Last year the aerial performances were grounded. This year they were back, if not completely restored to their original luster.
A problem with Federal Aviation Administration permits kept some military aircraft from flying on Saturday and brought an early end to that day’s performance. The large C-17 transport aircraft also stayed on the runway because of an investigation into the crash of a similar aircraft in July that was still under investigation.
Thousands of people still turned out for the event and were treated to flying demonstrations by several aircraft. An Antonov An-2 biplane was the last plane to fly on Saturday and took to the skies under strong winds that weren’t a problem for the world’s largest single-engine biplane. The blustery weather gave the pilots a perfect chance to showcase the planes low-speed flying abilities – the Antonov is famous for not having a stall speed listed in the aircraft’s manual. When the pilots pointed the biplane into the wind, they were able to fly past the crowd at a jogger’s pace.
The event was dedicated to the U.S. Coast Guard and to nine people who died in a collision between a Coast Guard C-130 and Marine AH-1W Cobra helicopter in 2009. Each year the show is dedicated to Veterans and active duty military personnel.