Airshows

Only 28 Hawk aircraft will be left in British service, the T2 variant.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) plans to retire its entire fleet of 76 Hawk T1 trainer aircraft, leaving only 28 Hawk aircraft in British service, the T2 variant, the UK Defence Journal reports.

The ‘Defence in a Competitive Age‘, the Defence Command Paper released on Mar. 22, 2021, states: “The Royal Air Force will retire equipment that has increasingly limited utility in the digital and future operating environment. This will include rationalizing older fleets to improve efficiency, retiring Typhoon Tranche 1 by 2025, and Hawk T1. We will enhance the new military flying training system with further investment in synthetic training that will deliver more capable pilots more quickly and more efficiently.”

No. 100 Squadron flies Hawk T1 jets in the aggressor role and the RAF Aerobatic Team Red Arrows uses the T1 as display aircraft. However, according to the Express, the famous aerobatic team has been saved from the axe in a defense review to be published in the week commencing Mar. 22.

“Though Ministry of Defence insiders have confirmed that the iconic team will not be felled next week, RAF sources insisted its days were numbered unless other streams of financial support could be found urgently. The Red Arrows has arranged a raft of sponsorship deals with some blue-chip brands, ranging from BAE, Barbour, and Breitling to Land Rover and Rolls Royce, worth just under a million pounds in total.”

In normal times the Red Arrows would perform around 25 shows a year charging £10,000-30,000 for thirty-minute daredevil spectaculars, which is paid directly to the MoD. It also helps to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

In 2019 the Red Arrows, which boasts 11 pilots and more than 100 engineers and support crew, undertook a triumphant 11-week tour of the US and Canada – its biggest ever – and is seen as a pillar for Brand GB and recruitment.

Moreover, as we have already anticipated last week, the RAF will also retire its C-130 Fleet by 2023. The ‘Defence in a Competitive Age’, says:

“The Royal Air Force will retire the BAe146 as planned by 2022 and take the C-130 Hercules out of service by 2023. The A400M Atlas force will increase its capacity and capability, operating alongside C-17 Globemaster and Voyager transport aircraft and tankers.”

According to insiders, major decisions will include cutting the number of Boeing E-7 Wedgetail surveillance aircraft from five to three and axing the purchase of 90 F-35 fighter jets to leave just 48 while the RAF focuses on developing the new Tempest.

Boris Johnson previously described this defense review as the largest review of its kind since the Cold War.

Photo by Cpl Andy Benson / Crown Copyright

For more interesting news and info about RAF Red Arrows check out Aerobatic Display Teams website

As shown by the main image of this post, the team is still flying one F/A-18 tandem seat Legacy Hornet.

Posted on Mar. 15, 2021, by 151st Air Refueling Wing on its Facebook page, the interesting photos in this post show a unit KC-135 Stratotanker delivering fuel to Blue Angels F/A-18s getting back home to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola after they spent the last 3-months training at the team’s winter training facility at Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro.

Noteworthy, as shown by the main image of this post and as indicated by the arrow in the photo below, the team is still flying one F/A-18 tandem seat Legacy Hornet (the other twin seat F/A-18 trailing the formation appears to be an F/A-18F Super Hornet). If you know why the team is still flying one Legacy Hornet please contact us: we would like to update the post or write a new one with your info.

As we have previously reported, in 2018 Boeing was awarded $17 million to convert nine F/A-18E and two F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft into Blue Angel demonstration aircraft to replace the squadron’s McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets. Two-seat Blue Angels have often been used for backseat ride-along flights for members of the news media and “key influencers” – people the US Navy sees as unofficial recruiters.

While the US Air Force (USAF) aircraft fleet primarily utilizes a receptacle at the end of a telescoping boom to transfer fuel during mid-air refueling, the aircraft of the US Navy, including the F/A-18s assigned to the US Navy Blue Angels, use what’s called a “Probe and Drogue” to deliver fuel. The KC-135 Stratotanker is capable of performing both methods.

