Edwards AFB Hosts Flight Test Nation Air Show
The 2009 Flight Test Nation convened under brilliant blue Antelope Valley skies at Edwards AFB in mid-October. Since the previous open house and air show, the base’s main paved runway had some reconstruction work accomplished; a parallel runway was constructed in the desert to accommodate this. Some of the show’s dynamics changed from years past, but not in the least did this detract from the always spectacular event at the sprawling facility. In fact, the new runway allowed more aircraft to take off and land closer to the estimated 200,000 spectators in attendance for the Saturday-only show.
Flight Test Nation began with a bang… or really a bunch of booms, as a pair of twin-seat Edwards-based F-16s, carrying retired Generals Chuck Yeager and Joe Engle, broke the sound barrier to announce the beginning of the show. Edwards is one rare base where sonic booms are welcomed! The show highlighted the 50th anniversary of the X-15’s first flight, and General Engle flew one of the three test aircraft to Mach 5.71 during his many months with the program. He later went on to pilot the Space Shuttle too, becoming the only NASA pilot to fly both of these aircraft in their career.
This show was primarily a military-themed event; even civilian performers John Collver and Julie Clark flew retired military trainers. There were many prime West Coast warbirds on display, including World War II veterans like a genuine Japanese A6M Zero, P-40, F6F Hellcat and F8F Bearcat. In the air, Steve Hinton flew a P-38, both alone and as the lead in the Air Force Heritage flight. Larry Lumpkin flew the CAF’s P-51D, along with the Tora Tora Tora team. These two U.S. fighters, plus B-25 Pacific Prowler and B-17 Sentimental Journey, swept by in a series of passes too… choreographed to pyrotechnics.
A great static display was assembled… more than 40 aircraft in all. The first F-35A, air vehicle “AA-1”, was presented for the first time at a public air show. It seemed to be similar in size to the Danish F-16B MLU on display, which had some great tail art. It was part of the display from the 461st Flight Test Squadron “Deadly Jesters “, which is tasked with putting the new F-35 through its paces. NASA presented the X-48 and X-48B sub-scale UASs, as well as Global Hawk and IKHANA (General Atomics MQ-9 type). The NASA Shuttle Carrier aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, and an ER-2S (modified U-2S reconnaissance jet) were part of the static display too. Both of Scaled Composites “mother ships” – the White Knight 1 and White Knight 2 were there; “1” arrived on Friday, “2” arrived as part of the show on Saturday! Three heavy bombers, the B-52, B-1 and B-2 all flew during the show. All three made fly bys for the crowd individually, and then joined up as a three-ship formation within the grand finale formation. Of note was the B-1’s final high speed solo pass… after it zoom climbed away from the runway, it sure looked like the pilot made a barrel roll in the big bomber, in the distance!
The West Coast F-16 and A-10 demonstration teams flew, and the F-22 show was spectacular – flown in a “ED” (Edwards AFB tail code) aircraft. The Army’s Golden Knights made two jumps during the show; they are celebrating the team’s 50th birthday too. The now-famous mass flyby at the end of the show contained a T-38C, F-16C and D, (the F-22 was missing, as it was used for the solo demo!), B-1. B-2 and B-52, KC-135R, C-130H, and a C-17 in a large 9-ship formation. All of these aircraft are part of the Edwards test force that continues to update the systems and capabilities of these aircraft.
Edwards AFB’s Flight Test Nation air show and open house will convene again in 2011, according to Major General David Eichhorn, the Air Force Flight Test Center’s commanding officer. Two years will be a long time to wait for another show of this caliber, filled with cutting edge aircraft, and featuring many of the people who either made history, or are about to.
By Ken Kulla
