flyu2there
02-18-2010, 09:15 AM
I believe that there are a number of members holed up in vaious locations of the desert southwest this time of year. Should this be of any interest, the USMC and the Yuma International Airport put on one hellava air show annually, this year it will be on March 27.
We have an 8000 square foot hangar that opens to the "meat and taters" of the show, we are right under most of the happenings and nearly a mile from the maddening crowds that are held well clear on the east side of the field. We do hamburgers, hot dogs and soda and can actually talk to one another during breaks in the action.
The Patriots are highlighted this year, a group of grey bearded gents who mimick the Blue Angels in a handful of L-39's, they do a remarkable job. There is also a couple of maniacs who have stripped out a 40 foot schoolbus and strapped a JT8D (Beoing 727/DC-9) engine to it and are going to see how fast they can make it go and stop within the limits of the longest runnway...13,000 feet. My personal favorite is the USAF F-16 (Viper West) who, while staying within the confines of the airport, operates anywhere from 100 feet above the ground to 24,000 feet; this, of course, requires the assistance of full after burners so hearing protection is advised as you not only hear but also feel this one...IMAX would be the closest albeit poor comparison. There are also a number of other performers from the aerobatic boyz to the J-3 cub that lands and takes off from the roof of a pickup truck...moving of course.
We have an 8000 square foot hangar that opens to the "meat and taters" of the show, we are right under most of the happenings and nearly a mile from the maddening crowds that are held well clear on the east side of the field. We do hamburgers, hot dogs and soda and can actually talk to one another during breaks in the action.
The Patriots are highlighted this year, a group of grey bearded gents who mimick the Blue Angels in a handful of L-39's, they do a remarkable job. There is also a couple of maniacs who have stripped out a 40 foot schoolbus and strapped a JT8D (Beoing 727/DC-9) engine to it and are going to see how fast they can make it go and stop within the limits of the longest runnway...13,000 feet. My personal favorite is the USAF F-16 (Viper West) who, while staying within the confines of the airport, operates anywhere from 100 feet above the ground to 24,000 feet; this, of course, requires the assistance of full after burners so hearing protection is advised as you not only hear but also feel this one...IMAX would be the closest albeit poor comparison. There are also a number of other performers from the aerobatic boyz to the J-3 cub that lands and takes off from the roof of a pickup truck...moving of course.