The Aviation Magazine is Publisher:AirShowsReviewLLC.

publishedsixtimesayear,byaTeamof ContributingTeammembers:
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are devoted to cover a wide range of LaszloNyary Welcome to the 51st edition of The Aviation Magazine. In many ways this is almost a spe
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shows, air base visits, military exer WolfgangJarisch
cises, civilian spotting, pilot and vet ChristopherMifsud Patrouille de France (PAF) of the French Air Force (Arme de lAir) is the oldest aerobatic team in the
eran interviews all with exceptional RalfPeterWalter world.Wesawthemattwoairshowsduringtheirvisit,oneintheUSA,andtheironlyshowinCanada.Full
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 Forthefirsttimeinover20years,NavalAirWeaponsStationChinaLakehostedanairshow,allowingthe
publicarareopportunitytogoonbaseandseethedifferentaircraftondisplaythatareactivelystationed
there.HeadliningtheshowwastheworldrenownedUnitedStatesNavyBlueAngelsintheirsecondshow
ofthe2017season.OtherperformersincludedthehomebasedVX9VampiresintheirF/A18FSuper
HornetandEA18GGrowler.OtherperformersincludedtheU.S.ArmySpecialOperationsBlackDaggers
ParachuteTeamalongwithavarietyofdifferentaerobaticperformers.

Gatesopenedat9:00amanditwasperhapsoneofthemoststrictvenuesIveeverattended.Themost
seriousrestrictionsincludedbagsofallsortsincludingchairbags,purses,andothervariousequipment
cases. The show featured a nice array of static aircraft including all 3 variants of the F35 Lightning II.
OtherstaticsincludedmanydifferentF/A18sstationedatChinaLake.AnRAFPanaviaTornadoandEu
rofighterTyphoonwereoriginallysupposedtobestaticbutwerecalledoffatthelastminute.

Theflyingportionoftheairshowofficiallykickedoffat12:15withtheArmyBlackDaggersjumpingfor
theopeningceremonies.Theteamlaterreturnedtotheskiesforatacticaldemonstration.AChinaLake
stationedSH60SeahawkhelicopterofVX31DustDevilscarriedtheparachutersonboardduringtheir
performances.

TheshowfeaturedaniceamountofaerobaticperformancesincludingSpencerSudermaninhisMeteor
Pitts,JacquieBinherExtra300,AnnaSerbinenkoinherSkyDancerSuperDecathlon,andDanBuchanan
inhisSpecialEffectsHangGlider.TheCommemorativeAirForcealsoparticipatedwithperformancesby
theF8FBearcatandSpitfireMk.XIVfromtheSouthernCaliforniaWing.

OneofthemorerareperformancesoftheeventwasfromtheChinaLakebasedVX9Vampiresflying
theirveryownF/A18FSuperHornetandEA18GGrowler.The2jetsshowcasedmultiplepassestothe
crowdincludinghighspeedpasses,formationpasses,andevenasimulatedbombrunwithpyro.

ConcludingtheairshowwastheUnitedStatesNavyBlueAngelsleadbyCdr.RyanBernacchi.Theteam
showcasedalloftheirdifferentmaneuverswiththeirF/A18HornetstothecrowdofRidgecrestforthe
firsttimeinover20years.Aftertheiraerialperformancetheteamwasabletomeetthecrowdandsign
autographs.

Foramilitaryopenhouse,ChinaLakeputonafairlylightairshow.Despitethesmalllineupandentryre
strictions,theshowdiddrawalargecrowdmakingasuccessfulevent.Specialthankstotheorganizers,
attendees,performers,andChinaLakepersonnelformakingtheairshowpossible.



