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Flight Test Nation

Ducks in a Row, originally uploaded by Kirk Howard.

Flight Test Nation – Is also know as the Edwards Air Force Base Air Show. Three years ago I my wife and I headed into the high desert to enjoy the Flight Test Nation 2006. It was a long day and the weather was warm. The Air Force handed out sunscreen and advised everyone to stay over hydrated.

This weekend was the Flight Test Nation 2009. This is the first year that they have had Flight Test Nation since 2006.

This year, Edwards celebrates the 50th anniversary of the X-15 and the heraldry of test legacy. You didn’t have to be on the ramp to hear the Edwards trademark opening sonic boom! At precisely 10 o’clock, Brigadier General “Chuck” Yeager and Major General Joe Engle sent a shock wave to the ground from 30,00 feet, high overhead! Where else does that happen?

One of the highlight of the Air Show was the new F-35 Air Show debut. The F-35 Lighting II is the newest fighter for the Air Force, Navy and Marines. The F-35 did a flyby display and static display.

Many more static and flight displays took place. One disappointment was that in 2006 the US. Air Force Demonstration Team Thunderbirds took to the sky at 3 PM. This year they didn’t have the Thunderbirds.

The image above was taken in 2006 after the Thunderbirds had finished they show and were returning back to the flight line. They were headed right at me when I snapped a few images. This image reminded me of Ducklings walking in a straight line… “Ducks In a Row”

EAA AirVenture Air Show

If you are like me and love air shows, then you will love this air show. The AirVenture Air Show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is one of the premiere air shows in the United States. In this last years air show, they flew everything from Jet Fighters to Civilian Crop Dusters, C-17 Globemasters to the Air Bus a-380. They even had gyro copters.

The show in 2010 will be from July 26 thru August 1. This year I would like to try and make it back to Wisconsin for this Air Show.

If anyone has been to the EAA AirVenture air show, I would like to hear about it. You can post your remarks in the comment field below.

Here is a video I found from last years EAA AirVenture 2009 air show. This video was brought to you by slickhutto. Visit slickhutto at his YouTube page to see more of his amazing video footage of AirVenture 2009 part 2-4.

Livermore Air Show B-17 & B-24 at Livermore Airport

Memorial Day Weekend at Livermore Airport gives you the ability to view history.

Transonic

Photo by: Kirk Howard Copyright© 2007

Today is the last official day of Fleet Week in San Francisco. The planes are all gone, and are in route to their next shows. Most of them will be heading to the Miramar M.C.A.S. show in San Diego. The Blue Angels are heading to Hawaii for their next air show.

This was the first time I attended the Fleet Week Air Show in San Francisco. We purchased reserved seats to view all the flight demonstrations. Even though the stage was very scenic, our seats were located across for the Marina’s outer jetty. The jetty blocked our view from some of the low flying acrobats.

On Sunday I returned alone to take some more pictures. This time I walked out onto the Jetty and set up camp just in front of where we were sitting the previous day. This proved to be a much better location. Especially if you are trying to capture a low level high speed pass by a Blue Angels solo pilot as he edges his aircraft just past the sound barrier envelope at 751 knots also know as transonic speed mach 0.8~1.2.

Photo by: Kirk Howard Copyright© 2007

Photo by: Kirk Howard Copyright© 2007