2012 Airshows
Titusville (Tico), FL   Urbana, OH B-25 Gathering   B-25 Fly-Over at Doolittle Reunion, Dayton, OH   MCAS Cherry Point, NC   Shaw AFB, Sumter, SC   Whiteman AFB, Knob Noster, MO   Boeing Field, Seattle, WA   Kokomo Air Show, Kokomo, IN   CWH Airshow, Hamilton ON   Indianapolis Air Show, Greenfield, IN   Indianapolis Executive B-17 Texas Raiders   Thunder over Michigan, Belleville, MI   Gratiot Community Airshow, Alma, MI   Marion Fly-In/Drive-In, Marion, IN   Fort Wayne Air Show, Fort Wayne, IN   Waukegan, IL   Glendale Airport, Kokomo, IN   Indianapolis Regional Airport, IN   Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport, IN

MCAS Cherry Point Air Show Warbird Photo Review
Warbirds at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Havelock, NC - May 4-5, 2012  (Photos taken Saturday, May 5)

  This was the second time I have been to the Cherry Point Show.  The first time was on May 27th of 1978 when I was in the area on my honeymoon and my wife and I found the show by accident.  It was the first air show I had ever been to and was at the beginning of my re-awakening interest in warbirds and aviation history.  The only thing I remember from the first show is talking with a Marine who's MOS was the restoration of former Marine warbirds.  Two of the aircraft he was working were on display at the show which were a Corsair and Hellcat. 

This show has been on my list to visit for quite some time and things finally worked out to return just short of 34 years from my original visit.  This year's show had a great collection of flying warbirds but the center piece of the event in my estimation is the MAGTF (Marine Air Ground Task Force) attack demo which demonstrates the close cooperation between Marine Air and Ground Units to achieve their objective.  Included in the MAGTF were EA-6B, AH-1, UH-1, C-130, F-18, CH-53 and MV-22 .  The MAGTF set this apart from other shows.

Flag Jump by the Black Daggers from Ft. Bragg.  Note the equipment line below the jumper.  This is the first time I have seen this but the proceeding two jumpers came out in full combat gear weighing in at 100 lbs.

Right after the jumper was down the Legacy Flight came in.

Followed by an Aeroshell Team teaser.

The Trojan Horsemen were up next.  The team consists of six T-28s, of which two do opposing solo aerobatics with the remaining four doing formation passes when they were not together in a six ship.

The Bomb Burst.

Bill Leff from Springfield, IL in his clipped wing T-6.

I was away from the front line during Bill's routine getting lunch not knowing he was going to fly.  This shot shows him doing a photo pass in front of the many special seating and sponsor tents.  Military bases are not allowed to charge admission to air shows but are not allowed to use taxpayer money for the events.  To help generate the funding to pay for the non military acts the bases can charge for premium seating.  This is one of the many tents that spanned at least 60% of the show line.

Next up were the Northeast Raiders, which I had never seen before.  In talking as they came down the show line after their performance, I found they are out of New Jersey and work the east coast shows.  Cherry Point looks to be as far south as they get.

A combination of five Yak-52s and CJ-6s flew at Cherry Point.  Here they are in the middle of one flying around the other four.

This was a very good routine and I was glad be able to have seen it.

Red Tail making one a half a dozen high speed passes.  No aerobatics for it at this event but that was ok in that it fast and down low all of the time.




 

Next up was Larry Kelly in B-25J Panchito.  Larry and his crew also do a very nice performance with the B-25.

If a show is going to only have one B-25 for a solo routine, this is the one to have.  Larry and crew get turned around and back to the show line in a hurry.

MAGTF

Two F/A-18s pull off after a simulated refueling run with a KC-130 tanker.

Prowler on the takeoff!!

The very rare Grumman EA-6B making an air show pass as part of the attack package by identifying and jamming threats to the inbound force.

Real Hueys!!  Two UH-1N Hueys with the original two blade rotors bring in the first ground forces.  The USMC is converting to the four bladed UH-1Y Huey.

FA-18s in a high speed pass providing air superiority for the battlefield.

More support arrives from MV-22s and a CH-53.

Reinforcements are exiting the Ospreys as the CH-53 comes in with a Humvee.

The MV-22s depart as the Super Sea Stallion drops off its Humvee.

As the CH-53 makes its exit a Cobra can be seen in the background preparing to make a ground support pass.

Armor support.

This photo is an enlargement of the one below and while a little fuzzy shows the F/A-18 popping up over the top inverted.  He came in low and fast to avoid detection and AAA and then popped up for his ground support bombing run.  Near the top he rolled inverted to pull positive Gs and visually acquire the target. 

Here he is just starting to roll out.

When the F-18s came over the top they were in line with the crowd line.  Here as he rolls upright he is flying away from the crowd to the 1,500 foot showline.

On Target!!!

A Cobra pulls out after making a simulated strafing pass.

The Cobras making a show pass for the crowd.

The AeroShell Team was back in the afternoon for a full show.

Smoke on!

A dirty pass by the Corsair.

Looking down the show line with the Legacy Flight making its approach.

The second Legacy flight of the day.

Marine Air Rescue Helicopters are named Pedro and are on duty 24/7.  Show here is a simulated rescue is one of only four rescue swimmers in the USMC riding back up on the rescue basket while waving at the crowd.

Titusville (Tico), FL   Urbana, OH B-25 Gathering   B-25 Fly-Over at Doolittle Reunion, Dayton, OH   MCAS Cherry Point, NC   Shaw AFB, Sumter, SC   Whiteman AFB, Knob Noster, MO   Boeing Field, Seattle, WA   Kokomo Air Show, Kokomo, IN   CWH Airshow, Hamilton ON   Indianapolis Air Show, Greenfield, IN   Indianapolis Executive B-17 Texas Raiders   Thunder over Michigan, Belleville, MI   Gratiot Community Airshow, Alma, MI   Marion Fly-In/Drive-In, Marion, IN   Fort Wayne Air Show, Fort Wayne, IN   Waukegan, IL   Glendale Airport, Kokomo, IN   Indianapolis Regional Airport, IN   Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport, IN