Marines making first appearance at Seafair Air Show

A Seafair first will happen this weekend. The Marine Air-Ground Task Force will perform during the Boeing Seafair Air Show right before the Blue Angels. On Friday, they impressed crowds on Lake Washington during a practice show. A CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopter hovered just above the water. An inflatable boat popped out, followed by swimmers.

Soon, the Marines were in the Zodiac, speeding across the lake. It was just the start of a spectacular show.

"It's nice to know they can keep us secure, what they're capable of if something happens, it's awesome," said Maju Kuruvilla, who was watching the show. 

That's the point for the U.S. Marine Corps,  to show off the team's capability in a part of the country where there's not much presence for their branch of the military.

"We want this chunk of America to know who we are and what we can do," said Marine. Dave Lapan.

Unlike the Blue Angels, this team does more than perform at air shows. For example, another Air-Ground Task Force team was involved in rescuing people from the American Embassy in Libya. The Marines say they consider their Seafair show a training exercise, with a lot of extra people watching.

They make a few appearances around the country each year, but this is their first time at Seafair. They will perform Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

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Air Show To Return To Warsaw

Last year, the first air show at the Warsaw Memorial Airport was, aside from some logistical setbacks, a raving success. Well, it will be returning this summer, and this year the organizers are prepared for a much bigger crowd.

“We’re better organized this year,” says Jim Holbrock. Air show goers can expect all the great aeronautic awesomeness from last year, but with more food (including a beer garden for the adults), more parking and more porta-pots.

The show has expanded to a 2 day event. On Friday, August 16, there will be a live concert, a media flight and a balloon release. Pilots will re-enact the Candy Bomber Hershey bar drops. Then there’s a full day of events lined up for Saturday.

A number of planes will be on display during the show, including an F4U Corsair, a T-6 Texan and a Candy Bomber. “Probably the highlight of the whole show is the 4-engine C-54,’ says Al Hoover, president of the Historic Flights Organization.

Airplane and helicopter rides will be offered again. There will be airplane-car races. A parachute display happens after noon.

From 1 to 3 p.m. there will be an aerobatics display. Then from 3 to 4 p.m. is the Jet Revue, which will include flyovers and an afterburner display.

Aerial performers this year are: “Pitts Bob” Richards, Cliff Robinson, Ralph Luces, Patrick McAlee, Paul Grossnickle and Al Hoover, Dave Folk, Dean Cutshall and Mike Wild.

Come early for the pancake breakfast at 7 a.m., then enjoy all the aerial activities. Admission is free, but a $5 donation will be accepted at the parking lot gates.

Each entrant will be given a bottle of water, and shuttles will be carting patrons from the parking areas to the airport.

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Air show coming in 2015

Aircraft enthusiasts who enjoyed South Alabama Regional Airport’s 2010 air show should circle Sat., Nov. 14, 2015 on their calendars.

Planning is underway for a second air show at SARA, and airport co-administrator Jed Blackwell said the next one, tentatively set for that date in 2015, should be even better.

The 2010 show drew an estimated crowd of 10,000 people.

“The 2010 Air Show exceeded even our own expectations,” Blackwell said. “Every day we meet and talk to people who ask us about having another show. Because of the positive comments from the 2010 show, we wanted to have one again. We feel like this event is a great thing for Covington County and our surrounding community.”

The 2015 show will be similar to the 2010 show but Blackwell told the Andalusia City Council Tuesday night he hopes this will have even more thrills. The event will include live music, vendors, children’s activities, airplane and helicopter rides, hot air balloon rides, and some of thebest aeronautical performers in the world.

The previous show featured the U.S. Army Silver Wings Parachute Team and U.S. Air Force A-10AThunderbolt II demonstration.

There was also static displays, ranging from World War II era and Korean Conflict aircraft to that used by present day heroes currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The static show includes an A-10A Thunderbolt II, and a Blackhawk.

“We are very proud of our airport and the impact that it has on our community,” Blackwell said. “We hope that this event is one where citizens can come bring their families and enjoy a day of fun outdoors. If you have any interest at all in aviation or watching airplanes and helicopters, this day will be for you.”

