Author: Ken Mist

2015 Rotary Brantford Air Show

general

Catching up after a long weekend at the Canadian International Air Show.  Unfortunately I was not permitted to take photos while working but have had a little time to catch up and work on some photos from last week’s air show in Brantford put on by the Rotary.  I worked with the great members of “Red Tail North” to put on a small display for the CAF Red Tail Squadron and assist pilot Bill Shepard who flew the P-51C Mustang “Tuskegee Airmen” in the show.

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The Red Tail piloted by Bill Shepard

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Nice top side pass.

Great crowd at the mid-week Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show featuring the P-51C Mustang along with the CAF Snowbirds and CF-18 Hornet Demo.

Great crowd at the mid-week Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show featuring the P-51C Mustang along with the CAF Snowbirds and CF-18 Hornet Demo.

The Mustang flown by Bill Shepard in formation with the B-25 "Hot Gen" from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Musuem at the Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show.

The Mustang flown by Bill Shepard in formation with the B-25 “Hot Gen” from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Musuem at the Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show.

A cast of characters pose with the Mustang at the Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show.

A cast of characters pose with the Mustang at the Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show.

The distinctive red tail of the Mustang reflected after a heavy rain that hit the Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show. The crowd stayed through the storm and was rewarded by a great afternoon of flying.

The distinctive red tail of the Mustang reflected after a heavy rain that hit the Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show. The crowd stayed through the storm and was rewarded by a great afternoon of flying.

#TDIH – September 7, 1997 – First Flight of the F-22 Raptor

First Flight

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine, all weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for theUnited States Air Force (USAF). The result of the USAF’s Advanced Tactical Fighter program, the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities including ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor and was responsible for the majority of the airframe, weapon systems, and final assembly of the F-22, while program partner Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.

The aircraft was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 prior to formally entering service in December 2005 as the F-22A. Despite a protracted development as well as operational issues, the USAF considers the F-22 a critical component of its tactical air power, and states that the aircraft is unmatched by any known or projected fighter. The Raptor’s combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and situational awareness gives the aircraft unprecedented air combat capabilities.

The high cost of the aircraft, a lack of clear air-to-air missions due to delays in Russian and Chinese fighter programs, a ban on exports, and development of the more versatile and lower cost F-35 led to the end of F-22 production. A final procurement tally of 187 operational production aircraft was established in 2009 and the last F-22 was delivered to the USAF in 2012.  (Wikipedia)

(image taken at 2015 Sun ‘n Fun – Lakeland Florida)