U.S. Air National Guard photos by Master Sgt. John Winn

For more interesting news and info about US Navy Blue Angels check out Aerobatic Display Teams website

The “Super Delta” formation grew out of a series of joint training opportunities held in 2020 and 2021 and serves as a symbol of the teamwork, discipline, and skill of the men and women belonging to the US military forces.

For the first time ever, the US Air Force Thunderbirds and US Navy Blue Angels debut a F-16 Fighting Falcon and F/A-18 Super Hornet flight formation known as the “Super Delta” during a joint training evolution, as the following video taken on Mar. 2, 2021, during the team’s training over the Imperial Valley, shows at 12:08.

As explained by our friends at Aerobatic Display Teams Website, after the 2020 very successful joint flyovers during “Operation America Strong,” both US Demonstration Squadrons will continue this incredible joint formation flying in 2021 at National Memorial Day Parade: America Stands Tall in Washington, D.C.

“Operation America Strong was the idea of our great military men and women — the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels crews who wanted to show support to the American medical workers who, just like military members in a time of war, are fiercely running toward the fight,” then President Trump said in March 2020.

According to Air Force Thunderbirds Facebook page, the formation grew out of a series of joint training opportunities held in 2020 and 2021 and serves as a symbol of the teamwork, discipline, and skill of the men and women belonging to the US military forces deployed around the globe.

“We are humbled to have the opportunity to virtually debut a full flight this Memorial Day weekend during the nationwide broadcast of the National Memorial Day Parade: America Stands Tall, hosted by the American Veterans Center in Washington, D.C., honoring those who have served and sacrificed before us,” the Thunderbirds said on their Facebook page.

“Tune-in to your ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox affiliate May 29 -31, to view the debut of this formation flight with re-airings in the weeks to follow.”

Photo by U.S. Navy Blue Angels MC2 Cody Hendrix and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds SSgt Andrew Sarver

The Air Combat Command that controls the team cut the number of 2021 shows by eight performances (about one-third).

The US Air Force (USAF) F-35 Demo Team, assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah, has been forced to reduce appearances this year due to a growing shortage of Pratt & Whitney F135 engines because of longer repair periods, some due to previously unreported shortcomings with engine blade coatings.

As reported by Bloomberg, the Air Combat Command (ACC) that controls the team cut the number of 2021 shows by eight performances (about one-third) towards the end of January to ensure the flying doesn’t aggravate a worsening service-wide shortage of engines. According to a defense official, in fact, the longer times in the engine repair depot are putting a pinch on Air Force jet engines across the service.

The engines on the F-35As have been running “hot,” or close to the limits of their design, and that heat has caused premature cracks, or delamination, of turbine blade coatings. That’s forced the engines to be removed or repaired earlier than anticipated, aggravating an already backlogged depot system. The cracks in the coating are not a flight safety issue, but they do reduce an engine’s useful life, said a defense official.

The ACC said in a statement that the USAF is working “diligently” with the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) and Raytheon’s Pratt & Whitney engine unit “to resolve supply and maintenance issues” with the engine.

The previously undisclosed engine issue is just the latest complication with the $398 billion F-35 program that the Pentagon must contend with. President Joe Biden’s defense secretary, retired General Lloyd Austin, is likely to recuse himself from any F-35 decisions because he served on Raytheon’s board until mid-January.

Laura Seal, F-35 JPO spokeswoman said that the office is “working closely” with the Pratt & Whitney unit to “resolve supply and maintenance issues.”

She explained that the F-35 JPO early last year began to see a confluence of two troubling trends — a decrease in the number of F-35 engines returning to units in a timely manner after repair and an increase in “unscheduled engine repair requirements” from “premature distress of rotor blade coatings in a small number of engines,” causing delaminations. The blades had to be replaced.

Seal added that the F-35 JPO and Pratt “have identified and are implementing aggressive solutions to both of these issues.” They are “expanding F-35 engine repair depot capacity” and “concurrently implementing engineering solutions that will keep engines deployed longer before needing maintenance or replacement.”

Kevin Anthony, Pratt & Whitney spokesman, said in a statement that “collectively, we are pursuing multiple initiatives aimed at accelerating capacity growth and maturing the global” maintenance, repair, and overhaul network to exceed program requirements. The company also recognizes the challenges that the engine program’s “sustainment structure is presenting as the fleet matures, and continues to collaborate with” the Pentagon on a solution, he added.

