2017 Airshows
Brunswick,
GA B-25s
at Urbana, OH
B-25 Fly-Over the
National Museum of the USAF
SC National Guard Air
and Ground Expo
Dayton, OH
Goshen, IN
Tarkio, MO
Westfield, MA
Wings over Waukegan, IL
Colorado Springs, CO
America's Freedom Fest Warbird Photo Review
Warbirds at the Goshen Municipal Airport, IN - July 1, 2017
The Goshen Airshow is back! And it was back with in 2017 with a
vengeance, a new name, and an all star cast of warbirds.
Originally started in 1995 as the Goshen Airshow, it was renamed the
Freedom Fest in 2000 when it was turned into a twilight 4th of July
event. Unfortunately the Freedom Fest had to stop the show in 2009
due to the poor economy, and the lack of sponsors. The show at
that time cost about $250,000, with $150,000 coming from corporate
sponsors.
America's
Freedom Fest was an evening show that started just before 7PM, and then
finished with a fireworks display after dark. This was only the
second time I have been to the show, the first time being in 1995.
It was great to be back up for this rejuvenated show, which was for all
intents and purposes, a warbird show. There was only one civilian
aerobatic routine.
Below is a short review of some of
the great warbirds at America's Freedom Fest. The weather that came
through just before the show, and lingered afterwards, along with the
time of the day, made for some different, and interesting photos.
My aviation day started at the
Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport in Fishers, where my wife and I took
one of our granddaughters to see B-17 "Madras Maiden". It was on
display and giving rides. What I was totally clueless to the fact
I would see "Madras Maiden" again that evening at Goshen. The B-17
was not listed on the schedule for America's Freedom Fest.
Also on display was the Tom Wood
Aviation F8F Bearcat. In talking with its mechanic, I found out it
was also going to be at Goshen. This was another warbird coming to
the show that was not listed on its website. I like surprises like
this!!!
It took me two hours to travel the
first 130 miles to the Goshen Airport. It took another 50 minutes
to go the last mile, as there was only one way in. In 2008, the
last year of the event, an estimated 23,000 persons attended the show.
It is a slow process getting that many persons through one entrance.
This part of Indiana has a large Amish population, and many of them came
by bicycle and horse drawn carriage. Note the darkening of some of
the clouds. They would bring rain just before the start of the
show.
The F8F Bearcat on display at
Goshen.
The Bearcat was one of five
warbirds in this row that included two TBMS, an AD-1, and two P-51s.
Mike Gillian's FM-2 was also
there. This is the first time in five years that I have seen this
aircraft.
The show started on time, in spite
of the rain that came through just before the show started.
Most of the bad weather went to
the north of the airport. It would be dark gray, and even black,
to the north for most of the show.
"Madras Maiden" inbound for her
first airshow pass. To the south the sky was blue with white puffy
clouds.
To the west, the sky was mostly clear, letting the sun shine its early
evening golden hue on the aircraft.
America's Freedom Fest was able to have the
F-22 come over in the evening for a Heritage Flight from the Battle
Creek, MI airshow .
Vlado Lenoch taxies back in after the
Heritage Flight. The F-22 returned to Battle Creek, and did not
land.
Mike Gillian performed his normal excellent
warbird demo in the FM-2 Wildcat. It was great to see this again.
Mike rolling out on landing.
Another great surprise! Dean Cutshall
came over from Fort Wayne, and gave us multiple high speed passes in the
F-100 Super Sabre. I like these kind of surprises!!!
Tim Savage takes off in his TBM Avenger.
Tim is from nearby Roanoke, IN.
Brad Deckert came over from Peru, IL with
his TBM.
John Shuttleworth, from Huntington, IN takes
off in the Skyraider owned by the Warbird Heritage Foundation in
Waukegan, IL.
Tom McCord from Indianapolis flew the Beacat.
The three aircraft gave us multiple formation passes, and then did
individual strafing passes.
The Mig-17 rotates.
The Mig-17 flies behind the folding wings of
the Skyraider. A big plus for the Goshen show is that the taxiway
is right in front of the crowd.
The crowd to the west from my location.
Vehicles are now being parked at the end of the runway.
The F-86 chased the Mig-17 around the field
in a simulated Korean War dogfight. The announcer failed to
mention that the first combat for the Mig-17 was not until 1958.
At the end of the runway the crowd can still be seen coming in at 9 PM
in the evening.
The end of the show for me. My exit
plan was to leave before all of the vehicles that took six hours to get
parked started to depart. There was still more warbird acts to
come before the fireworks. Next up was the Aerostars Formation
Team and Bill Leff's night time T-6 routine. But I was more than
satisfied with the two hours of warbird flying that I witnessed.
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