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MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS, THUNDERING JETS DRAW
140,000 TO 2010 KANEOHE BAY AIR SHOW
Lance Cpl. Reece E. Lodder, Combat Correspondent
With gigantic walls of fire, jaw-dropping aerobatic performances, an array of aircraft displays and more, last weekend wasn’t an average one here. Nearly 140,000 visitors flocked here for the 2010 Kaneohe Bay Air Show, Sept. 25 and 26.
“I’ve seen stuff like this on TV before, but it’s nothing like seeing it live,” said Red Bull cliff-diving champion Orlando Duque. “The sound was incredible, and the aircraft were like something you’d see in the movies. The technology was mind-blowing, like something you’d see on the Discovery Channel.”
The air show, recently held every three years, featured an impressive lineup of performers highlighted by the famed U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels.
Wowing audiences in a flash of blue and yellow, the squadron’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets skillfully maneuvered through the crisp, clear blue skies over Kaneohe Bay and against the backdrop of the soaring Koolau Mountain Range. In addition to the jets’ regimented, precision performances both days, the squadron’s C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, Fat Albert Airlines, stunned visitors with a brief, yet unexpectedly impressive routine.
Despite the famed squadron’s performance, many visitors said their favorite was the thundering, high-speed performance of the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft.
“The F-22 was unbelievable,” said former Air Force pilot and Southwest Airlines captain Steven Rupp, of Honolulu. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
Spectators on the ground were wowed by the F-22 performance, but the experience was as memorable for those in the air. U.S. Air Force Maj. Dave “Zeke” Skalicky, an F-22 pilot and commander of the jet’s demonstration team, marveled at the opportunity to fly in such a beautiful venue.
“When the F-22s first showed up in Hawaii, we came for a short period of time to do a demonstration, but this was my first time flying into Kaneohe,” Skalicky said. “As we flew in, we saw the mountains and the bay, and had to take a couple extra passes over it. It’s beautiful here.”
The Marines put on a show, too. Performing a tactical recovery of aircraft personnel (TRAP) mission, Marines with 3rd and 4th Force Reconnaissance Companies, Marine Forces Reserve, gave spectators a glimpse into the capabilities of a Marine Air Ground Task Force by simulating the rescue of a downed pilot. Eight simulated artillery shots prepared the battlefield, and the recon Marines rappelled out of CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463.
After they swiftly and successfully completed their mission, an MK-58 Hawker Hunter fighter aircraft screamed past to simulate an air strike. Simultaneously, controlled explosives set by base Explosive Ordnance Disposal rocked the ground. The approximately 1,000-foot-long “Wall of Fire” shot high into the sky across the runway from the parked Blue Angels, drifting into the wind in a gigantic black cloud as “Feel the heat!” blared over the speakers.
“Seeing the bombs go off and the aircraft flying by was incredible,” said Duque, of Laie, Hawaii. “I could feel the heat of the explosion on my face.”
While visitors roamed around the flight line, they had the opportunity to enjoy Taste of Oahu food booths, carnival rides, mini-golf, and fl y remote control airplanes. Marines from Hawaii based units gave visitors a glimpse into their jobs by displaying weapons and gear used in their daily life, while dozens of static military and civilian aircraft offered a portal into the world of aviation.
“Being able to see all the different jets and airliners was really cool,” said Honolulu resident Maria Burke. “This is something I never would’ve gotten to experience if I hadn’t come here.”
In the sky above the displays, a variety of other skydivers and aerobatic performers in small aircraft entertained audiences with their reality-shattering routines.
“The airshow was very well organized,” Burke said. “There could’ve been a lot of lulls in between acts, but it was always exciting." |
