Air Show Report : Planes of Fame Airshow 2006
Glenn E. Bloore, GEB Photography reports on the
2006 edition of the Planes of Fame Air Show at Chino Airport.
On May 20th 2006, I attended my second Planes of Fame Air Show at the Chino airport. This was my second consecutive show. When I went last year for the first time I thought to myself, I will NEVER miss this show again. It is absolutely amazing. Over the course of the year, your memories fade and your schedule fills up and you find yourself saying, do I want to drive that far? Do I want to sit in the sun all day? After going to my second show it once again answered all those questions. I came to the same conclusion with more confidence. I will NEVER miss this show again.
If you have never been to the Planes of Fame show. GO! Find a way and go. Not only is it a collection of warbirds that may not be seen in those numbers anywhere else in the world, it is the perfect show to photograph. The sun is at your back most of the day and they use a flight line which has two intersecting runways and then bend around them both. The result is you are unbelievably close and the planes are almost always in a small bank in front of you. If you are reluctant to go because there is not a large military aircraft presence, or a demonstration team, please reconsider. You will not have an opportunity at a civilian airport to see the military planes you will see at a distance or in a flight pattern that you will there.
The day started off with Vintage WWI planes, a Sopwith Camel and a Fokker Dr.1. These planes were in a simulated dogfight as a Army P-26A Peashooter, Seversky Pursuit, Navy F3F-2 and a Russian I-15 fighter are flying around at the same time.
During the National Anthem there was a Heritage Flight Formation that is incredibly unique. It consisted of a Grumman F3F, the Peashooter, a P-51 Mustang and an F-86 Sabre.
This was all followed by a WWII Pacific Theater Navy Flight. This consisted of a Mitsubishi A6M Zero (which by the way is the last remaining one still flying with its original engine), a SBD Dauntless, FM-2 Wildcat, F4U Corsair, TBM Avenger, followed by a F7F Tigercat(one of my favorites) and a F2G Super Corsair.
Now please bear in mind that this is all before lunch and started at 11:20am. Just imagine all of those planes, that close in 1 hour.
After the short break, to allow civilian planes to land at the airport was followed by a Korean War Dogfight with a F-86 Sabre and a Mig-15. Flying behind each other and occasionally in formation.
The current military aviation fans then got their fill with a F-18C Hornet demonstration followed by another F-18 doing a Heritage Flight with a F8F Bearcat.
We now move to the Air Force side of things with a European Theater Flight. This had a P-38 Lightning, two P-51 Mustangs, a P-47 Thunderbolt, a P-40 Warhawk, a Spitfire, a Hurricane and a British Hellcat. It was amazing to see.
The next event was basically everything I just mentioned in the paragraphs above, with the exception of the F-18 Hornet in the air at once. Please add in two B-17's and a B-25. You had 23 planes in the air at once. All flying in a racetrack pattern around the airport, all pretty darned close and all at different speeds. Planes passing each other. It was hard to figure out where to look.
These planes were then all recovered to clear the sky for the USAF 16 Viper demonstration. Once again, it did not disappoint. Great demo and you cannot argue with the proximity.
The final demo had the F-16 stay in the air and a Heritage flight with the F-16, P-51 Mustang, and the P-38 Lightning (which didn't fly the demo on Saturday, the day I went).
I can assure you that if you love planes you will not regret buying a ticket for the Planes of Fame Air Show.
On May 20th 2006, I attended my second Planes of Fame Air Show at the Chino airport. This was my second consecutive show. When I went last year for the first time I thought to myself, I will NEVER miss this show again. It is absolutely amazing. Over the course of the year, your memories fade and your schedule fills up and you find yourself saying, do I want to drive that far? Do I want to sit in the sun all day? After going to my second show it once again answered all those questions. I came to the same conclusion with more confidence. I will NEVER miss this show again.
If you have never been to the Planes of Fame show. GO! Find a way and go. Not only is it a collection of warbirds that may not be seen in those numbers anywhere else in the world, it is the perfect show to photograph. The sun is at your back most of the day and they use a flight line which has two intersecting runways and then bend around them both. The result is you are unbelievably close and the planes are almost always in a small bank in front of you. If you are reluctant to go because there is not a large military aircraft presence, or a demonstration team, please reconsider. You will not have an opportunity at a civilian airport to see the military planes you will see at a distance or in a flight pattern that you will there.
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The day started off with Vintage WWI planes, a Sopwith Camel and a Fokker Dr.1. These planes were in a simulated dogfight as a Army P-26A Peashooter, Seversky Pursuit, Navy F3F-2 and a Russian I-15 fighter are flying around at the same time.
During the National Anthem there was a Heritage Flight Formation that is incredibly unique. It consisted of a Grumman F3F, the Peashooter, a P-51 Mustang and an F-86 Sabre.
This was all followed by a WWII Pacific Theater Navy Flight. This consisted of a Mitsubishi A6M Zero (which by the way is the last remaining one still flying with its original engine), a SBD Dauntless, FM-2 Wildcat, F4U Corsair, TBM Avenger, followed by a F7F Tigercat(one of my favorites) and a F2G Super Corsair.
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Now please bear in mind that this is all before lunch and started at 11:20am. Just imagine all of those planes, that close in 1 hour.
After the short break, to allow civilian planes to land at the airport was followed by a Korean War Dogfight with a F-86 Sabre and a Mig-15. Flying behind each other and occasionally in formation.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The current military aviation fans then got their fill with a F-18C Hornet demonstration followed by another F-18 doing a Heritage Flight with a F8F Bearcat.
 |
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 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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We now move to the Air Force side of things with a European Theater Flight. This had a P-38 Lightning, two P-51 Mustangs, a P-47 Thunderbolt, a P-40 Warhawk, a Spitfire, a Hurricane and a British Hellcat. It was amazing to see.
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These planes were then all recovered to clear the sky for the USAF 16 Viper demonstration. Once again, it did not disappoint. Great demo and you cannot argue with the proximity.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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The final demo had the F-16 stay in the air and a Heritage flight with the F-16, P-51 Mustang, and the P-38 Lightning (which didn't fly the demo on Saturday, the day I went).
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Report and photos by Glenn E. Bloore - GEB Photography
First Published: 25 June 2006
Last Modified: 8 April 2014
Update log:
04/08/14 Minor adjustments
07/29/11 Upgraded layout
Last Modified: 8 April 2014
Update log:
04/08/14 Minor adjustments
07/29/11 Upgraded layout
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