I am a member of a museum that puts on an annual airshow. What attractions/acts do you like to see? I would like to get a cross section of a group that is very likely to attend, and this forum seems perfect. Do you like warbirds? If so what era? Aerobatics acts/personalities. Most importantly what would make you drive 2-3 hours to see an airshow?
I’ve never had to drive more than an hour to an airshow. I go to the a/c both on display and all the flying acts although aerobatics are my least favorite, prefer warbirds, both old and new
I grew up 30 minutes south of Dayton (and 30 minutes norht of my new home, Cincinnati), and my older brother took me to the first or second Dayton Air Fair, in 1975 (I was 6). What did I like? Loud, LOUD LOUD jets! I remember in the late 1970’s, the British Vulcan came and flew at the Dayton Air Fair (before it became the Dayton Air Show); the RCAF sent an F-101 Voodoo to fly, THAT was loud! And I remember the Navy flying their newest, state-of-the-art fighter, the swing-wing F-14 Tomcat.
Did I say loud LOUD jets? In 1981, I remember like it was yesterday, there was a fly-by (4 passes) by an SR-71. Too cool for words.
But other great acts weren’t all military jets…Bob Hoover flew the Shrike Commander and his yellow P-51. And let us not forget Art School and his Chipmonk Special, with his faithful dog Aileron riding with him.
I still like loud jets…that’s what attracts me more than anything else. If anyone knows where there may be any F-14s flying at airshows this year, I’d love to know, since this is their last year in service.
Hope this provides some insight.
I’m an avionivcs tech on GA aircraft, so I already get to see some great warbirds. But last year I drove 2 hours to see a P-38 Lightning. I would drive 6 to see Glacier Girl. The only thing that turns me off of airshows (besides some of the rude people) is lack of decent static displays. I want to touch em, feel em, smell em, and take lots of pics!!!
I enjoy modern military jets as well as warbirds…WWII, Korea, you name it. Also enjoy walking around all of the static displays, snapping photos, in addition to the flying acts. For an aerial show, I really enjoy demonstrations by the jets and warbids. I was at the EAA airshow in Oshkosh last year, and the Harrier really put on a good routine…LOUD! I’ve also been to a display at an AFB where a B-1 did a low pass over the flightline at full power…set off every car alarm within sight! lol. Also, the Marine Corps demonstrations at their bases are always great…you get a combined helicopter/armor mock assault, and usually a lot of pyro[:)]
I love the warbirds. I guess I’m kinda spoiled, in that I get to see modern stuff all the time. Seeing the old timers fly, and getting up close to them why I go to the airshows. I should add that it is a kick to check out Air Force equipment. It’s always so clean. Marine Corps aircraft are never that clean.
My Dad worked on B-17 in WW II, My oldest brother built model airplanes, my next oldest brother built model airplanes and in 1972 he took me to my first Airshow at the EAA open house at Burlingon WI. In 1973 we went to Burlington then to Oshkosh and I’ve been hooked ever since. My special love are the WW II warbirds but I enjoy the modern ones too. The aerobatics have come a long way over the years but now so much of the acts nowdays are covered by an announcer with some sales pitch like " today we have Joe Schmoe flying the SU-26, powered by AC spark plugs and pennzoil, with a blah blah blah battery, yada, yada, yada. The acts used to have more personality with Art Scholl, Duane Cole, The Red Devils/ Eagles, and Bob Hoover. The performers were doing it because they loved it and not to do some cheesy sales pitch for every component of there aircraft and sponsor. OOps, sorry, i got off on a tangent there [:I] Anyway, the warbirds still are the most impressive, they represent out Nation during the most important time in history and are a salute to those who fought and died. I still get all teary eyed when the taps are played with the missing man formation. And of course there is no more beutiful sound than Mustangs and radial engines running up to full power on take off. Of course the take off modern military aircraft are just as impressive when they go from 0 mph to 10,000 feet in like 10 seconds. My only pet peeve in the warbird department is the wannabe planes like the L-39 Albatrosses that are painted in USAF and USN markings. In civilian markings or a nation they actualy flew with are fine, but to me a big part of warbirds is history. By the owners marking them as US aircraft just cheapens the warbird movement. Oh, sorry, on a soap box again [:D] One trend I have noticed is airshows bringing in non-aviation atractions like carnival rides for kids. At first I didn’t like that type of stuff . But now my daughters look forward to a show they do up at West Bend because they know the rides are there. And by that they are being exposed to aviation and are becomming interested in it. Another thing they do is a small car show and motorcycle show. I think this is good because it gets a wider group of people exposed to avaition than just wing-nuts like me. Civil Aviation and especially the warbirds are continously having their existence threatend because of overly paranoid post 9-11 regulation. The more people that become involved in aviation, the more people there will be to help assure our warbirds will be in the air for future generations. Okay, off my I’m off my soap box now, I hope this was helpful [8D]
Thanks for all the great input. Keep it coming!