With more than 40,000 lbs. of thrust, the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine is the most powerful fighter engine ever produced and it is the heartbeat of the F-35. Evolved from the proven F119 engine that powers the F-22 Raptor, the F135 powers all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II.

Photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook / U.S. Air Force

This just-released video shows a rare formation with A-10s and the US Air Force Thunderbirds over Nevada.

Brought to my attention by John Osbourn, a reader of #AW#, this just-released video has been posted on the Airailimages YouTube channel and shows a rare formation with A-10s and the US Air Force (USAF) Thunderbirds over Nevada. Fly along as the A-10s break sharply to land, followed by the T-Birds’ F-16s. There’s also some flat-hatting over the desert by an A-10.

Noteworthy the A-10s belong to the 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron (422 TES) stationed at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada. The unit is assigned to the 53d Test and Evaluation Group headquartered at Eglin AFB, Fla. The 422 TES is a composite squadron that executes HQ ACC-directed operational tests and evaluations for A-10C, F-15C, F-15E, F-16CM, F-22A, and F-35A hardware, software, and weapons upgrades prior to CAF release. The squadron conducts tactics development, foreign materiel exploitation, and special access programs to optimize system combat capability. The squadron also conducts field visits to instruct operational aircrews on new systems and tactics.

The Thunderbirds (the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron) are assigned to the 57th Wing and they are stationed at Nellis AFB too. the Thunderbirds plan and present precision aerial maneuvers to exhibit the capabilities of modern high-performance aircraft and the lofty degree of professional skill required to operate these aircraft in a precision aerial demonstration. Team members carry out their unique mission as a special salute to their brothers and sisters in arms who are fighting America’s battles in air, space, and cyberspace. They have performed for more than 300 million people in all 50 states and many countries around the world.

From mid-March through mid-November each year, the Thunderbirds are on the road, planning and presenting precision aerial demonstrations in one of America’s front-line multi-role fighter aircraft, the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The objectives of the squadron are to demonstrate to the public the professional competence of Air Force members, to support Air Force community relations and people-to-people programs, and to support Air Force recruiting and retention programs.

The recently retired F/A-18C flew into Washington Dulles International Airport on Nov. 18, 2020, in preparation for display at the museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, at a later date.

As the interesting video in this post shows, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has welcomed the Blue Angels’ F/A-18C Hornet into the national collection. This is the first Blue Angels aircraft the museum has acquired. The recently retired F/A-18C flew into Washington Dulles International Airport on Nov. 18, 2020, in preparation for display at the museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, at a later date.

“The museum’s collection of this important aircraft will allow us to tell stories of the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Team, as well as its time in combat,” said Laurence Burke, naval aviation curator at the museum, in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum news release. “We look forward to sharing this plane with our visitors at the Udvar-Hazy Center.”

For the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels, the Hornet has been an excellent show aircraft with amazing longevity, serving for 34 of the team’s 75 years of existence—more than twice as long as any other aircraft type. This F/A-18C is a legacy Hornet (models A/B/C/D) that replaced the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk as the Blue Angels’ aircraft at the end of the 1986 season. It was one of the first C models built and delivered to the Navy in 1987. It was soon assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86, the first East Coast squadron to receive the C model Hornet. It flew with the squadron during Operation Desert Storm, the First Gulf War in 1991, and then with VFA-83, helping to enforce the no-fly zone over southern Iraq in 1994.

All told, the airplane served in eight different squadrons, seeing service in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as well as the Mediterranean and Red seas before being turned over to the Blue Angels in 2015. It was active with the team until the end of the 2020 season when all of the legacy models were retired in favor of the Super Hornet (the E and F models), approximately 33% larger than the Hornet.

“After 34 years of service to the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, it is incredible this aircraft has the opportunity to live a second life on display at the Smithsonian for generations to come,” said Lt. Brian Abe, maintenance officer for the Blue Angels. “In preparation for display, the Blue Angels maintenance team will continue to work with the museum and other Navy entities to ensure the aircraft is safe for public viewing.”

