Somebody had a great idea.
Pocono Raceway – home to legendary motorsports events for
more than five decades – boasts an immaculate grandstand and support facilities
that run the length of the track’s 3740-foot front straightaway. The triangular
speedway has no grandstand structures in the first and third turns – so a
visionary realized that the front straightaway essentially mimics a flightline.
And wouldn’t this be a fantastic venue for an airshow?
It is.
First held in 2019, The Great Pocono Raceway Airshow drew
tens of thousands of people to the track this Memorial Day weekend. They were
greeted by near-perfect weather and an array of aviators headlined by the USAF
F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
The packed schedule also included one of the most
fascinating aircraft flying, a de Havilland Vampire flown by Jerry Conley. With
development test flights taking place 80 years ago - in 1943 – the Vampire
became the first Royal Air Force plane powered by a single jet engine.
Talented aerial acrobats were on hand as well. The skills
and airplanes of Rick Volker and Rob Holland resulted in dizzying displays boasting
seemingly impossible performances.
And the U.S. Coast Guard ably demonstrated the rescue
capabilities of its agile Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphin.
The show proceeded as planned almost like clockwork, a
characteristic common to airshows produced by David Schultz Airshows. The
organization is on the verge of celebrating three decades in this unique
business and their efforts make events like The Great Pocono Raceway Airshow a
success for performers and attendees alike.
Click on photos for larger images. All photos: Frank
Moriarty/Aerospace Perceptions
Pocono’s show kicked off with a heritage flight pairing a historic P-51 Mustang flown by Jim Beasley Jr. with the fully modern F-22 Raptor flown by Captain Samuel Larson.
The F-22 Raptor Demo Team presents stunning examples of this aircraft’s capabilities. The dual Pratt & Whitney jet engines are capable of making immense power, and the incredibly nimble flight control surfaces allow this jet to maneuver through the skies in ways that seem impossible.
Rick Volker’s Sukhoi SU-26M is a remarkable plane that has a
titanium and composite airframe that can withstand the forces of the pilot’s exciting
show programs.
Jerry Conley’s Vampire show makes it clear that even though
this de Havilland has been in existence for eight decades, its speed is nearly
shocking – especially during tree-top level (and below!) show passes.
Rob Holland began flying as a teenager, soon moving into the realm of aerobatics. His shows at the controls of his carbon-fiber MXS-RH are innovative and designed to, as Holland has said, “push the limits of what can be done.”
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels have become legendary. The team now flies Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets, providing the pilots with the precision needed to amaze audiences with their intricate, fast-paced shows.
