2014 Vero Beach (FL) Air Show It's air show season here in the ol' US of A, with a plethora of altitudinal flights of fancy. From the left coast to the Space Coast, those magnificent men (and women) in their flying machines are at it again. JF was present at the 2014 Vero Beach Air Show in Florida. And unlike the movie from years ago, there were no hair-raising heroics and rescues, dastardly skullduggery or villainy. There was, though, pure fun from acrobatic maneuvers and heavenly ascensions that seem to defy gravity and other laws of physics that certainly pleased the crowds.
Unlike many other air shows that are viewed beachside or away from an airstrip, the Vero Beach show is centered at the airport (KVRB) and uses the runways not only for air displays but also for more grounded excitement. And there’s plenty of room for a static display, informational booths and food vendors. On display, Draken International had a couple of their Douglas A-4K Skyhawk warbirds on the tarmac. Draken, based in Lakeland, FL, is the world's largest operator of ex-military tactical fighter aircraft.
As a training aircraft, the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor remains in service more than six decades after it was first designed in the late 1940s. It’s a propeller-driven, single-engine, military trainer derived from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. Here’s an U.S. Air Force version, with a Continental 300hp engine that offers a 160 knot cruise and 219 knot max airspeed. And it has its own flyers association for those that love these vintage aircraft (t-34.com).
And an entry by Myjet.net. MyJet, a private jet co-ownership program flies the twin engine Eclipse jet, with a max cruise speed of 430 mph and up to 41,000 feet.
A big draw was the U.S. Customs Blackhawk Helicopter. With its stealthy black finish adorned with gold lettering and stripes, it’s an unnerving site to see one up close on land as well as one flying at you (or over or behind).
Looking like the space shuttle with an impressive glass helm and enough knobs to make a wrist sore, this whirly bird also has ample deck space for hauling bad guys to the slammer.
A couple of T-28 Trojans were in the house. Used by the US Air Force and US Navy as a trainer aircraft, the T-28 was also employed as a counter insurgency plane primarily during the Vietnam War.
Missionary Flights International had one of their angels on display, and open for walk-throughs. Originally built in 1943, and rebuilt in 1989, N200MF is a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65AR turbine engine powered DC-3 purchased in 2003 from Dodson Aviation.
With voluminous cargo capacity, faster cruising speed, and reduced maintenance costs, N200MF has become the workhorse of the MFI fleet. Per the missionaryflights.org website, MFI has another DC-3 and a Cessna 310N.
Opening the flying portion of the show were the Lucas Oil parachute team as the dropped in while being circled by one of the stunt planes.
DAVE FOLK F4U-5N CHANCE-VOUGHT CORSAIR The F4U-5N (N for “nightfighter”) served with the Honduran Air Force and, along with 21 other Corsairs, saw combat in the ground-attack role in 1969 against El Salvador. Restored in the F4U-5 configuration, it features inverted gull wings, a large propeller, and the distinctive sound of its 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R2800 Double Wasp radial engine. Its gull wings and wide wheel base make the plane stronger and more stable for island and carrier landings. These characteristics have served the Marines and Navy very well.
The F4U-5N Corsair is one of the most famed fighters of WWII; it was the first U.S. fighter to fly at 400 mph in level flight. Designed for service on aircraft carriers, it was called “Whistling Death” for the distinctive sound its engines made in a dive. Pilot Dave Folk will fly the Corsair at the Vero Beach Air Show.
SKIP STEWART & PROMETHEUS Skip Stewart is best known for his high-energy aerobatics routine featuring very low and slow knife-edge passes. His performances most often involve transitioning into slow knife-edge flight immediately after takeoff, followed by an outside-banked turn as he sets up for his routine. His performances involve extreme positive and negative g-force maneuvers, utilizing the full performance and maneuvering envelopes of his aircraft. He is known for performing a double ribbon-cut in which he slices the first (upper) ribbon with his aircraft’s vertical tail while in inverted flight and the second (lower) ribbon with his lower wing while in sustained knife-edge flight.
Prometheus the Flying Machine is part Pitts Special and the rest Skip and Christina Stewart. Starting life as a Pitts S-2S, it has a climb rate of 4000 feet per minute, maximum speed of 197 mph, stall speed of 58 mph, empty weight of 1,146 pounds, and a range of 405 miles.
ROB HOLLAND - ACROBATIC AND COMPETITIVE PERFORMER Rob Holland knew from a young age that flying in air shows and entertaining the fans was what he wanted to do with his life. He worked as a flight instructor and corporate pilot and eventually opened his own aerobatic flight school. During this time Rob was honing his flying skills and quickly moving up through the ranks of competition flying. Flying his first air show in 2002, he began the long journey of becoming a well-known, polished act.
Now he can book the shows he wants, get the media attention required for corporate sponsorship, and travel throughout North America, Central America, and the Caribbean doing what he loves to do. Everyone always asks, but no, there was no pot of gold to get him started. He simply worked very hard, gave up everything else, stayed focused, and didn’t let anyone talk him out of flying. Rob encourages others to do the same, whatever their dreams may be. Rob has won the last three U.S. National Unlimited Aerobatic Championships and the Gold Freestyle Medal at the last World Aerobatic Championships.
QUICK SILVER P-51D MUSTANG – “THE RESURRECTED VETERAN” The Quick Silver P-51 Mustang, flown by pilot Scott “Scooter” Yoak, is a celebration of our nation’s armed forces. Every aspect of this fine machine represents those individuals who have served and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Bill Yoak, an individual with a love and passion for this type of aircraft, built Quick Silver from more than 200 Mustang parts and projects. The remanufactured parts are handmade, made with the skill and care of a master craftsman, showing the utmost attention to detail necessary to restore this Mustang to a condition better than when it was factory-new in 1945.
