2012 Airshows
Titusville (Tico), FL   Urbana, OH B-25 Gathering   B-25 Fly-Over at Doolittle Reunion, Dayton, OH   MCAS Cherry Point, NC   Shaw AFB, Sumter, SC   Whiteman AFB, Knob Noster, MO   Boeing Field, Seattle, WA   Kokomo Air Show, Kokomo, IN   CWH Airshow, Hamilton ON   Indianapolis Air Show, Greenfield, IN   Indianapolis Executive B-17 Texas Raiders   Thunder over Michigan, Belleville, MI   Gratiot Community Airshow, Alma, MI   Marion Fly-In/Drive-In, Marion, IN   Fort Wayne Air Show, Fort Wayne, IN   Waukegan, IL   Glendale Airport, Kokomo, IN   Indianapolis Regional Airport, IN   Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport, IN

Fort Wayne Air Show 2012 Warbird Photo Review
Warbirds the Fort Wayne International Airport, Fort Wayne, IN - August 31-September 1-2, 2012
(Photos taken Friday, August 31 and Saturday, September 1)  

  This was the first airshow in Ft. Wayne in 13 years and the Ft. Wayne Air National Guard had a great line-up of acts, including warbirds.  However, the show was to be plagued by the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaac as it moved up into the mid-west.  On Saturday there only two hours of the scheduled four hours of flying due to rain and the ceiling falling below minimums.  As I only live 75 miles from the Ft. Wayne airport I made an impromptu trip up on Friday to watch the practice show, knowing that would be the only day sun would be out.

Friday:  Ft. Wayne Airport still has a viewing area on the west side of runway 23 and Friday there were about 50 hardcore aviation enthusiasts and non-aviation enthusiasts out there to see what we could.  Any other viewing areas were blocked by police and the Guard Base was not accepting spectators until Saturday.  But I was able to photograph all of the warbirds that practiced on Friday to document what was planned for the rainy weekend and might not have an opportunity to fly.

This C-5 from Westover, MA arrived at 10:16 AM to start the photo taking.

While Michael Oliver was doing a low level aerobatic routine wife Suzanne was doing some sky writing. Afterwards many more persons showed up at the viewing area.

Although the viewing area was at least a half a mile from the show line I was able to catch the F-22 setting up for a photo pass.

Vlado Lenoch and the Raptor in Heritage Flight.  Note the attitude of the Raptor as it flies with the slower Mustang.

The Raptor landing Friday after the demo at Ft. Wayne Airport.

Vlado landing after the Heritage Flight.  Actually it was at this point I realized there that non aviation spectators had shown up after the skywriting as one gentleman asked me what type of aircraft this was.

John Mohr doing his always superb presentation in front of the new Ft. Wayne tower.

Being a half mile away from the action sometimes has its compensations at the Mig-17 flew directly over us in setting up for a photo pass.

Randy Ball making a high speed pass down the runway in the Fighter Jet's Mig-17.  Actually it is the Polish Lim-5.

On final.

Taxiing out is Dean Cutshall in his F1-00F that is based at the Ft. Wayne Airport.  Dean rarely takes the aircraft out as few airshows can afford the fuel costs.

Dean did a series of high speed passes, each time igniting the afterburner that makes a loud bang. We could hear it a half mile away. 

Dean bringing in the Super Sabre after a fine series of high speed passes.

Saturday:  Saturday was grey and overcast as expected.  Originally it looked like the rain and low ceilings would hold off until after the show was complete but that was not to be.

The North American Super Sabre owned by Dean Cutshall of Ft. Wayne on static display.  It would not fly on Saturday.

Fighter Jets from Texas with the pilot for the weekend of Randy Ball.

The Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon from the American Military Heritage Foundation was popular with the spectators. 

The Tuskegee Red Tail exhibit and Red Tail Mustang also drew a crowd.

Show Time!!  Flag Jump with the Golden Knights.

Then a Fly-by with two of the Ft. Wayne bases A-10s.

The old and the new.  John Mohr performing in his stock Stearman with the F-22 Raptors in the foreground.

It reads IASAR on the side of the Huey, which stands for Indiana Air Search and Rescue, which is based at Metropolitan Airport in Indianapolis. The Huey was able to get in a low pass as the weather started to deteriorate. 

It was later part of a simulated rescue of a downed pilot which also included A-10s and Rich's Incredible Pyro.

The F-22 Raptor Demo. As the weather started to close in the Raptor launched as the last act and did a low show.  The pilot got airborne and then just hugged all 8,000 feet of the runway.  In spite of the weather the ramp was packed with spectators to see this and with the rain starting to fall, no one left.  Many more were trying to get in as in listening to Air Boss on the scanner the previous aerobatic act had checked the ceiling for him and also said that traffic was backed up two miles in every direction.

Cars should not be allowed to move on the ramp during the show!!!  I would have had a nice shot of the old and new if the car had not passed in front of me.  With the landing of the F-22 the flying show was over for the day.

Titusville (Tico), FL   Urbana, OH B-25 Gathering   B-25 Fly-Over at Doolittle Reunion, Dayton, OH   MCAS Cherry Point, NC   Shaw AFB, Sumter, SC   Whiteman AFB, Knob Noster, MO   Boeing Field, Seattle, WA   Kokomo Air Show, Kokomo, IN   CWH Airshow, Hamilton ON   Indianapolis Air Show, Greenfield, IN   Indianapolis Executive B-17 Texas Raiders   Thunder over Michigan, Belleville, MI   Gratiot Community Airshow, Alma, MI   Marion Fly-In/Drive-In, Marion, IN   Fort Wayne Air Show, Fort Wayne, IN   Waukegan, IL   Glendale Airport, Kokomo, IN   Indianapolis Regional Airport, IN   Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport, IN