Grant Nielsen
April 22, 2024
The U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight program presents the evolution of USAF air power by flying today's fighter aircraft in close formation with vintage fighter aircraft. It was created in 1997 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the United States Air Force. It incorporates fighters from World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War and other conflicts in which the USAF has been involved....
The A-10 Thunderbolt II better known as the "Warthog" is a single-pilot attack aircraft designed for short takeoffs and landings from primitive airfields. The A-10 can operate nearly anywhere and provide ground troops with close air support. The entire aircraft was largely designed around its nose gun, a 30 mm Avenger cannon. The seven-barrel rotary cannon measures nine feet long and fires 30mm armor-piercing shells at a rate of nearly 4,000 rounds per minute. As a result it has been given the nickname “Tank killer”. The Avenger cannon also represents over 15 percent of the aircraft's weight. When the gun is removed for maintenance, the A-10's tail must be supported to keep the nose from tipping up....
The Polaris Program's Ghost Squadron's fleet of jets provides training opportunities for astronauts from Polaris Program missions and other spaceflight initiatives. Training in a jet allows astronauts to enhance their crew resource management & navigation skills in a high-G, dynamic, and high-consequence environment – providing valuable real-world experience ahead of missions to space. Click here to learn more...
The Red Bull Air Force is a team assembled from the most accomplished and experienced aviation experts on the planet. They specialize in highly coordinated aerial jump demonstrations and continually push the limits of human flight continually rethinking what is possible, and envision a world where all people live with boldness. They believe humans can fly and relentlessly pursue that which is thought impossible, then go and do it....
The Red Bull Helicopter is one of only a few in the world certified to do aerobatics. The highly modified BO-105C can do all kinds of tricks—barrel rolls, loops, vertical climbs, nose dives and flip forward and backward. Pilot and Red Bull athlete Aaron Fitzgerald has flown helicopter stunts for over 100 films and television shows and joined the Red Bull team in 2018....
The F-18 Rhino Demo Team flies the F/A-18F Super Hornet in a 15 minute demonstration of the Navy's workhorse carrier based fighter. This twin engine beast puts out 44,000 pounds of heart vibrating thrust in dynamic display of speed and maneuverability that is awe inspiring for a fighter originally developed over 40 years ago. . > Click Here for more info and photos of the F-18 Super Hornet....
The United States Special Operations Command Parachute Team, known as the Para-Commandos, is composed of volunteers from the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and U.S. government civilians who are assigned to the Special Operations Command. Formed in 1991, the Para-Commandos represent the elite Special Operations Forces of the United States armed services....
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon and perform a combination of formation and solo maneuvers in an inspiring, patriotic, high energy demonstration. The four-jet diamond performs precision formation flight with the aircraft wingtips as close as 4 feet apart while performing loops, inverted rolls and even high performance turns! The two solo jets perform high energy maneuvers together and from opposite directions closing in on each other as fast as 1,000 mph. The six jets come together in the delta formation as the finale for the show, flying difficult formations and signature breaks that fill the sky with speed, sound and smoke trails! > Click Here for more information on the Thunderbirds....
