The Great TN Air Show 2012

[CORN]

No one has touched on this event yet so I figure I'll start it. Here in a couple weeks the air show will take off on Mothers Day weekend @ Smyrna Airport (KMQY). This will mark the first time that I can recall that the air show here has received back to back flight teams. Last year was the Thunderbirds, this year the Blue Angels. Plus the Navy Leap Frogs (active duty Navy Seals). Unfortunately with the budget cuts there isn't a single ship demo like we're used to but word has it there will be a B-1 flyby on Saturday.

The static display is gearing up to be much better than last years with actual fighters on static this year. Plus the usual cargo/tanker statics. It's looking pretty promising this time around.

 

[sprman1955]

Hello i thought they had a P-51 ans a F4U lined up for flying? A B-1 , wheres the F-22 ,or MV-22 Osprey? Budget that bad why not wait a year or 2 then do the show ?Whos flying the 737 in there during the week i see it come in at night adn leave in early mornings.Surely they could get a flyby of a Paggio P-.180 Avanti aircraft? Be nice to see some of the newer stuff militarys flying.Sprman1955 : )

 

[CORN]

That's correct there's also a P-51 and Corsair that going to fly. Budget cuts by the Department of Defense!! Not the air show. You think the Govt is going to have the funding (they have the funding but the money goes to the current administrations pet projects like extended benefits for the unemployment who no longer are looking for jobs because the Govt is keeping them up) to restart the the single ship demos (F-16, A-10, F-15E) back up in two years? I don't think so. They are done for good especially if this current administration gets re elected. We'll be lucky if air shows still exist. As for new stuff, I'm sorry but you'll just have to travel to see the F-22. The Air Force is too protective of it and for some reason think Smyrna can't provide the security for it or some other misguided reason, not the shows fault. I don't know what their reasonings are. Besides its a piece of crap airplane. It's had longer groundings than any other current fighter.

 

[sprman1955]

Hi thanks for the info.Iremember the F-111 was same way ,later it turned out to be a good plane.Most times it is they are asking to much from the plane.Anyhow sad taxpayers cant see what they paid for...Maybe next airshow.Sprman. : /

 

[sprman1955]

Anybody have the Airboss Freqs for the Airshow at Smyrna,i have tower and ground. Sprman

 

[CORN]

Hi thanks for the info.Iremember the F-111 was same way ,later it turned out to be a good plane.Most times it is they are asking to much from the plane.Anyhow sad taxpayers cant see what they paid for...Maybe next airshow.Sprman. : /

True. As for your last question we probably won't know until practice day on Friday. It's different year after year. We'll get it though. Was out there today to see BA 7 give media rides and the KC-10 shooting approaches. Was a good day.

 

[sprman1955]

Hi ok yeah took photos of the KC-10 landing from my front yard! Saw BA 7 and got 1 photo of it tk on the Freq . im behind Nissan plant and see everything coming in to RW 32 ! Sure is nice out! Sprman : )

 

[ka3jjz]

Anybody have the Airboss Freqs for the Airshow at Smyrna,i have tower and ground. Sprman

This question is precisely why I have encouraged the creation of a wiki article to document the freqs (and talkgroups, where appropriate) used at airshows. Once a couple of years' worth of data is collected, patterns start to emerge, and questions like this become a simple matter to answer

There is no set format, because each show is held in different areas with different resources. If someone were to accum all the freqs in a Word document, it wouldn't take me long to catalog it in the wiki...

Mike

 

[CORN]

132.35---Air Boss
120.6----Discrete
346.5----Blue Angels (start & taxi)
284.25--Blue Angels (show center, all)
275.35--Blue Angels (off center, diamond)
237.8---Blue Angels (off center, solos)
305.9---Blue Angels (Ernie demo)

Have fun!

 

[sprman1955]

Hey thanks for the info! : ) Saw a few acts this morning ,got a few good photos.Super nice weather to.Sprman

 

[stewart00311]

Thanks "J" for the updates. Hope we don't get rained out on Sun. Pretty much did not have a decision on which day to go on.

 

[SDavis90]

Ground crews are pretty active on the "bravo" channel from the database.

I guess that's the substitute Fat Albert instead of the usual paint scheme

 

[CORN]

No problem y'all. Yeah there's no word, at least publicly, when he regular Fat Albert will be back. They call the sub, Ernie.

