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Dayton Airshow 2003 Highlights

This is a 1910 Bleriot monoplane of the same design as Bleriot himself used when he became the first man to fly across the English channel.   They said that rather than being a replica, this one was 95% authentic; I find that hard to believe, since I imagine all of the fabric and much of the woodwork would need replacement after such a length of time, to say nothing of the engine.

photographed at 1/500th of a second and f6.7 using a Canon 1Ds digital camera and Canon 100-400mm image stabilized lens

A Swedish Tummelisa chases a German world war one era Fokker DR I triplane.   The Tummelisa was built in 1919, so this dogfight is pure fantasy, but it certainly makes a nice scene.

Tummelisa dogfighting with a Fokker triplane (click here to open a new window with this photo in computer wallpaper format)

Diamond Lil is one of only two Liberators flying in the world, one as the B-24 bomber version and this one as an LB-30 transport.   This is one of many aircraft flying at the Dayton airshow which I hadn't seen before, which is why I went to the effort of driving for six hours from Chicago.   Other unusual aircraft at the show included a U-2 spy plane, P-38 Lightning and a Helldiver.

B-24 Liberator 'Diamond Lil' (click here to open a new window with this photo in computer wallpaper format)

A pair of aircraft carrier borne S-3 Viking submarine hunters, a plane which isn't often seen at airshows.

photographed at 1/500th of a second and f6.7 using a Canon 1Ds digital camera and Canon 100-400mm image stabilized lens

An F-18F Super Hornet, which is considerably larger than the F-18 Hornet it's based on.

Climbing straight up, it pulled some nice vapor trails across Saturday's picture perfect blue sky.

F18F Super Hornet photographed at 1/750th of a second and f6.7 using a Canon 1Ds digital camera and Canon 100-400mm image stabilized lens

The F-18F does a high speed pass, and pulls a conical vapor cone as it does so.   This doesn't mean that it's going supersonic, that's illegal at an airshow, but it is the sort of effect that occurs as one approaches the speed of sound.   It's the first time I've witnessed it, although I've seen it before in photographs.

F18F Super Hornet photographed at 1/750th of a second and f6.7 using a Canon 1Ds digital camera and Canon 100-400mm image stabilized lens
Fat Albert the C130 Hercules (click here to open a new window with this photo in computer wallpaper format)

Fat Albert, the Blue Angels support aircraft, does its party trick, a rocket-assisted takeoff.

 

The Blue Angels diamond Echelon Pass.

Blue Angels photographed at 1/750th of a second and f5.6 using a Canon 1Ds digital camera and Canon 100-400mm image stabilized lens

The Canadian Air Force Snowbirds demonstration team.   This is the first time ever that all three North American military jet demonstration teams have flown at the same event, another indication of the quality of the Dayton airshow.

Snowbirds photographed at 1/750th of a second and f6.7 using a Canon 1Ds digital camera and Canon 100-400mm image stabilized lens

Whoa - play nicely boys!   The Snowbirds wow a highly appreciative crowd with their knife edge passes.

Snowbirds photographed at 1/750th of a second and f6.7 using a Canon 1Ds digital camera and Canon 100-400mm image stabilized lens

The United States Air Force "Heritage Flight" displays put old and new aircraft together in fly past formations.   In this case it's an F-15 Eagle, the current top of the line fighter with a world war two P-38 Lightning, a very rare aircraft which I hadn't seen flying before this show.

F15 Eagle and P38 Lightning photographed at 1/500th of a second and f5.6 using a Canon 1Ds digital camera and Canon 100-400mm image stabilized lens
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