CAF AIRSHO 2005
Midland Texas, September 28th - October 2nd
Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Midland More Midland Portraits, Warhawk Salute The Blastards
Another early start on Sunday means only one thing, another photo flight! This time to capture the B-17 "Sentimental Journey". This time I actually had my own cameraship, an SNJ flown by Ladd Gardner.
The sun was just starting to come up as the giant B-17 lumbered onto the runway.
A special thanks to pilot Floyd Houdyshell and the crew of the "Sentimental Journey" for making this photo opportunity come true with additional help from Doug Rozendaal for arranging the cameraship.
"Sentimental Journey" is operated by the Arizona Wing of the CAF. For more images of "Sentimental Journey" please click here.
A popular feature of the air show is the Heritage Flight. The P-51 Mustang is joined by an F-4 Phantom used during the Vietnam War and below, a current warbird, the F-15 Eagle.
A Grumman F6F Hellcat owned by the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston Texas.
"Diamond Lil", a B-24 Liberator, operated by the B-29/B-24 Squadron.
The Shackleton flies over a huge fireball created by a team of highly trained folks from three organizations, the EOD (Explosive Ordinance Deatachment), the Blastards and the Tora Bomb Squad.
With it's bomb bay open the B-25 "Devil Dog" flies over the drop zone.
Bags full of gas plus explosives are what make the spectacular explosions of the Blastards.
Here is a full feature on them-
The B-25 "Yellow Rose" roars over in a low pass.
The big blast of the afternoon is the "Atom Bomb".
The Dauntless Dive Bomber makes a strafing run over the target. The Dauntless is operated by the Dixie Wing of the CAF.
With it's bomb doors open the TBM Avenger operated by the Missouri Wing
swoops over the field.
The blue/green TBM Avenger #309 is operated by the Rocky Mountain Wing
The Tora Tora Tora reenactment team put on a great show.
They combine planes and explosions to great effect.
A rare two seater Spitfire.
An L-5 Sentinel
A P-47 Thunderbolt, "Tarheel Hal" owned by the Lone Star Flight Museum.
Two of the many AT-6 Trainers, (also made as the Harvard, the SNJ, the Texan among other names) flew by in mass formation.
The show finished up with an awesome display of jet power from an F-15 Eagle before the final act, the farewell flight by Ollie Crawford.