F35LightningII,from
severalairforces:
USAFtop
RAF(UK)middle
RNLAF(Royal
NetherlandsAir
Force)bottom
 NASAT38lefttop
F/A18E/FSuper
HornetsVX31
righttop
F/A18E/Fsuper
HornetVampires
mainimage
F/A18E/FSuperHornetandEA18G
GrowlerVX9Vampiresand
F8FBearcatrighttopinset
OnMarch25thand26th,GeneralWilliamJFoxAirfieldinLancas which included the first production F35A Lightning II, NASA F/A18A Hornet, a rare Scaled Composites
ARES,andTheNASAER2U2whichisNASAsU2DragonLadyresearchvariant,asshownabove.There
ter,CAhostedthe4th AnnualLos AngelesCountyAirShowhead
werealotofdifferentdisplaytentstolookinsidefromLockheedMartin,SkunkWorks,NASA,Northrop
linedbytheUnitedStatesAirForceThunderbirdswhoarecelebrat
Grumman,andSTEMExpotoo.
ingthe70thAnniversaryoftheAirForce.Theshowfeaturedmany

otherperformersintheairincludingvariousmilitaryjets,warbirds,
FlyingofficiallystartedatnoonwiththePatriotParachuteTeamjumpingfortheopeningceremonies.Af
aerobatics, and more. Gates opened at 9:00 am, and people were
tertheteamwasfinishedwiththeirskydives,theCollaboratorsaerobaticgroupperformeda3shipdis
abletovisitthedifferenttentsandstaticdisplayspriortoflyingac
play.ThepilotsintheformationincludedRobHolland,MattChapman,andBillStein.Theshowfeatureda
tivities.Thestaticdisplaylineupwasprettylightbutfeaturedsome
nicevarietyofaerobaticpilotswithdifferenttalents.RobHollandmadehisfirstappearanceatLACounty
performing in his super manoeuvrable MXS monoplane Matt Chapman also performed
aerobatics in his Extra 330LX sponsored by EmbryRiddle. Bill Stein flew an unusually
paintedEdge540whichchangescolorsfromgreentopurpletogoldbasedonthecertain
lightangle.SlowingthespeeddownwasRobHarrisonwhoflewhisrareZlin50LXknown
as the Tumbling Bear which did a lot of different loops and tumbles unlike the other
aerobatic pilots. Vicky Benzing performed in the Boeing Stearman biplane which turned
backtimetothedaysofWorldWarII.

ThereweremanywarbirdsthatflewattheshowcourtesyofPlanesofFameandtheCom
memorateAirForceSouthernCaliforniaWing.Aircraftfeaturedinthewarbirdtheatrein
cludedtheP51Mustang,P38Lightning,F4UCorsair,B25Mitchell,SpitfireMkXIV,and
Yak9.Theyeachperformedmultiplesolopassestothecrowdandevenfeaturedapyro
demonstrationwhichincludedvariousexplosionsandaWallofFireattheend.

Amongthemanycivilianperformersthatparticipatedattheshow,therewereanumber
ofexceptionaljetdemonstrationsfromaT33ShootingStarknownasAceMakerIIpi
loted by Gregory Wired Colyer, an L39 Albatross piloted by former Thunderbirds solo
Paul Sticky Stricklandand an F86 Sabre from Planes of Fame piloted by Steve Hinton.
OneofthemorerarejetperformanceswasbytheNASAER2.TheER2usedforhighalti
tuderesearchbasedattheNASAArmstrongFacilityatEdwardsAFB.

OneoftheaerialperformerscourtesyoftheU.S.AirForcewastheHeritageFlight.Specta
tors were able to witness a rare formation flight of past and present Air Force aircraft
whichfeatured2A10ThunderboltIIsandaP38Lightning.Thismarkedthefirsttimein
nearly5yearsthattheA10participatedintheHeritageFlightProgramafterbudgetcuts
cameintoeffect.PilotingtheA10swereMaj.DanCosmoLevyandCapt.ChadPossum
Rudolph,andSteveHintonintheP38.RepresentingtheU.S.NavyattheshowwastheF/
A18SuperHornetTACDemoTeamfromVFA122FlyingEagles.OnSaturdaytheteam
flew the E model using a jet from VFA14 Bounty Hunters and on Sunday flew the F
modelwithaFlyingEaglesjet.TheyflewthedifferenttacticalcapabilitiesoftheSuperHor
netincludinghighspeedpasses,tightturns,andmore.

ConcludingtheflyingportionoftheshowwastheUnitedStatesAirForceAerialDemon
strationSquadronknownastheThunderbirdsleadbyLt.Col.JasonHeard.TheThunder
birdscametoLancasterfortheirsecondshowofthe2017seasoninwhichtheyarecele
bratingtheAirForces70thAnniversaryknowasBreakingBarriers.Spectatorsgottowit
ness the many different manoeuvres the team showcased including various formations,
breaks, and solo routines. On Sunday, the team only flew 5 aircraft after Lead Solo Maj.
AlexTurnerwasreportedsick.Itwasarareopportunityforthecrowdtoseeanaltered
demonstrationwhichfeaturedtherarestingerformation.

