This is a little late, but merits mentioning still. The U.S. sent their F-22 (their top flight air superiority fighter) and the US Navy "Blue Angels" stunt team to this year’s CNE air show, flying F-18 "Hornets" along with their tender, a C- 130J "Hercules" named "Fat Albert" and a F-16 "Falcon." Historical interest was provided by three WW II P-51 "Mustang" fighters.
Then there was the Canadian demo team celebrating a century of flight in Canada. The "Snowbirds" flew the reliable, but obsolete CT-144 "Tudors", the CF-18 "Hornet," and a WW II Supermarine "Spitfire". There were many other 'craft as the air show went on for four hours.
The feature of the air show (as I see it anyway) was watching the F-22 "Raptor", the US Air Force "air superiority" fighter, which was here two years ago when it was here the first time out of the country. The "Raptor" does stunts not before seen at speeds of two and a half times the speed of sound and then slows down to the hovering speed of a "Harrier," all at the secrecy of a stealth aircraft. This aircraft has taken the place of four fighters, mind you at the humble price of $142,000,000 per plane.
"The F-22 will fly coast to coast (of the U.S.) in about one hour and twenty minutes," said one of the F-22 crew Sergeants.
The U.S. Navy "Blue Angels" had not been included in the CNE air show for over twenty years because of bad memories. They had a rather horrible crash that Estonian film cameraman Ed Vaar, who worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, filmed exclusively when one of the pilots crashed along the island of Ontario Place when he came in too low.
This year’s air show was, once again, a great success.
U.S. “A team” at CNE air show
Archived Articles | 16 Oct 2009 | Adu RaudkiviEesti Elu
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