Joint Services Open House at Andrews Air Force Base
Planes from the past mixed with those of the present and even the future to give the 400,000 plus spectators on Saturday a show to remember. It would take a lot to top acts like Sean and Eric Tucker, Greg Poe, Kirby Chambliss, and Jill “Raggz” Long and Andrews did it. The Starfighters put on a three ship demo that amazed everyone. The sound of three J79 Turbojets roaring over the base was memorable, to say the least. Paul McCowan jumped into the show with a 5000 square foot American flag. The Geico Skytypers did their usual amazing job. The Skytyper’s formation flying is second to none. Some of the finest military demo teams were present also. The Golden Knights “dropped in” with their usual precision. The F15 Strike Eagle team tore up the place to the thrill of all present. Captains Phil “Ritz” Smith and Ed “Wild” Colfer know how to put the F15 through its paces. They make it easy to see why the F15 has been the dominant jet for so many years. The Marines were present with the AV-8B Harrier Demo. The Harrier demo seems to be a favorite of many. It’s always fun to watch the Harrier hover and spin. The noise is both deafening and thrilling. The C17 demo proved that jets do not necessarily need to be noisy. Hard to believe that the huge jet can leap into the sky and make almost no sound. Watching the behemoth land then taxi backwards is incredible. Preceding the C17 demo was a display of cargo planes of the past. A C47 and a C123 made an appearance.
Major Paul “Max” Moga and his F22 demo have stolen many a show. Major Moga makes the Raptor do things that airplanes just aren’t supposed to do. The backflips the 360 degree flat spins and other maneuvers just make everyone say WOW. The Raptor joined up with the F15, an F4 and Dale Snodgrass in a P51 for an Air Force Heritage Flight. Their flawless performance was a fitting tribute to America’s history of air dominance. After all of this it was time for the Blue Angels to do their thing. Fat Albert treated us to something that is becoming more and more rare these days.
The JATO shot! Watching the C130 leap into the sky trailing the blue flames is a sight to behold. The Blues combine precision formation flying with thrilling aerobatics. They love to show off their F18s. From beginning to end everyone can tell that these people are truly professionals. No team in the world can top their precision and dedication. In all, it was a fantastic show. Saturday’s weather was near perfect. The logistics were stretched by the enormous crowd and the folks at Andrews did an incredible job.
By Mike Sherba