So, along with a few thousand other brave souls, we braved the great outdoors and cast our fears of the ever-present swine-flu threat aside in order to attend the 2009 Central Texas Airshow. I had missed the last several shows for one reason or another and was determined to make it this time. I am truly glad we did and everyone enjoyed the show, and the food.
I was initially upset that the P-47 and P-51 were unable to make the Saturday show due to various reasons, but the pilots in attendance did a tremendous job in their own right.
I remain amazed and in awe of the tremendous talent of individual and team aerobatics. My personal flight-log includes about 30 minutes behind the stick of an old Piper Cub (assisted of course). The perfection in timing and control of these remarkable aircraft is no small feat. One “act” in particular that stands out in memory, and likely will for some time, was the aerobatic performance of the Twin-Beech plane. I, like many others, would have never believed the grace and ability of such a large machine, even at the hands of a remarkable pilot. Yet there it was, in the sky, performing barrel rolls, loops and nearly scooping up tarmac at the bottom of the arc. Truly remarkable!
The A-10 finale clinched the deal for me anyway as I have always been a fan of that technologically deficient yet magnificent beast of an aircraft. Not to say there are no traces of technology to be found in the 38,000 pund airframe, but its certainly no B1 bomber or F22 Raptor. Either way, I love the sight and sounds of an A10 and I am sure those fighting on the ground have even more reverence for it.
A few spurts of rain throughout the day didn’t deter a single soul from remaining in their coveted spot in the viewing area. Somehow we lucked out and found a spot right up against the fence between two groups of people. Of course it was right in front of the triple loudspeakers, but hey, what’s an airshow without deafening noise?
If you live near the Central Texas/Temple area, I highly encourage you to attend the 2010 Central Texas Airshow! I am certain you will enjoy it.
(All of the pictures currently on my blog for the 2009 airshow are from the event’s website. I do have my own, but have not had the time yet to format them to fit this article. All in due time).
