The September 27, 2008 Chico AirFest had amazing performances and awesome static displays. Any air show with Willie Turner as Airboss is guaranteed to be a good one. He got me into the Pilot Safety briefing where I met some of the very cool guys including a C-17 demo pilot Keith Guillotte, air show announcer Steve Stavrakakis, and many others. It was lucky because I learned where the performers would fly and therefore knew where to stand for good photos!
Tim Decker kicked off the show in his Pitts S2B with an amazing intro performance with hammerheads, knife edges, immelmans and even a lomchevok! That got everybody excited and ready for ….. WHOOSH! The A-10 demo began! The A-10 pilot did a fast pass, lots of high G maneuvers, and even a strafing and bomb run!
But that’s not all because then he joined up with Kevin Eldridge in the P-51 Mustang “Wee Willie II” for a very cool Legacy Flight.
Up next was Eddie Andreini in his Super Stearman. He really wowed the crowd with that plane and there was a loud gasp from the crowd when he did his incredible upside down ribbon cut. Boy, the crowd sure cheered for that!
Then the C-17 Globemaster did its cool demo flight. That huge plane flies like a stunt plane – and it can even back up into a parking space!
Tim Decker went up again and flew the wings off his little Pitts. WOW!
A T-38 Talon went out of his way to do a very fast flyby on his way back from a mission and then Eddie Andreini again took to the skies this time in his Beautiful red Yak-9U, “Barbarossa.” The crowd went quiet so they could hear his Allison engine and watch his speed and grace. They really loved it!
Next, the amazing Snowbirds took to the sky! Nine Canadair CT-114 Tutors zoomed, zigged, and zagged across the sky and did some really amazing formation flying. They even made a heart in the sky with their smoke!
To round off the show, the CF-18 Hornet took off and let us hear and feel the power of his afterburners as he roared off!
Special thanks to my new FAA friend Richard Conte who set me up with my first helicopter ride. And also special thanks to Dave Everson and his pilot Danielle of Air Shasta Rotor and Wing who flew me in their cool R44!
And that was the super 2008 Chico AirFest!