SARA will begin offering sponsorships for the 2015 show on July 1, 2014.

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Air Show Open House

Flying model airplanes is a hobby that many people don't consider - so today, the Minot Aircraft Modelers Flying Club hosted their annual air show to do more than just entertain.

The event was open to the public today - and folks had the opportunity to watch the experts fly their planes, or learn themselves on one of the introductory planes.

The chairman says that flying these models is a way for anyone of any age to have fun, as long as you take the time to learn.

(Steve Bueschel, Chairman) "A lot of it depends on the person themselves, some pick it up in a couple of days, some take a couple of weeks. We've got a kid out here who's 11 years old - he's flown four times and he's already flying by himself. Very very therapeutic. Once you get the airplane up in the air, it's you and that airplane, and there's the survival of both."

If you are interested in learning more or becoming a member of the Minot Aircraft Modelers Flying Club, visit Minot Aircraft Modelers dot org.

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Air Shows' Link to Military Recruitment Iffy

Flying free from federal budget cuts that grounded them last year, the Navy's Blue Angels will zoom at Mach-1 over the Latrobe area on Sunday at the Westmoreland County Air Show. But even at 700 mph, the Navy daredevils -- and other flashy military demonstration teams -- can't outrun questions about their future. Congress is debating whether those teams land enough recruits to justify multimillion-dollar costs, especially in an era of Pentagon austerity. The sequestration budget deal between Congress and the White House is expected to trim $45 billion annually from the Defense budget, and lawmakers have slashed other noncombat programs such as ceremonial bands.

A Tribune-Review analysis of Defense spending on the Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds puts combined annual expenses at $70 million to $140 million, depending on how the budgets are calculated. The budget for the Army's Golden Knights is $303,000 this year without personnel costs, down 25 percent since 2012. Military officials defend the teams as time-honored institutions that woo youngsters into uniforms. Yet some experts say there's no way to track whether air shows lead to enlistments.

"We know that people who go to military air shows likely have served, or have no negative feelings about military service, and they're willing to reinforce that by taking their children to events like parades or air shows," said David Segal, a University of Maryland sociologist and armed forces expert.

"There probably is a payoff there, but we don't know what it is yet. The only way to study that would be to ask people, year after year, whether they went to an air show and whether it influenced their decisions as young adults to enlist."

The Navy and Air Force teams take turns headlining about 70 of the more than 300 air shows held annually in the United States, according to the Virginia-based International Council of Air Shows, the industry's trade organization.

Understated numbers?

Without providing detailed budgets, Air Force officials told Congress that the Thunderbirds cost taxpayers about $35.5 million a year.

Air Force Maj. Darrick Lee said the Thunderbirds' budget this year is about $30 million, not including personnel costs. When in host cities for days, Lee said, "We're going into schools and meeting with a wide range of citizens. We're educating people about their Air Force."

Air Force studies say it consistently met enlistment goals since 1999, including 2013, when sequestration grounded planes. With the Thunderbirds mothballed, the Air Force and Air National Guard enlisted 44,858 recruits -- 2,266 more than planned, according to the Pentagon. The Navy says it spends about $40 million annually on the Blue Angels program, including the Marines Corps' "Fat Albert" C-130J Super Hercules support plane. With the joint Navy-Marine program grounded last year, the two services exceeded enlistment goals with 86,614 active and reserve personnel. A 2012 analysis performed at the Naval Postgraduate School by senior officers Andre Fields, Donald Gardner and Christopher Cousino suggests the Navy failed to disclose the full costs of the Blue Angels.

Adding up the 2009 estimated expenditures for pay, housing, medical services, retirement benefits, fuel, maintenance and aircraft costs spread over time -- plus the risks of damage to planes or injury to personnel -- brings the Blue Angels' real price tag to nearly $99 million per year, at least twice the official estimate, they said.An F-18 Hornet for the Blue Angels costs more than $21 million. A new "Fat Albert" runs nearly three times that, according to recent congressional testimony.

"The Navy leaders left out relevant costs," explained Hoover Institution research fellow David R. Henderson, a professor of economics who supervised the analysis.

Henderson notes he does not speak for the Navy, but he defends the study and its conclusion: When it comes to recruiting, the team's "costs outweighed the benefits."

