2015 Fargo Airsho

 2015.07.25, Fargo, ND

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Sleke Dayton 2014 Airfest - Lacrosse WI

2014: The return of the airshow - small, but a new start.  Hopefully an increase in public outreach funding and policies can expand each year until we get back to normal.

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Duluth Airshow 2012

Duluth IAP, MN, 2012.09.22

This year's airshow was very scaled back.  There was no Air Force or Navy support (The F-16 demo team came to fly a few passes in the heritage flight - the gas, pilots and airframes were paid for - so if anybody can explain the AF's demo team stand-down to me, I can't figure it out), and the 148th didn't even fly, being mostly deployed to Afghanistan. That left the Marine's AV-8 demo, F-4, and the Canadian snowbirds.  Statics were very light including the F-16, EF-18G, F-18, T-38, C-130 and the impressive C-5A.  Weather was 37 degrees with high wind and rain, making quite a contrast to this summer.

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Fargo 2011

Fargo Airsho - 2011.08.11-12


Military acts included:
USN Blue Angels
USN VFA-122 F/A-18E Super Hornet demo
USAF Viper West F-16 demo
B-52 / KC-135 Fly-over

Statics were a bit light in the heavy area, as the C-5 was unavailable, although there was the F-15E, F-16C, F-18F and F-18C adversary along with the C-21, C-130, and E-6.  The biggest problem was the statics was that rather than an orderly line like last time, the displays were surrounded and crammed in by various activities, the Navy Band, some Guitar Hero game, information booths, etc.  This made observing and photographing the aircraft difficult and the noise made talking to the pilots difficult as well.   The lighting was a bit poor for photography, but otherwise, the show seemed to on without problems of weather, etc.

133rd Air Expo

To celebrate the 90th annivesary of the Minnesota Air National Guard, the 133rd Airlift Wing held an open house at MSP.  The show was light on combat aircraft, featuring only an A-10 and MSP's old F-16 block 15 museum display.  It would have been great to see Duluth bring down some of their latest block 50 F-16s.  The show was loaded with heavy aircraft, however, displaying all of the Air Force's lift capability with the C-130, C-17, C-5, KC-10, KC-135 and C-21. The only aerial performance was a SOCOM jump team, but the event did allow time for venturing through the cockpits, cargo holds, and refueling stations of those large aircraft.

Aviation Nation 2010

Aviation Nation 2010, Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada 2010.11.13-14

As usual, November brings with it one of the best air shows of the year. This time, Aviation Nation was a bit scaled back - there was only two tactical demo teams, but the level of energy managed to stay high.

Performers:
Thunderbirds (F-16) / F-22 (Zeke's final demo) / F/A-18C /
F-16 Aggressor fly-by / Nellis fly-by: F-16C, A-10, F-15C (Aggressor) / F-4 / T-33/
CSAR (modern): F-16C, A-10, C-130, HH-60 / CSAR (Vietnam): F-4, A-1, O-2, UH-1

Notable statics:

Nellis Line-up: F-16C, A-10, F-22, F-15C, F-15E, F-15C Aggressor, F-16C Aggressor

F/A-18C, F/A-18C (NASA), F-5E(N), A-10, Eurofighetr Typhoon (British), T-38

E-2C, EA-6B, B-52, E-6, RC-135, C-5, C-17, C-130, MV-22

Photo Gallery

 

Thanks to the members of the 64th AS and the 65th AS, they were great to talk to, especially the 64th commander, Shaggy. There was some info on upcoming aggressor paint schemes. As the 64th receives aircraft from the Duluth MN ANG during its conversion to the block 25, two of the aircraft will get the arctic scheme. There is also a proposed new blue flanker scheme. As for the 65th, the F-15 will be getting a splinter scheme.

+ Aggressor fly-by, CSAR demo

- No extra TAC or foreign demo, no C-17 demo,No B-1B static. Bus fubar on Saturday caused attendees to miss the first hour of the show, most importantly the aggressor fly-by. Aggressor squadron T-shirts were sold out.