Aviation Nation Is Back At Nellis But They Were Quiet About It

By Jim Mumaw

Even though the temperatures dropped each day of Aviation Nation, the massive crowds on hand witnessed some sizzling action last month in the skies above Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

As usual, aviation enthusiasts arrived from across the the country and across the seas. While many were initially dismayed when word was released leading up to the show that the F-22 Raptor and F-15E demo teams had been siphoned away to the Dubai, the folks at Nellis carried on and added flights with one of their own Raptors from the USAF Weapons School. Other highlights included an beautiful
F-4 Phantom II which participated in the USAF Heritage Flight.

(Under a new policy formulated by the Air Force, Pacific Flyer has learned from AF sources, the show was not advertised nor even press releases sent out about it due to severe budget cutbacks in its promotions funds.

(In fact, Air Force shows are now produced for "the local community," our Air Force source said. That's why we didn't carry it in our Checkpoints column; they never announced it..)

(Moreover, there's been a cutback in the civilian acts that are allowed to perform; they have to be warbirds, or at least, aircraft flown at the Test Pilot schools. Also, aircraft heavily festooned with civilian advertising, even warbirds, are officially frowned on but it will be up to the base commander to decide who
flies.)

Action was also provided in many forms which included the Patriots Jet Team in their trademark deep blue L-39s, Bill Reesman in his Red Bull MiG-17, the Netherlands' F-16 demo, the March ARB C-17, a Super Hornet demo as well as Maj. Paul Brown's final flight as a member of the A-10 demonstration team. This year, the USAF Academy's famed Wing of Blue jump team had a most unique jump plane, a US Forest Service DC-3 complete with turboprops!

Warbirds were well represented with a couple of spotless T-33 trainers, as well as the Planes of Fame's F-86 and MiG-15. There were props a plenty with the Horsemen performing maneuvers in the sleek
P-15 Mustangs, and such varied aircraft as an F4F Wildcat, a pair of B-25s, three T-28 Trojans, a pair of T-34 Mentors and two Skyraiders.

A most pleasant surprise was the P-38 formerly known as "Putt Putt Maru" in a new paint job and renamed "Thoughts of Midnight."

With all the action in the air, announcer Gordon Bowman Jones had a busy day of it.

When not craning their necks skyward, the crowds spent plenty of time looking at the large selection of static displays and spending more time, and money, making purchases at the various vendor and squadron booths. This year's lineup marked the official Air Force change in policy as it was an all military show which all aircraft were either current military or warbirds.

(It was also reported to us that the Air Force has cut back its public relations staff from a high of more than 400 down to about a dozen, but we haven't been able to confirm that. Reason is simple, shortage of funds because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.)