Aviation News

2015-09-02

PHOTOS: The Inaugural New York Air Show Soars Over The Hudson Valley

The first ever New York Air Show came to Stewart International Airport this past weekend. The show featured warbirds, the aerobatics of Mike Wiskus, and several military demo teams. It was seen by thousands inside the gates and hundreds of thousands outside the gates.

The show was also marred by tragedy. On Friday, performer Andrew Wright was killed when his carbon fiber Giles G-202 crashed during a practice run. A performer not normally seen in the Northeast, Wright made the trip from Austin, Texas to perform in this show as well as the show in Atlantic City being held a few days later. All performances over the weekend were dedicated to his memory.

The show was kicked off with a flag jump by the Black Knights Jump Team, from the nearby United States Military Academy at West Point. The team, which only accepts new members as freshmen, launched 5 jumpers from a UH-72 Lakota Helicopter.

After a series of passes by the B-25 “Panchito”, Larry Labriola put on a short performance in his single engine L-39 jet. A landscaper by day, Labriola bases his jet at nearby Westchester County Airport near White Plains, NY.

Next up, the crowd was wowed by the high speed passes and low speed antics of the United States Marine Corps’ AV-8B Harrier demonstration. The Harrier showed just how agile a hovering jet can be.

The 106th Rescue Wing from the New York Air Narional Guard put on a fantastic demonstration of their own. The soldiers and their HH-60G Pavehawk showed off combat search and rescue techniques. The demonstration featured helicopter maneuvers that were so low, the grass clippings had to be swept from the runway.

The 106th was followed by the Geico Skytypers. The team of 6 World War II-era SNJs put on a performance of formation flying techniques. The radial engined SNJ-2s and lone SNJ-3 give off a sound that is unmatched on the air show circuit. The Skytypers also flew a missing man formation in honor of Mr. Wright.

Mike Wiskus in the Lucas Oil Pitts Special was the next to perform. His unique mix of loops, rolls, ultra low passes, and other tricks left the crowd awestruck. Wiskus’ performance was followed by the United States Navy’s F-18 Super Hornet demonstration. The naval aviators put on a display of speed and agility, all while staking their claim at who could be the loudest performer of the show. The F-22 made their attempt next, with a performance that never seemed to turn the afterburners off. And no air show would be complete without the heritage flight. At Stewart, it was performed with the F-22 and a P-51 Mustang.

See more of the action from the New York Air Show in the slideshow below:

All images courtesy Ben Granucci.

For those of you that are the type that likes to plan ahead, the 2016 show will be held on August 20th and 21st. Discount tickets are available now.

Ben Granucci, Standards Editor, is an aviation enthusiast and plane spotter based in New York City. Growing up in Connecticut, he has had his eyes toward the sky for as long as he can remember. He can be reached on Twitter at @BLGranucci or through his blog at Landing-Lights.com.



About the Author

Ben Granucci
Ben Granucci, Senior Editor, is an aviation enthusiast and plane spotter based in New York City. Growing up in Connecticut, he has had his eyes toward the sky for as long as he can remember. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter.




 
 

 

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