Tri-City Water Follies

The B-25 Pacific Prowler was on hand for the Tri-City Water Follies this year. I had the good fortune to be able to walk out and look at her. This B-25J has had a long and varied career. From being used to drop bombs to filming Disney movies, she is now on the airshow circuit. I saw her last year at the McChord Airshow, which incidentally, does not seem to be happening again, despiote last years HUGE numbers..

Here is a Soviet job, Yak-11. I am, sadly, not much of a fan of Soviet WWII technology.

Below is Val-Halla, a P-51. It made a flight with an F-16 on its wing. Heritage Flights are the rage, apparently. She appears to be dressed in Air Defense Force colors of the late 40s and early 50s. The Buzz Number is what seems to give it away. They were painted large so if pilots got the idea to fly too low, ground observers could ID the plane and the pilot would get into trouble...at least that is the story I have read on Buzz Numbers.

These aircraft are actually on the old Pasco NAS. I managed to bump into a very nice lady who has done some research of her own on the Pasco NAS. She was able to tell me a few things about the first commander that I would not have otherwise found out.

Here are a couple of the WWII era hangars still in use. I will post more later.

McChord Air Show, July 2008

I had the opportunity to travel to McChord Air Force Base and see the air show there. I am afraid it has been awhile since I posted, but here are some photos from that wonderful experience.

Here is the F-22! What an awesome piece of aerial might!

It used to ake a real man to handle this much tail, but nowadays, they have hydraulic assist!

Here is an F-15E...the Ground Attack version of the fighter.

Of course, we need to see the F-16...

Here is an A-10

Here is what McChord is known for:

C-5B

They were not all new jets, here is a Douglas B-18A Bolo.