 

[sprman1955]

Great show in the books!Found 275.35 was active when the BA were in the air and on ground,132.35 Air Boss was active to.Heard tower give Bogey 98 new departure freq of 360.1 to use with Nashville after close of the show and heard BA 01 leave on runway 32 . Sprman

 

[SDavis90]

Pretty cool. They're departing in flights of 2 cleared Pensacola NAS as filed to flight level 230. First pair using showbox frequency for air to air, second using the diamond 1 frequency, and 3d flight is using Solo 2. They're still readable but fading.

 

[CORN]

It was a good air show. Disappointing the weather was what it was but oh well. The statics were way better than last year and all the performers were top notch. It was real cool getting to see SLAM 1, the B-1B, make three passes. This is from my air show write up I did on the Nashville Scan yahoo group:

Air Show review:

Saturday was a good day. *It rained early then remained cloudy but high clouds so a low show could be performed. *The static display lineup was much better than last year so I was happy. *Unfortunately the weather on Sunday didn't cooperate fully and really killed the crowd which is unfortunate because I thought the show organizers really tried to make it a good show despite not having any single ship demos. However, on Sat SLAM 1, a flight of two B-1B's, made their way from Nellis to our area for SLAM 1 only to make three passes which were AWESOME! *From here he rejoined SLAM 2 orbiting and they headed to Dyess. *The close call on my 396XT happened to snag SLAM a/a after he was out of sight headed to rejoin #2. *I was very pleased with the 396 coupled with the Watson Air Gainer antenna. *All the performers were top notch. *On Sunday the Blues performed a flat show.*

Frequencies (same for both days)*

118.5/233.1--Tower
132.35----Air Boss
120.6-----Discrete
122.125--Blue Angels/John Klatt A/A for photo shoot*
123.475--All aerobatic planes A/A for photo shoot*
461.0375--Leap Frogs **
256.15-----SLAM 1 A/A with SLAM 2 (close call hit)
305.9------Blue Angels/Ernie Demo
346.5------Blue Angels/Check list, Taxi Out
284.25----Blue Angels/Show Center (All)
275.35----Blue Angels/Off Center (Diamond)
237.8------Blue Angels/Off Center (Solos)*
139.8125--Blue Angels Maint
142.6125--Blue Angels Tower Observer
172.15-----TSA roaming the grounds (P25)

Notes: ** Photo Shoots were done on Thursday. *** Unusual frequency for the Leap Frogs but sure enough that was them.*
-----------------------------------------------------------
Flying Displays:

Ernie (Blue Angel 9)
Blue Angels 1-6
B-1B (SLAM 1), #86-0105, 3 passes
Michael Wiskus (Pitts S-2C), N49TA
John Klatt (Extra 300), N530JK
Rob Holland (Extra 300), N540JH
F4U Corsair, N179PT
P-51D Mustang, N51HY
And several more I couldn't catch numbers for
----------------------------------------------------------
Static Displays:*

KC-10A, 305th AMW, McGuire, #84-0188*
KC-135R, 134th ARW, Knoxville, #57-1428*
WC-130H, 118th AW, Nashville, #64-14861*
C-5A, 164th AW, Memphis, #69-0010*
MH-60S, HSC-2, Norfolk, #165744/HU-715
MH-53E, HM-14, Norfolk, #163069/BJ-555
AH-1W, HMLA-773, Robins, #165290/MP-03
UH-1N, HMLA-773, Robins, #158269/MP-12
UH-60A, 278th ACR, Smyrna, #????
UH-72A, ????????, Smyrna, #?????
F-15C, 159th FW, New Orleans, #78-0510/JZ
F-15C, 159th FW, New Orleans, #81-0041/JZ
F-5N, VFC-13, Fallon, #761528/AF-06
F/A-18C, VFA-94, Lemoore, #164202/410
F/A-18C, VFA-94, Lemoore, #164223/402
CF-188, 425 Sq, Bagotville, #188790
L-39, Private, N6175C
T-38A, 394th CTS, Whiteman, #64-13256/WM
T-6B, TAW-5, Whiting Field, #166114/E-114
T-45C, TAW-2, Kingsville, #167099/B-321
T-45C, TAW-2, Kingsville, #167098/B-320
F/A-18E, VFA-86, Lemoore, #166951/NH-401