When the museum’s F/A-18C Hornet goes on display to the public, it will join other naval aviation greats, such as the F6F-3K Hellcat, the F-4S Phantom II, the A-6E Intruder, and the F-14D Tomcat.

Click HERE to learn more about the Modern Military Aviation exhibition at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

Photo by Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

The 2020 show season marked the end of the service life of the aircraft the team has flown for 34 years. The 2021 show season will be the Blue Angels’ first year flying the Super Hornet platform as well as the 75th anniversary of the team.

The US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, conducted a final flight on the F/A-18 A/B/C/D “Legacy” Hornets on Nov. 4, 2020. The final flight of the Legacy Hornets signifies the official transition of the Blue Angels to the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet platform.

“We are incredibly honored to have the opportunity to salute those teams who have flown, maintained, and supported this platform for over three decades of service,” said Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, U.S. Navy Blue Angels commanding officer and flight leader, in the article Blue Angels Conduct Final Flight on Legacy Hornet Aircraft Marking Transition to Super Hornet. “We deeply appreciate the expertise and operational knowledge Blue Angels past and present have brought to the team and we look forward to enhancing our operations as we fully transition to flying the Super Hornet.”

The 2020 show season marked the end of the service life of the aircraft the team has flown for 34 years.

The F/A-18 Hornet became the US’s first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft and was designed for traditional strike applications such as interdiction and close air support without compromising its fighter capabilities. The Hornet demonstrated its capabilities and versatility early in its lifecycle during Operation Desert Storm, wherein the aircraft shot down enemy fighters and bombed enemy targets within the same mission, proving its lethal effectiveness as a strike fighter. Hornets taking direct hits from surface-to-air missiles, recovering successfully, being repaired quickly, and flying again the next day further cemented the robustness and survivability of the aircraft.

The F/A-18 Legacy Hornet performed the final active-duty flight for the US Navy on Oct. 2, 2019, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana but remains the workhorse of Marine Corps tactical aviation, and supports operational deployments around the globe. It will serve as the Marine Corps’ primary bridging platform to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter until its planned sundown in 2030.

The 2021 show season will be the Blue Angels’ first year flying the Super Hornet platform as well as the 75th anniversary of the team.

“Undoubtedly, 2020 presented the team with unprecedented challenges. That said, the unique nature of this year also allowed our team to deepen our interaction with past teams, in particular, those teams that transitioned to new aircraft during their tenure,” said Kesselring. “This engagement has helped us lay the foundation for a safe and effective transition for our team’s pilots, support, and maintenance personnel as well as postured us to take on the high operating tempo of the team’s highly anticipated 2021 air show season and 75th anniversary.”

The final flight took off and landed at NAS Pensacola lasting approximately 30 minutes.

Flyover locations included:

• Orange Beach
• Gulf Shores
• Fort Morgan
• Ferry Pass
• Navarre Beach
• Pensacola Beach
• Perdido Key
• Community Maritime Park
• Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola

The Blue Angels are scheduled to begin their winter training syllabus over NAS Pensacola beginning Nov. 16. The team will return to its winter training facilities in El Centro, CA in January. Training will continue through April in preparation for the 2021 show season.

The mission of the Blue Angels is to showcase the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to the country through flight demonstrations and community outreach. Since 1946, the Blue Angels have performed for more than 500 million fans.

Photo by US Navy

A modified air show will still take place.

The US Air Force (USAF) Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, will no longer be part of the Wings Over Warren Airshow, due to take place at F.E. Warren Air Force Base (AFB) in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Nevertheless, a modified air show will take place.

Cheyenne Regional Airport Director Tim Barth in fact told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Jul. 15, 2020, that at least one of the airplane maintainers who is required to accompany the F-16s that make up the Thunderbirds has tested positive for COVID-19, causing the aerial demonstration team to cancel its participation in the Jul. 22 Wings Over Warren Airshow.

 “You can’t send those planes without the mechanics,” Barth said. “But they’ll do a limited show.”

