HALF-MILLION SEE BLUES ANGELS AT MIRAMAR

 

Story and Photos by Frank Lorey III

 

            The 2011 MCAS Miramar air show celebrated 100 years of naval aviation, and who better to do it as the featured act than the Blue Angels.  The official theme this year was “A Salute to San Diego: The Birthplace of Naval Aviation”.  Earlier in the year a special air show at NAS North Island commemorated the actual first flight.

           It was estimated that around a half-million visitors watched the show over the three days.  The weather generally cooperated, other than a lot of haze, and the threat of rain never happened. 

            A big draw this year was the emphasis on attracting a lot of vintage military aircraft for the show, especially since the theme had to do with the heritage of flight.  It was the biggest turnout of vintage warbirds in years.  Some of the unusual aircraft included the Russian Antonov An-2 Colt, Grumman F8F Bearcat, British Fairey Firefly, Coast Guard HU-16 Albatross, Japanese Mitsubishi Zero, Ryan PT-22 Recruit, and one of the few flying Lockheed T-33 Shooting Stars.

            The largest vintage plane flying in the show was a North American B-25J out of the American Aeronautical Foundation in Camarillo, CA.  Painted in olive drab as “Executive Sweet” on one side and “My Buck” on the other, it was flown by Steven Johnson, a Delta 767 pilot who volunteers to fly warbirds.  He has flown the B-25, as well as the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator since 1996.

            “The whole reason to be around is as a thank-you for the people who flew it”, Johnson stated.  The plane is crewed by 100% volunteers with a lot of dedication, and he added “it is a great experience, the privilege of a lifetime to fly it.  People get to see it, hear it, and smell it just like in the past.”

            Also flying were a North American P-51 Mustang, and several T-28 Trojans, Stearman biplane trainers, SNJ Texans, and T-34 Mentors.  Static displays included a few Grumman TBM Avengers, and more T-28 Trojans, SNJ Texans, and an AD-4N Skyraider.

            The Marine Air Ground Task Force provided a mock air-ground battle (always a crowd favorite), and the Bearcat was pitted against the Japanese Zero in a fantasy dogfight.  The two planes never actually met in combat since the Bearcat was developed too late to see action in World War II.

            Most of the current military aircraft were flying, with demonstrations by the KC-130 tanker, F-16 Fighting Falcon, AV-8B Harrier, F/A-18 Super Hornet, UH-1 Huey, AH-1Z Super Cobra, CH-46 Sea Knight, and MV-22 Osprey.  Several “Heritage Flights” during the show matched prop-driven aircraft from the past with current military jets.  The crowds really enjoyed the large number of aircraft flying in the show this year, and the vintage warbirds were special treat to many.