Afterflyingactivitieswereconcluded,thecrowdwasallowedtocontinuevisitingthedif
ferenttentsandstaticsbeforegatesclosedat5:00pm.ThecityofLancasteronceagain
hosted an excellent airshow full of different things to see in the air and on the ground.
Specialthanksgoestotheperformers,staff,volunteers,airportcrew,sponsors,andspec
tatorswhohelpedmakethe2017LosAngelesCountyAirShowasuccess!

ARussianYak9withNormandieNiemenliveryabove,aSpitfireMkXIVbelow,theUSAHeritageFlight
withtheP51andtheP38righttopandtheScaledCompositesARESrightbottom.
FromMarch27thtoApril7th,theRoyalNetherlandsAirForcehostedoneofEurope'slargest
aerial warfare exercises at its Leeuwarden Air Base. The 322nd Sqn at Leeuwarden AB is re
sponsiblefortheorganizationofFrisianFlag.Morethan60aircraftfromsevennationswere
stationedontheairbase.

Internationalcooperation
Theworldischanging.TheconflictsaregettingclosertoEurope,thethreatlevelisincreasing
due to land based surface to air missiles and modern aircraft. Recent conflicts clearly have
showntheimportanceofinternationalcooperation.Airpowerisstillkeytothejointfightasa
conflictcannotberesolvedbyonepartyalone.Engaginginaconflictmeansassistingotherna
tions in restoring order. The emphasis of the air forces lays in supporting ground forces in
achieving their objectives by creating freedom of movement for the land and sea assets. All
thatcanonlybedonebyoperatingincoalitions.Inthepastdecadescoalitionmemberswere
workingwithinNATO,basedonstrictandtightprocedures.ThelastfivetotenyearsnonNATO
membersjoinedthecoalitionsandtheothershadtoworkwiththemaswellandaseffectively 2ofthe16RNAFF16sbreakingoffforlanding
aspossible.Thelatestconflictsshowedtheneedtooperatewithothernationsonaveryshort
amountoftime.Thismeansthereisnotimeforeveryconflictandeverytypeofoperationto
sittogetherwiththecoalitionpartnertofigureouthowtodobusinessbest.Everybodyhadto
bereadyatanytime,alltogether,atshortnotice.Withdecreasingnumbersofaircraftandper
sonneloverthelastyearsandnotoleranceforcollateraldamage,precisionandeffectiveness
MissionsflownduringFrisianFlaginclude:
havebecomethetoppriority.
Defensivemissions

protectionofgroundobjects
Pilotsandmissioncommandersarerequiredtoincreasetheirknowledgewiththeoperationof
slowmoverorhighvalueassetprotection
different types of aircraft. The individual pilot must be able to adequately execute missions
integrationwithairdefensesystems
with many other aircraft around and working together in large formations. All this requires
Offensivemissions
trainingandFRISIANFLAGprovidestheidealoccasiontopracticethis.
preplannedstrikes(airinterdiction)

gainingairsuperiority(sweep/escort)
FRISIANFLAG
suppressionofenemyairdefense
Theobjectiveofthislargescaleexerciseistoproviderealistictraininginamodernaircombat
dynamictargetingviaForwardAirControllers
environmentwithlargeforceemploymentmissions.Theairspacefortheexerciseis100nmx
Anycombinationoftheabove
200nmandgivesspaceto50+aircraftatthesametime.FrisianFlagisalsodesignedtopro
mote leadership. Experienced pilots are given the opportunity to devise, develop and ulti Thepilotsareflyingdaily.Amissionlastsbetweenoneandahalftothreehours,requiresfourtofivehours
matelycarryoutamissioninalargercontextthanheisusedtoinhisdaytodaywork.During formissionplanningandendsafterathreehourdebriefing.Twowaveswereflowndaily,usually48aircraft
theexercise,allthecapabilitiesofthedifferentfighteraircraftareusedtoensurepreparedness inthemorningand44aircraftintheafternoon.
foranykindofmissions.Thepilotshavetodealwithhighlevelsofairtoairandgroundtoair
threatsinlargeandcomplexscenarios.FrisianFlagisusedtoenhancetheevaluationandvali TheAviationMagazinewouldliketothanktheLeeuwardenPublicAffairsOfficerCapt.MarleenMolemaand
dationofcurrentproceduresandtacticsandhelpstoadapttheseforconflictstocomeinthe herteamfortheirsupport.
future.