For every $100 spent on the team, he said, the Navy recoups 83 cents in recruiting benefits -- and it remains a bad deal even if the Navy's lower cost estimates are used.

The Navy did not return messages seeking comment.

Demographics matter

Industry surveys reveal air show spectators are similar to those who watch professional tennis or golf: overwhelmingly white, married, well-educated and affluent. Couples in their mid-40s, who bring children, dominate the crowds; two of every five adults boast a household income above $75,000. "For advertisers, we're right in the sweet spot," said International Council of Air Shows President John Cudahy.

But it might not be so sweet for military recruiters.

An Army National Guard sports marketing campaign landed the service in the congressional hot seat. A 2012 report found the Guard spent $32 million on NASCAR and IndyCar sponsorships but could not prove it netted one recruit. Like 66 percent of adults at an air show, about seven in 10 NASCAR fans is older than 35 -- too old to enlist.

Sociologists say military recruits are a diverse group, but certain factors make someone more likely to enlist. Generally ages 19 to 21, they typically grew up in single-parent or nontraditional families and enlisted a year after high school. The more education and wealth their parents have, the less likely they will join.

The proportion of blacks and Hispanics enlisting is far larger than those attending air shows.

All-American events

Beyond recruitment or a temporary economic spark, experts say air shows might fulfill a more important purpose.

Only a few Americans are able or willing to enlist. Congress continues to shave costs by closing and consolidating bases. Veterans from World War II and the wars in Korea and Vietnam are aging, and the military likely never will be as large as during the draft era.

So for millions of Americans, air shows are one of the few tangible ties to their armed forces.

Military branches "want to continue to connect to the American people, and air shows do that so organically," Cudahy said. "When you go to a show, you'll see military aircraft from earlier times next to the most high-tech machinery built today.

"Only 1 percent of Americans will serve in the military, which is why air shows have become a continuing conversation with the American people. They showcase the military at its finest and remind everyone what a great brand they are.

"It's hard to watch a cutting-edge ballistic submarine going through its paces, but everyone can look up to the sky and see the Navy's Blue Angels."

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Volunteers needed for 2014 air show

The skies over Selfridge Air National Guard Base will be filled with impressive acts, mostly performed by women, plus an appearance by the Blue Angels the first weekend in September. The crowd-pleasing show may be months away, but volunteer coordinator Michelle Parker, of Chesterfield Township, is busy sending out applications trying to line up help for the event. The Selfridge Open House and Air Show is scheduled for Sept. 6 and 7 on the base. Parking and admission are free to the public.

“This is the first time I’ve done the air show and we need 700 volunteers for it and the Blue Angels will be coming in too,” Parker said.

The theme for the 2014 show is Women in Aviation and a majority of the performers will be women including a skydiving team from Michigan. Volunteer opportunities are along the lines of security for the VIP areas, the welcome section, lost and found, kid zone, plus the veteran and handicap areas. Parker said volunteers will just keep track of who’s entering the areas, making sure they have the proper wrist bands and perhaps keeping things picked up in the section where they are working. Volunteers will all have matching shirts for identification, and a huge group will make up the parking crew, which will require 200 to 300 people.

The working hours will depend on the position, the gates will open at 8 a.m. and the show will conclude at 5 p.m. Parker would prefer to have volunteers commit to a full day but will work with those who may have only half a day to give. 

“It’s a great view of the show for anybody that’s a fan of the planes,” Parker said.

An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people will attend the show over the two-day period. There will be concessions, and the base will provide a shuttle bus to the nearby air museum for people who want to check that out, Parker said. For the first time, the air show will be offering some premier seating and tickets for those paid seats will be on sale in mid-June. The unique opportunity will give air show enthusiasts a close up view from tents setup right along the flight line.

Thomas Frosh, of native of Fraser, is the current commander of the Blue Angels, and Parker said he is very excited to bring the show to his hometown.

“He said he wants this to be the best show ever in the U.S. and he’ll have lots of family and friends watching him perform that weekend,” she said.

For those who can’t volunteer for the show, Parker encourages them to come out and support it anyway while seeing lots of things on the base.