I go to smell jet exhaust! Takes my back to the days when I work on the flight deck. I love everthing about airshows, except the high prices. Take a look at some of the stuff I saw in Houstonlast Oct.
http://www.midwaysailor2.com/houstonairshow/index.html
More reasons I go to air shows
finding old a/c
my son introducting my oldest garndaughter and grandson to the business end on Mr. Snake
my old friend the HUEY
and international relations
I was raised with an airplane designer father who worked for McDonnel Douglas so it was natural to spend a Saturday morning watching various aircraft land at Los Angeles International Airport. When I learned that the TV series Twelve O’Clock High was being filmed at nearby Chino Airport I begged my mother to take me there. Being the good mom that she was the neighborhood kids were treated to a day at Chino walking (running more like it) through the TV sets made to look like a WWII English Airfield for the 918th Bomb Group. We marveled at the B-17s parked on the ramp and forever fell in love with WWII aircraft. Watching P-51 Mustangs coming in for repair at Aero Sport was another favorite memory while B-17 borate bombers were being maintained nearby.
I was fortunate enough in my later years to meet many of the Veterans who flew, maintained, ground echeloned, cooked, cleaned, built, or had any one of the hundreds of jobs necessary to put these planes in the air. I am forever touched by their dedication to winning a war that had to be won, with the world forever in their debt.
What do I like to see at airshows? WWII airplanes, of course!
why? to be impressed.
I always go to the RIAT at RAF Fairford ,
why because I love the noise
Bigger is NOT better.
There was a ‘air show’ at a small airport near my home and on a whim and a very tiny paragraph about it in the paper I went.
B 17, P47, Mock dog fights by SNJ’s painted up to look like Zeros, a Ford Trimotor. and a Low fly by of a B24 and P51 escourt. That was it.
But all the aircraft were available to walk around look into and yes even climb inside.
The cost? NOTHING!
Donations accepted and I gladly gave.
I agree with kik, you have to be able to get near the aircraft as well as see and hear them fly.
Don
I love airshow, I travel al around Europe to see them. I have been to shows in the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium and France.
I love to see the aircraft in action, to see things in real live that I normally only see in books or on TV.
I go to al sorts of shows, big ones like RIAT, ILA or the Paris airshow but also small one with glider/sports planes etc.
It’s been a number of years since I’ve been to an airshow, even thought the annual Quonset Point Airshow @ Quonset Point, Rhode Island and its air museum are less than a half hour from me. My wife saw a video of an airshow crash at one of the big european shows some time back and has kind of stressed out about it since.
I for one like the modern military jets and the precision flying teams like the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels. I wish the Soviets would come to Quonset with a Mig-29 or an SU-27. Crash video or not, I would have to go. I would also love to go to one of the big European shows.
Anyone ever seen the rocket powered truck race an airplane?
my [2c],
My favorite airshow is the Hickory Warbirds. It’s at a regional airport, and the warbirds just fly around in laps. It’s great hearing and watching them go around. There were also a few jets that did some laps (and an F-18!). It’s nice to get right up to these aircraft and see their scale.
I’ll go to see the Blue Angles or Thunderbirds, but I get tired of the crowd and traffic.
I go to airshows for the enjoyment of being around any airplanes. I don’t particularly like the noise because I have a hearing problem that makes loud noise very painful, but “the sound of freedom” aspect of it still makes it worthwhile. “My” airplanes, the SR71, U-2, F-4, F-105 and B-52 are either all gone or close to it, so they don’t show up at very many airshows anymore. How sad.
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
The reason I go to airshows is to see my favorite warbirds, whether they be modern or vintage. The thing I dislike about airshows is having the area roped off to where you can’t go around the aircraft. Bryan
I like to watch the planes fly. Noise isn’t so important, just a good show. I prefer the modern jets, though older planes are OK too.
Static displays are nice, but I don’t consider them a deal-breaker or deal-maker…
What would make me drive 2-3 hours to see one?
First off, it needs to be big. I’m not going to go 3 hours one way (especially with today’s gas prices) to see only a couple of acts… I want to be entertained for a good 5 or 6 hours at least. These are typically hosted by cities and/or military bases, which means that they ought to be free (though if it’s being privately sponsored, I could understand a reasonable entrance fee).
Second, it needs to be well advertised (so I hear about it). More importantly in my mind, you need to make clear transportation/parking, and if you are expecting large crowds, show that you can accomodate them.
For example, in 2003, I went to the Jacksonville Sea & Sky Spectacular, which was held on a beach. Parking in the area was very limited, so they arranged for three satellite lots with easy access to the freeway, with bus transportation to the viewing area. In 2004, they moved it to Jacksonville NAS. Information seemed very limited, and in my experience, shows on air bases are always sort of goat ropes because you have to wait in a line of cars for about an hour before you can even park, they park you out in the middle of nowhere, and then make you walk to the viewing area… by the time you get there, you’ve missed the first third of the show. So I skipped it.