Baraboo Dells
Wisconsin air shows June 28, 2009
Beautiful blue Wisconsin sky...Perfectly comfortable temperature, at 79.Perfect day for an air show! Well, almost. There was “Wind” a strong crosswind blowing out of the north and Air Boss Kevin Sullivan was concerned. Very concerned. At the 10 00 am pilot briefing he said, "the wind is going to be a problem all day, both in the air and on the ground. If any of you don't wish to fly, it is OK. I will understand. Just tell me and the show will continue on real time". That wind was steady at 25 knots and there may have been even stronger gusts.
Pitt’s performer Steve Falon said, " I will not go. No need to destroy a good airplane” His S1S Pitts is light and his performance is super to watch. But these conditions are "just not worth it" he said. And incidentally, this will be Steve's last season and the plane is for sale. Call or write me for the price if interested. The jump team from the 101st Airborne at Ft. Campbell KY was scratched too. They packed up to fly home right away and the de parting C 23 Sherpa made several low photos passes. The crowd waved in appreciation anyway and the decision not to jump was a wise one. Announcer Fast Eddie Leuter said " That C 23 looks like the box the plane came in".... and it does! That situation made for a delayed start of the show. Fast Eddie was in top form all day, telling the crowd about his accomplishments as a go-kart racer. He is from Downington PA. He was assisted by Co-announcer, Fareed Guyot.
The opening act was Mike Love in a Yak 52. The plane is named after its designer Alex Yakovlev. Mike is 52 years old and is one very skilled performer.... He once owned and flew a 1985 Pitts. Next up was the P 51 Gunfighter. You could hear fans speak of that unique sound it makes. Pilot was Doug Rozendaal. Then came the four beautiful T-6s of the Screaming Rebels. Some call the planes Texans; in Canada they are called Harvards. Nice formation flying and for those of us who love smoke and noise, those four 600 hp engines were air show music.
Next up was Bob Davis in his SU-29 Suhkoi. Bob has been flying quite a few years and his routine is amazing. He comes from Lake Geneva Wisconsin and flies in the upper Midwest. This writer is very impressed with his verticals and a high rate of climb. Then came another Yak 52, this one flown by Larry Schlasinger. Larry has 15 years flying experience and has flown all over the world. Really! He has performed in Budapest Hungary, New Zealand, Argentina, Russia, Canada, the Bahamas and Virgin Islands. He lives in a small Wisconsin town called Cheteic. It is an Indian name, and there he has his own airstrip and aerobatic box. His performance is most impressive. This writer likes the inverted maneuvers best. One source told us Larry has been flying since 1986.
Then the feature act, The A 10 Thunderbolt II Warthog. The pilot was Major Paul Brown and his routine was the very best a 10 performance this writer has seen anywhere. The announcer for the A 10 act was Sgt. Bobby Williams. Here is a 35,000-pound aircraft that rolls at 400 degrees per second. Major Brown and the plane came from the West Coast A 10 demo team at Davis Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson Arizona. He launched from Truax Field in Madison for this show. Announcer Fast Eddie commented that the A 10 firepower is " 70 rounds per second firing bullets the size of Coke bottles"
The show ended before a very appreciative crowd. Event coordinator Becky Murphy said 'my job is to make sure everyone here is comfortable", she did a good job and she is a very pleasant lady. Show Director Paul Rogers said " We are delighted to be able to take this show into its 4th year and make budget, which is not always easy". The support of many sponsors made it possible. Last year we called Baraboo a small show. In 09, the show took on the look and the feel of a larger show. I it is well managed by some very nice people. It’s a FUN show. It provides the opportunity to meet the staff, the performers and other fans. Some 50 volunteers helped make it a great show from Baraboo High School and Civil Air Patrol.
Great show. Even greater people!
Story by Wayne Gauldin, E-mail GWG1650@aol.com. Photos by Geoff Sobering, sobering@gmail.com