Peru, IL TBM Reunion  Columbia, MO Veteran's Salute   Warbird Weekend June 29-July 1 - Battle Creek Warbird Salute   Spirit of St. Louis Airshow, Chesterfield, MO
2018 Airshows

 Warbird Weekend Photo Review
B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" at the Greenwood Municipal Airport, IN - June 29-July 1, 2018 - Photos taken Friday, June 29 and Sunday, July 1, 2018.
Battle Creek Warbird Salute Airshow, Battle Creek, MI - June 30- July 1, 2018 - Photos taken Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Wings over Indy, Indianapolis Metro Airport, Fishers, IN - June 30- July 1, 2018 - Photos taken Sunday, July 1, 2018.

The weekend of June 29-July 1, 2018 was a busy weekend for me as I visited three different warbird venues in as many days.  One venue I visited twice.  To the non-warbird enthusiast, and even to the warbird enthusiast, this may seem extreme.  But summer only comes once a year, and the winter months are long and dreary, so when a rare weekend of multiple warbird events occurs, I take advantage of them.

B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" at the Greenwood Municipal Airport, IN
"Aluminum Overcast" was in the Indianapolis area for three days giving rides, and on Friday June 29 I went over to see it take off and land several times in the morning.

I always like to watch engine starts on radial aircraft with all of the smoke.  This was the first start of the day so there was a lot of smoke.  

On the take-off roll. 

Battle Creek Warbird Salute Airshow, Battle Creek, MI
The Battle Creek Airshow and Balloon Festival has raised the bar for all airshows.  The event this year added a second weekend of airshow with mostly warbirds and military acts.  This is part of a week long event that concludes with its normal airshow on the weekend of July 8-9.  I normally don't go to the Battle Creek show, but if it continues with the format of two shows in the future, I will make the warbird event a regular show to attend each year.  This was very well done, and the airboss ran a tight show.  There was no dead time, and the event started right on time with Scooter Yoak in his P-51D Mustang "Quick Silver."  When the show opens with a Mustang act of this caliber, one knows it is going to be a great afternoon.

For brevity I have used one photo from each act.

Scooter Yoak was at the top of his game on Saturday.  He has the best Mustang aerobatic routine of the P-51s. 

Following up right after the P-51 was Jim Tobul in the F4U-4 "Korean War Hero."  Doing the two aircraft back-to-back is very cool as it allows for comparison of the maneuverability of the two.

The two aircraft then did a routine together called the "Class of 45."  They have been doing this since 2013 which is obvious from the tight formation. 

Four warbird acts in a row to start the show!   Jerry Conley in the DeHavilland DH-115 Vampire was next.

A break from the warbirds was the MV-22 Osprey Demo from the USMC.  Battle Creek was one of only four shows getting the USMC Osprey demo in 2018.

The formation team for the show was the Canadian Harvard Aerobatic Team.  It has been several years since I have seen them and they are just as good as ever.


The Navy's F-18 Super Hornet also has limited events this year.

Jim Tobul went back up and joined the F-18 for the Legacy Flight.

Battle Creek also had the A-10 Demo which is back after a several year hiatus.  It was great to see and here the Warthog again.


The Heritage Flight with P-51 "Bum Steer" flown by Charles Hainline.  Battle Creek had two different Mustangs perform during the show.
 

The final act was the "Pacific Prowlers" act with a Corsair, Helldiver, Dauntless and Kate replica (Not shown) as part of a routine with pyro.  The act include bombing and strafing runs by the two dive bombers, and the Corsair chasing the Kate around after it attacks the airport.  This is the first time I have seen this demonstration which was flown with a different Corsair than the one that flew earlier.

The act and the show ended with a wall of fire with the three Navy aircraft over head. 

The show as noted before ran like clockwork and was complete in just over three hours.  It remains to be seen whether the Battle Creek Warbird Salute is a one time event, or something that will continue into the future. 

The show cost $5 for me to park.  It was another $8 with veteran's status for the cost of entry.  ($10 normal adult cost.)  This was a great value, and everything promised in the pre-show advertising was present, and flew the show.  This three and a half hour event was a great value, and was unlike another Michigan supposed warbird airshow that has lost its way, charges exorbitant parking and gate fees, and then doesn't deliver a worthwhile event.  There may very well be a good warbird show now in Michigan if Battle Creek carries this concept forward.  The state of Michigan could use one.

B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" at the Greenwood Municipal Airport, IN
When I returned from Battle Creek on Saturday evening, my oldest granddaughter met me at the door and had to tell me we were going to go see airplanes the next day.  She and her younger sister were staying over night, and we also had them most of the next day.  I had already planted the seed with the wife about taking to the local warbird events on Sunday.  Obviously the wife had passed the information on to our three year old granddaughter.  We start them early in our family!

Sunday morning had us waiting at the end of the runway for "Aluminum Overcast" to come back in from a trip.  If I had been by myself, I probably would have taken photos of the approach from the public sidewalk that is the other side of the fence.  There are not many places left in this country where you can stand under the approach for a public airport.


After watching the engine start, taxi, out, take-off, the B-17 came back over the airport.  This was not done on Friday.

Wings over Indy, Indianapolis Metro Airport, Fishers, IN
Also going on over the weekend was a static warbird event by the Indiana Wing of the CAF at Metro Airport.  Due to the excessive heat we did a quick stop to see what was going on, and then left   But during the short time we were there I was able to talk with several warbird and airshow friends I had not seen in a while.  After we watched the B-25 "Show Me" start up and take off we left, and my warbird weekend was over.