More about Luke Days

Here are a few stories about the air show.

1) During the Thunderbird show, four of the six planes were performing a trick and the entire crowd was looking to the right. Everyone's attention was focused on the four planes.

From the left, seemingly out of nowhere (they do fly at 500 mph), one of the other two planes buzzed the crowd. There were a lot of startled people, myself included! I managed to get most of the plane in the corner of the photo. Who would have thought that a fighter jet could sneak up on people like that!

2) Another mind-boggling stunt by the Thunderbirds was when four planes flew at each other from four different directions. There is no margin for error here!

3) The Golden Knights parachute team did a stunt called the "bi-plane" where one jumper stands on another's shoulders and their chutes align so that they look like the wings of a bi-plane. About 15 feet from the ground, they break apart and land separately. Pretty cool trick!

4) One of the performances was a reenactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor. There were a lot of planes in the air at the same time. Once again, I was absolutely amazed at the precision required to keep from crashing all together. The pyrotechnics were pretty awesome too. Great big balls of fire and black smoke everywhere!

WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!

I LOVE AIR SHOWS AT LUKE AIR FORCE BASE! This was one of the coolest events I've ever attended. I have loaded all the photos I took (200+) into the photo album. Follow the "My Photo Albums" link on the left and then select "Luke Days."

My favorite performance was the Thunderbirds, but I'm amazed at the manueverability of the F-15E Strike Eagle. I think part of the attraction was the corresponding pyrotechnics! :)

It was also pretty impressive that they flew the B-2 Stealth Bomber all the way from Whiteman Air Force Base (in Missouri) for the show.

Some words of advice for future attendees: 1) GET THERE EARLY! With the traffic restrictions, security checkpoints (just like the airport!), and the sheer number of spectators, you'll miss the majority of the show while waiting to get in. 2) Another good idea is earplugs. They strongly recommend them for the younger kids, but I was glad I took some for myself. When those afterburners kick in, it gets LOUD! I could feel the vibrations from head to toe. 3) Frequently re-apply sunscreen. The cloud cover was deceptive. I lathered on suncreen before I left home, but then checked the forecast and decided I didn't need to take any with me. BIG MISTAKE. I have THE STRANGEST sunburn pattern on my arms, hands, and face. When you spend all day looking up and holding a camera, you get weird sunburn. :( 4) Absolutely must buy a bag of Busy Bee's Kettle Korn from Corvallis, MT. Watch closely and time your purchase so that you get it warm and fresh from the kettle. Best tasting kettle corn I've ever had. (www.busybeeskettlekorn.com)

That's all for now folks. I'm worn out from a day in the sun and a night of games. I'll post more details later.

Luke Days

Luke Air Force Base is hosting Luke Days on March 24-25. They have a whole bunch of air and ground shows scheduled. It's a full day of non-stop action. I can't wait!
http://www.luke.af.mil/ashowofforce2007/index.asp














SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

8:30 a.m. - Gates Open
9:30 a.m. - Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team performance
10:00 a.m. - Opening ceremonies
U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue parachute team U.S. Flag Jump as the National Anthem is played
Air Force Reserve bilplane (Pitts Special) flown by Ed Hamil flies while the U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue perform
Brig. Gen. Tom Jones, Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Welcome Remarks
10:15 a.m. - F-86 Demonstration
10:30 a.m. - Tim Weber and Greg Poe Duel Aerial Demonstration
10:40 a.m. - Viper vs. Viper race
11:00 a.m. - F-18 Hornet Aerial Demonstration
11:30 a.m. - Tuskegee Airman AT-6 Demonstration by Steve Cowell
11:40 a.m. - A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" Demonstration
12:20 p.m. - Tora Tora Tora Demonstration
12:35 p.m. - Greg Poe MX2 Aerial Demonstration
12:50 p.m. - U. S. Army's Golden Knights Streamer Drop
1:20 p.m. - U.S. Air Force Reserve Pitts Special Bi-Plane by Ed Hamill
Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team Ground Demonstration
1:30 p.m. - Team Red Bull (MiG 17, helicopter, parachute team, Kirby Chambliss)
2:00 p.m. - F-15E Strike Eagle Demonstration and Heritage Flight
2:27 p.m. - Tim Weber's GEICO Extra 300 Performance
2:45 p.m. - U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Ground Show
3:15 p.m. - U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Air Show
4:15 p.m. - End of U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Show
5:00 p.m. - End of show


I love that they're so very precise! :)
I can't wait to go! I bought extra batteries for my camera. LOTS of pictures to come!