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On May 2-4, 2003 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point there was a fantastic air show, the theme of which was "from
the beginning to the beyond". A large collection of aircraft from the Wright
Flyer (an exact flying replica at least) to the Joint Strike Fighter (actually a full-scale mock-up) was displayed.
This year's event included a Friday night show as well as Saturday and Sunday main attractions. I ended up getting to the Friday session while the sun was still shining and managed a few decent photo
opportunities. The next day I attended the majority of the Saturday show, and
though the cloud cover was low and the winds were high, most acts proceeded more or less as scheduled. The Wright Flyer could not do its thing due to the wind velocity.
Some of the more high performance-oriented acts like the F-18F and F-15E stuck with the low altitude portions of their
programs, which were still very impressive.
Aerobatic acts like Dale Snodgrass' F-86 Sabre and Hubie Tolson's Sukhoi SU-26M2 (the best stunt flying I have ever
seen, by the way) seemed unaffected by the weather.
A huge pyrotechnics display during
the simulated assault on a Terrorist camp made the day all the more exciting. This
was my second visit to the MCAS Cherry point event and this one was by far the best (not a fair comparison because the first
one was rained out).
Above: Cherry Point is the East coast home of the AV8B Harrier II,
and the Marines love to show them off. Here the Harrier makes a (very noisy)
vertical landing. Cool.
Following a mock air-ground assault
an AV8B+ taxis past the crowd.
There was a pair of Harrier IIs in the static display area as well
as the ones flying. This aircraft, an APG-65 radar-equipped AV-8B+, is the CO's plane from VMA-231, and carries very distinctive
Ace of Spades nose art. Also notice the full warload of (inert) AGM-65 Mavericks
and AIM-9M Sidewinders.
The AH-1W "Whiskey" Cobra gunship struts its stuff during the mock
assault on a Terrorist camp. Check out the exhaust staining on the rear fuselage!
With the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, there has been renewed public interest in the Marines' Cobra gunship.
This immaculate one was parked for all to see.
An EA-6B Prowler from VMAQ-4 makes a landing pass at the portable arrestor
cable system set up across the runway. Note the sparks trailing behind the tailhook as it scrubs the concrete.
Here's a shot of the drag chute deployed behind a Stealth Fighter as
it slows from landing.
It's not often you see an F-117A with the canopy up. These are the times
that I'm glad I brought my zoom lens.
An RF-18D Night Attack Hornet from VMFA(AW)-332 "Polka Dots" approaches the portable arrestor cable setup. A derelict F-4 and CH-46 can be seen in the background.
The same RF-18D as it rolls past the crowd for some well-deserved applause. The reconnaissance pack in the nose can be clearly seen.
Blue Angel number 6 basks in the sunlight on the Friday evening. By Saturday
afternoon the weather was significantly different.
The Cherry Point CH-46 rescue chopper is affectionately known as "Pedro."
MCAS Cherry Point Airshow 2003 Part 2
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