beslove@osu-eddie.UUCP (Adam Beslove) (07/22/85)
[] Spent the day at the Dayton Airshow yesterday. I'm still glowing! Got my nerve up and asked the all the pilots manning their planes if I could sit in the cockpit and parked my butt in an F4-D and an A-10! They had the only remaining F-20 there, too. It wasn't demonstration flying, but nonetheless attracted much attention. Couldn't sit in it, but spent much time oogling and fondling it. The entire tail section is composite, as well as the air intakes. I was ready to buy, but we had trouble arranging financing. :-) There were Lears, a C-5, KC-135, F16, F15, F14, SR-71(!), U2, AWACS, AV/8A's, F-106's, F-102, a demo(mockup?) X29 (forward swept wing), C-130's, Cobra's, A-7's, A-6's, A-4's, Huey's, a Sea Stalion (very large chopper) which is in service off Norfolk for mine sweeping... Most of them were touchable, except for a few like the SR-71, U2, x29 and F15 which were cordoned off. Demonstrations by the Blackhawks (three aerobatic bi-planes) were very impressive. The Snowbirds from Canada really stole the show. 9 Canadian designed and built single engine aerobatic jet trainers. They do a group roll while in tight diamond formation that really looks good. They not only looked more graceful in the air than anybody else, but their show had the best timing, music and arrangement. The F14 did a 600+ mph pass over the flight line, and its sound caught up to us after it was passed. There was a flying Wright Brothers replica, and a mock attack on one end of the runway. The trade show was also impressive, and it alone was worth the $5 admission. I feel like I'm blabbering. Serious sensory overload. Write with your questions and I'll try to do a follow up when I sort things out! What a show! Adam Beslove cbosgd!osu-eddie!beslove