Highlighted by Other Performers
By Mike Heilman
The Thunderbirds diamond practices upon arrival to 2017 Dayton Air Show. The Thunderbird arrived on Monday before the show but had to cancel their performances due to mishap with the team’s two-seat F-16D. (Mike Heilman)In 2106 the Dayton Air Show attendance suffered from a cancellation of the headline act two weeks before the show, when the U.S. Navy Blue Angels experienced a tragic accident at an air show in Tennessee. Once again in 2017, the show experienced another cancellation of the headlining act due to a near tragic accident of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. The mishap happened at the Dayton International Airport less than 24 hours before the show was scheduled to open.
Thunderbird number 8, the two-seat F-16D “Fighting Falcon,” was conducting a crew familiarization flight in the Dayton area when upon return to the airport the jet skidded off the runway and flipped over trapping the pilot Capt. Erik Gonsalvas and Tech Sgt. Kenneth Cordova for almost two hours. The Thunderbird crewmembers were transported to a local hospital in good condition. There was heavy rain at the time of the mishap from remnants of tropical storm Cindy.
On Friday Michael Emoff, Chairman U.S. Air & Trade Show Board of Trustees, held a press conference to discuss the weekend’s show after the mishap. “When you first hear about something like this you pray that everything is okay and for the health of those involved. Once you understand that everything is under control, you then start working on what I can do. My job as Chair of the air show is to ensure that we produce a safe and quality show for our community.”
The Dayton Airshow
By Mike Heilman and Joe Gust
The U.S. Air Force next fifth generation fighter the F-22A Raptor made its second appearance the 2016 Dayton Airshow. The F-22 made its initial Dayton appearance in 2008. (Mike Heilman)The Dayton Airshow recently has seen a decline in attendance due to the government budget and weather issues. The United States Military has been limited with the amount of static aircraft that could be sent to civilian airshows. In 2016, the U.S. Military decided there would no limitations on the amount of aircraft they could send to civilian airshows.
The 2016 Dayton show was primed for a huge year with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Demonstration Team scheduled to perform, but two weeks before the Dayton show, Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, who flew the number six jet, was tragically killed in a fatal practice crash at the Smyrna, Tenn. Airshow.
The Navy’s Blue Angels canceled their appearance at the Dayton show, and organizers were left to find a replacement for the show’s headlining act. The Navy quickly responded with scheduling the West Coast F/A-18 E/F Demonstration Team as the replacement for the Blue Angels. The show organizers were concerned that losing the headlining military jet team just two weeks before the show would dramatically affect the attendance.
The 2015 Vectren Dayton Air Show
By Mike Heilman
The United States Air Force Thunderbirds F-16C Demonstration Team arrives in formation to the 2015 Dayton Air Show. The Thunderbirds last appearance at Dayton was in 2011. (Mike Heilman)In a normal year, The Vectren Dayton Ohio Air Show can expect more than 60,000 spectators across the two-day annual event, but 2015 was not a normal year. The show’s lineup was set up to produce a record crowd, but the remnants of tropical storm, Bill, played havoc on the attendance. The 41st annual event drew a crowd of 40,000 people. Michael Emoff, Chairman of the U.S. Air & Trade Show Board of Trustees commented, “We are pleased with the number people that attended despite the rain.”
Air show organizers had to make adjustments to the grounds and schedules due to heavy rain that moved into the area on Friday and Saturday. The Saturday show is historically the highest attended day of the two-day event, but the heaviest rain moved in the area that morning. The show was delayed several hours before the rain and low overcast moved out. Once conditions improved, there was only time for five of the major acts to perform. The weather on Sunday allowed for the full air show to fly as scheduled.
Planes of Fame Airshow Slated for May 2-3
Three laps Around the Bay with the Blues and Sean D. Tucker
By Sagar Pathak
The 2 F/A-18C Blue Angels fly at near stall speed while Sean D. Tucker flies as fast as he can to stay in formation. (Sagar Pathak)For as long as I can remember, the United States Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team and San Francisco’s Fleet Week was synonymous with each other. Having grown up in the Bay Area, every October I was guaranteed two things: in early October, I would be turning a year older and the sweet, sweet sound of jet noise. So when the city of San Francisco cancelled Fleet Week in 2013, I was devastated. Was it really even my birthday if I didn’t see the six blue and gold jets flying over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge? It didn’t feel right.
When it was announced that in 2014, the city would be bringing back Fleet Week, and were having the Blue Angels headline, I was beyond elated. Balance had been restored.
2013 Dayton Air Show
By Mike Heilman and Joe Gust
The 2013 Dayton Ohio Air Show was the site of the fatal crash, which ended the lives of wing walker Jane Wicker and her pilot, Charlie Schwenker. Wicker and her pilot were making their first appearance at Dayton in their modified Stearman. The aircraft lost altitude when Schwenker inverted the Stearman for a low level pass with Wicker sitting on the bottom of the wing. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it may take up to a year to find the cause of the accident.
The accident took place at the beginning of the airshow on Saturday, June 22. The airshow organizers cancelled the remainder of Saturday’s events. The spectators were informed that their tickets would be honored for admission on Sunday. This was the second accident in 39 years of the show. In 2007 Jim Leroy was killed when his Pitts crashed during the show.
Michael Goulian flying his state-of-the-art Extra 330SC over the Dayton Ohio Air Show. Goulian made is second straight appearance at the Dayton show. Goulian is the Air Show Industry 2012 ICAS Sword of Excellence. (Mike Heilman)The 2013 show went in the record books as the first all-civilian airshow in its 39 years of operation. The show organizers in 2012 moved the date to June to accommodate the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, but because of the federal sequester the Thunderbirds were removed from the show lineup. There were several large airshows that cancelled this year due to the military jet teams cancelling their participation in the 2013 season. The Dayton show officials decided to keep the date and to put on an all-civilian show.
The Pylon Place - June 2012
Planes of Fame Airshow Does It Again
By Marilyn Dash
The Planes of Fame Museum held their annual airshow the first weekend in May 2012. This year’s theme was “1942 – Turning the Tide” celebrating the 70th anniversary of our entry and participation in World War II. This is clearly one of the finest airshows in the US. And this year was no exception.
The regular aerobatic acts including Hartley Folstad and Margie Stivers in their Silver Wings Wingwalking performance started the day off with a beautiful “ballet in the sky.” Long time Chino regular, Tumbling Bear followed with his high-energy aerobatic routine in the Zlin. Clay Lacy returned again this year with his Learjet routine which is always fun to watch.
New features this year included fan favorite and award winning performer Sean D. Tucker, who brought his amazing Oracle Challenger III Biplane to wow the crowds. His aerial high-jinx included his signature double hammerhead, centrifuge, helicopter pass and the series of three ribbon cuts, all in different configurations – right knife edge, left knife edge and inverted.