2013 Airshows
Titusville (Tico), FL   NAS Key West, FL   Chino, CA   Indy 500 Fly-Over   Reading, PA WWII Weekend   CWH Show, Hamilton, ONT   Dayton, OH   Muncie, IN   Topeka, KS   Purdue University, IN   Thunder over Michigan, Belleville, MI   Hillsdale, MI   Marion, IN   Waukegan, IL   Glendale Airport, Kokomo, IN   Rome, GA   Peachtree City, GA   Houston, TX   Urbana, OH B-25 Gathering   B-25 Doolittle Memorial Fly-over at Dayton, OH

Hillsdale Warbird Photo Review
Warbirds at Hillsdale County Airport, Hillsdale, MI - August 24, 2013  

One does not have to spend a million dollars like one major airshow announced recently that it did this year to have a first class show.  With a little imagination, some good friends, and a minimal amount of cost, it is still very much possible to put on the a great little country airshow that is just as much fun to watch as the expensive ones.  Case in point was the Hillsdale show where all the aircraft, which were all warbirds, paid all of their own costs to attend and perform in the event.  Add the cost or donation of three portajohns, airshow liability insurance and a couple of other needed items, and the show was ready to fly.  For $5 the spectators got to see their first ever airshow in Hillsdale, and be entertained by the Warbird sounds of round.  Many of the spectators were surprised to see such a great collection at such a small airport.  Another best little airshow out in the middle of nowhere!!

Just like Topeka earlier in the month, not only was the collection of warbirds great, but they were parked on the ramp right in front of many of us, providing an intimacy lost in the bigger shows.

Best little airshow out in the middle of nowhere for 2013!!!

Airfield orientation for photographers:  Facing south.

After a three hour drive and missing a turn in Hillsdale I finally got to the airport and took as my first photo from behind the fence of the F4U belonging to Fighters and Legends.  The owners of this aircraft were the driving force behind this event.

Mike Gillian was on hand from the Chicago area with his pristinely restored General Motors built FM-2 Wildcat.

One Corsair, one Wildcat, three Texans and one Valiant on the west end of the ramp on Saturday morning.

Four more Texans on the grass for a total of eight at the event.  Seven of them flew during the show.

As did this one.

The T-28 was static only.

Mike Gillian fires up the Wildcat for the first act.

Here he is taxiing out past the Corsair.

Photo pass.  Mike did his normal fine aerobatic routine but I was not really satisfied with any of the photos I took.

The sign of life in a radial engine.

Mike Shiffer rotates the Corsair and retracts the gear as he accelerates past the cornfield to the south. 

The Navy Legacy pass.

Mike Shiffer bringing the Corsair in down low for a dirty pass as Mike Gillian goes through his post shutdown checklist in the Wildcat.

Mike gives the crowd a nice photo pass.  He also did a great routine that I really couldn't capture.

"Gentlemen, you have a race!" as the starter calls the start and pulls up out of the way. 

This group of Michigan T-6 owners have put together a simulated air race that they have been doing for several years at small shows like this.  While it may look like a race to the spectators, the whole sequence of events and lead changes have all been preplanned and briefed.  To the crowd watching the aircraft change positions and the announcer excitedly shouting out the changes, it looks like the real thing.

Looks real to me!

The race even comes with a pre-planned simulated emergency with full airshow smoke looking like a failed engine.

Even the fire department was part of the act.  (At least I hope so!!)

Life is tough, sometimes.  To get the shot I wanted, I had to shoot over the Wildcat's horizontal stabilizer because it was parked so close to me.

Bill Leff from the Dayton, OH area came up to help out the show in his clipped wing T-6.  The strobe lights on the bottom of the fuselage are new since the last time I saw him perform.

Bill kept it low all the way down the runway.

Here just the blue strobe is on as he makes a low pass behind the T-28.

Bill goes by in a photo pass after his aerobatic routine.


While Bill was performing out in front, these four Texans went into a holding patter behind the airport in anticipation of doing a missing man formation at the end of the show.  Here they come by in front of the crowd before the Missing Man.


Missing Man from behind.


 

Great Warbirds!!  Great flying!!

Best little airshow out in the middle of nowhere for 2013!!!

Titusville (Tico), FL   NAS Key West, FL   Chino, CA   Indy 500 Fly-Over   Reading, PA WWII Weekend   CWH Show, Hamilton, ONT   Dayton, OH   Muncie, IN   Topeka, KS   Purdue University, IN   Thunder over Michigan, Belleville, MI   Hillsdale, MI   Marion, IN   Waukegan, IL   Glendale Airport, Kokomo, IN   Rome, GA   Peachtree City, GA   Houston, TX   Urbana, OH B-25 Gathering   B-25 Doolittle Memorial Fly-over at Dayton, OH