Thursday, I found out that there would be a first ever air show at the municipal airport, featuring the US Army’s Golden Knights and a wing walker.
Although I didn’t see a corsair listed, the ad promised seventy aircraft on display.
Would that include our favorite vintage plane, a corsair, known as the whistling death?
We decided to go to the air show and hope to see that incredible vintage plane.
And I was wishing I had a fun 1920’s day dress to wear to the event for photos with biwing planes, alas with such a full sewing basket, we proceeded for some fun.
As longtime veterans of attending USAF Air Shows, this would be interesting to see how a municipal airport does an air show.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS
WWII BOMBER
BIWING PLANES
When we drive home from Colonial Williamsburg we see this plane all the time over Bealeton.
I loved the bomber jacket…putting the Flying Circus of Bealeton, Virginia on my to time-travel list.
Also from the Flying Circus was this wingwalker team, a fete I’ve never before seen.
Heartstopping wow!
She walks without a tether, even upside down! That’s a huge knowledge of physics and understanding between the pilot and wingwalker!
After they landed I found myself breathing again.
CORSAIR COCKPIT TOUR
It didn’t take long for my son to find the corsair!
As the corsair headed up the runway to take flight, my son took my camera to shoot video.
When it landed, he followed the plane to its resting spot, which happened to be next to the boundary of the guest viewing area.
After parking the corsair, the pilot walked over to talk to the crowd.
Enthusiastically my son regaled the pilot with corsair fascination, which caused the pilot to take my camera from my son to take video of the cockpit for him!
Taking a great video of his cockpit, he then aims the camera into the crowd to my son, who waved!
After some more chatting with my son, he learned we lived nearby, so he told my son he’d be flying back home at 3pm.
When we got home, the kids sat on the back deck and sure enough, the corsair (and other planes) flew nearby.
COMMENT FROM MY OLD BLOG
April 22, 2013 at 11:45AM-Indeed, it was a fun-filled day for you and your son! It’s always fun to see vintage aircrafts on action because you can truly appreciate how far we’ve come in terms of aviation and technology. Anyway, I bet your son was so happy when the pilot took his camera and filmed what was happening inside the cockpit during the actual flight. Your son might be a good pilot someday, and I know he will remember this experience as he grows older. –Cash Carroll
EPILOGUE 2024
Horribly in June of 2013, I heard that the wingwalker, Jane Wicker and her pilot (not the one in the above photo) were killed in a crash at an airshow in Dayton, Ohio.
Living in my little town, she had an interesting story.
The pilot above was her ex-husband, and her fiance was the pilot, while the substitute pilot who died with her in the crash was to be the officiant at her wedding ceremony.
Dubbed the ballerina of the sky, Jane Wicker’s story is told through this interesting radio show.