Barth said the free event will go on with other military aircraft (which according to Airshow Stuff are the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II demonstration teams along with B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit flyovers).

In a Jul. 13 news release, the 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs Office responsible for the show said there will be a variety of aerial demonstrations at the show, which will be drive-in style (where everyone must stay with their car) at F.E. Warren AFB and limited to approximately 1,500 vehicles on a first-come, first-served basis. The gate on Roundtop Road will be the only way to access airshow parking, and the gate will open at 7 a.m. and will close at 9:30 a.m., or when capacity is reached, on Jul. 22.

Earlier this year the Thunderbirds along with the US Navy Blue Angels performed an of flyovers across the US to honor healthcare workers who combated COVID-19.

The flyovers are part of a mission dubbed Operation America Strong which was the brainchild of service members.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

The interesting video in this post features F-35 demo pilot Capt. Kristin “Beo” Wolfe explaining one of her favorite maneuvers, the “I-to-I” or “Inverted-to-Inverted Pass.”

The interesting video in this post features F-35 demo pilot Capt. Kristin “Beo” Wolfe explaining one of her favorite maneuvers, the “I-to-I” or “Inverted-to-Inverted Pass.”

Upside down at 300 feet above ground level? Crazy…

Capt. Wolfe was publicly introduced as the new F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot on Feb. 29, 2020, after being certified to fly the demo profile during the annual Heritage Flight Conference held at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

With over 800 flight hours in both the F-22 Raptor and the F-35A Lightning II, Beo is a combat veteran pilot from the 388th FW. She’ll be “sending it” for the next two years, showcasing the world’s most advanced fighter jet to people across the world.

Capt. Wolfe is the first female single-ship demonstration pilot since Capt. Zoe “Sis” Kotnik was suddenly relieved of her command of the F-16 Viper demo team last year.

The US Air Force (USAF) F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team is a world-class demonstration team, showcasing the unique aerial capabilities of the Air Force’s most advanced 5th generation multi-role stealth fighter, the F-35A Lightning II.

The F-35 Demo Team also performs with the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation to showcase the past, present, and future of American airpower by flying in formation with World War II, Korean, and Vietnam-era aircraft.

The F-35 Demonstration Team recently relocated to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is part of Air Combat Command and the 388th Fighter Wing, the Air Force’s first combat F-35 Wing.

Boeing has delivered the first Super Hornet test aircraft for the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angel flight demonstration squadron.

Boeing has delivered the first Super Hornet test aircraft for the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angel flight demonstration squadron, the company said in a news release. The unpainted aircraft now enters the flight test and evaluation phase at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River in Maryland. Boeing expects to deliver a total of 11 aircraft for the squadron in 2020.

“The Super Hornet is an iconic representation of excellence in naval aviation,” said ret. Admiral Pat Walsh, vice president of U.S. Navy & Marine Corps Services for Boeing. Walsh flew with the Blue Angels from 1985 to 1987 as the Left Wingman (#3) and Slot Pilot (#4). “As Boeing continues to support the operational fleet of Navy Super Hornets, we are excited to see this platform enter a critical phase of its journey to joining the team.”

The flight demonstration squadron has flown Boeing or Boeing-heritage aircraft for more than 50 years, starting with the F-4J Phantom II in 1969, and then moving to the A-4F Skyhawk. The team currently operates the F/A-18A-D Hornet.

Boeing converts F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets into Blue Angels at the company’s Cecil Field facility in Jacksonville, Florida. Major modifications include the addition of an oil tank for the smoke-generation system, fuel systems that enable the aircraft to fly inverted for extended periods of time, civilian-compatible navigation equipment, cameras, and adjustments for the aircraft’s center of gravity.

The Rhino (as the Super Hornet is dubbed by its aircrews) is something more than the Legacy Hornet’s younger brother. In fact, when it is strictly compared to the F/A-18A/B/C/D, the F/A-18E/F is 25 percent larger and the two General Electric F414-GE-400 engines have increased the aircraft thrust by 35 percent over the older model. Moreover, an enhanced fuel capacity boosts the Super Hornet mission range.

Photo by Boeing