“This is just a great event to have people come out and see the base because there are a lot of local people who have never been on it,” Parker said.

To find out more about volunteering for the air show visit their website at selfridgeopenhouse.com or on Facebook at the 2014 Open House and Air Show Volunteers page. For an application to volunteer, contact Parker at michelle@selfridgeopenhouse.com.

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F-35 and A350 among highlights of a new-look Farnborough air show

Most of the serious aerospace business at Farnborough goes on behind closed doors, but it is in the skies and static display that the world’s attention will be focused at this year’s show, with treats for fans of both latest-generation airliners and fighters.

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will follow its international debut at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford on 11-13 July with an arrival at Farnborough – a few minutes' flying time distant for a supersonic warplane.

On the commercial side, Qatar Airways will be making the biggest splash, with no fewer than four types on display, including the first Farnborough appearance of the Airbus A350-900 in a hybrid colour scheme featuring the liveries of both the Gulf carrier and the airframer.

Qatar will also show its first Airbus A380 after taking delivery in June of the first three of 10 superjumbos it has on order (it has options for three more), as well as a sharklet-equipped A320 and a Boeing 787-8.

The appearance of the F-35B short take-off and landing variant – 138 of which will be operated by the UK Royal Air Force and Royal Navy – is a major coup for the biennial show, which takes place during the week of 14 July.

Full-scale development of the fighter began 13 years ago, and UK suppliers are heavily involved in the programme, as a first-tier participant with a 15% share. They include BAE Systems which makes the aft fuselage assembly.

The country invested $2 billion in the system development and demonstration phase in the early 2000s, making the UK second only behind the USA among the eight national partners involved from the beginning.

The UK debuts will be the first time the JSF has crossed an ocean, seven years and 15,200 flight hours after taking to the air for the first time in December 2006. However, on 25 February , an F-35A and F-35B completed a 5.7h mission in the USA.

In a neat loop of aviation history, also appearing at this year’s show will be the original vertical take-off and landing jet, the British Aerospace Sea Harrier, a veteran of UK military campaigns such as the Falklands war.

The other major airliner that is due to enter service this year is the Bombardier CSeries. However – although it would be an enormous marketing fillip for a type still struggling for orders – it appears unlikely that the CS100 will appear at Farnborough.

The issue for the Canadian manufacturer is that while its sales team would love the opportunity to show off the narrowbody at the year’s biggest air show, the type is bogged down in a delayed and highly-complex flight test programme.

Recent Farnboroughs have seen mega-orders, but whether this year’s show will see a similar bonanza is hard to predict, as airlines and manufacturers tend to keep cards close to chests. Boeing, in fact, refuses to play the “orders race” by “storing” announcements for the week.

However, it would be surprising if at least one of the blue-chip airlines did not declare their hand. Leasing companies could also be at the fore, and manufacturers of smaller jets, including Embraerand Sukhoi/Superjet International, will be keen to make a mark.

Speculation is growing, meanwhile, that Airbus may declare its hand with the A330neo. Toulouse has been hinting for weeks that it will take a decision on whether to launch a re-engined version of its smallest widebody in the middle of the year.

With the smallest version of the A350, the -800, shedding orders, a refreshed variant of the twinjet might help Airbus win over existing A330 customers or those tempted by the 787 but unwilling to take their place in a long queue.

Farnborough air show regulars may also this year notice something more enduring about the show site that, for one week every two years, transforms part of a Hampshire airfield into a bustling marketplace of the global aerospace industry.

The traditional prefabricated A-row chalets – the ones facing the flightline – are being replaced with permanent hospitality suites, allowing exhibitors to hire them for several years and leave contents in place, saving the cost of fitting out the chalet each show.

It is part of a longer-term vision by organiser Farnborough International to create the world’s best air show facility as well as a venue that attracts clients outside the Farnborough cycle. Also on the wish list is a permanent convention centre on the site of the temporary hall One.

Farnborough International already has a smaller permanent exhibition space – Five – which is well used throughout the year. Although it has to get its plans approved by both its landlord TAG – which runs the neighbouring business aviation airport – and the local authority, it is confident they will gain favour.

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