 2F16AMoftheBelgianAirForce,theoneabovewithaspecial75thAnniversaryof349th
Sqnpaintscheme.

F16AMaboveandbelowoftheRoyalNetherlandAirForcefrom322TTSqn.

 3Mirage2000DslinedupabovefromtheFrenchAirForcefromdifferentsquadronsfromthe3rdWing,
abovewhileoneofthemrippingbywithfullafterburnercreatingshockdiamondsalsoknownasthe
PrandtlMeyerexpansionfan,below.

EF2000 of the German Air Force with a special 125 Anniversary of Oswald Boelcke paint
scheme

 TornadoGR4oftheRAFfromNo31Sqnlefttopandmiddle
F16AMfromthePortugueseAirForce201/301Sqnrighttop
2F15CEagles,onefromtheANG159thFSFloridawhiletheotheris
fromtheANG122ndFSfromLouisianamainimagebelow.
ACTwithAwareness

TheAirTacticsCentre(KentroAeroporikisTaktikisKEAT)wasformedinthe1980sandislocatedatAndra
vida Air Base in the North western part of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. KEAT has been hosting exercise
INIHIOSatAndravidasince2013.Initiallytheparticipatingaircraftweredeployedto110CombatWingin
Larisa,butinlateryearseachaircraftoperatedfromitshomebase.In2005,INIOHOSwastransformedinto
amediumscaleexercise,involvingallthreebranchesoftheHellenicArmedForces.OnNovember2013,the
SingleBaseConceptwasadoptedforINIOSandtheselectedhostforthiskindofeventwas117Combat
WingatAndravidaairbase,homeoftheHellenicAirForceF4EPhantomfleet.Itwasalsodecidedthat
INIOHOSwouldbecomeanInvitexexercise,meaningthatothernationscouldbeinvitedtoparticipatein
theexercise.

The 2017 edition marks the third time with international participation from the US Air Force, Israeli Air
Force,ItalianAirForceandtheUnitedArabEmirates(UAE)AirForce,bothItalyandUAEarenewpartici
pants.UAEsendoutacontingentofF16E/Fswhichwerepresentfrom27Marchuntil6April2017.

US Air Force participation this year were twelve F16C Fighting Falcons from the 482nd Fighter Wing,
HomesteadAirReserveBase,Florida.Thisexperiencegivesusthefeelforadeployment,saidStaffSgt.
JordanAnthony,482ndMaintenanceSquadroncrewchief.Itgivesusachancetoimproveflexibilitywith
thingswemayormaynothaveandtheopportunitytoworkinanenvironmentwerenotusedto.This
multinationalexerciseenhancestheinteroperabilitycapabilitiesandskillsamongstalliedairforcesinthe
accomplishmentofjointoperationsandairdefencestomaintainjointreadinessandreassureourregional
allies.Wecandeploytoamissionlikethis,almostlikeabarebase,andexecuteeffectivemissionsdayin
anddayout,saidDeveaux.Afteritisalldonewecanredeployhomewiththesameeffectivenessittook
togetushere.ThisexercisegivesusthechancetostrengthenourbondswithothercountrieslikeItaly,Is
rael,Greece,ourallies,withadifferenttypeofairsuperiority,saidCapt.PaulDeveaux,482ndMaintenance
OperationsGroupmaintenanceoperationsofficer.

ExerciseINIOHOSdatesbacktothelate1980s,whenitwasestablishedasasmallscaleairwarfareexercise
exclusivetotheHellenicAirForce.In2013thefocusoftheexercisechangedtoamoreinternationalcharac
terbasedonexperiencesfromtheTacticalLeadershipProgramme(TLP)andtheRedFlagexercisesinthe
USA.

KEAT oversees the Tactical Weapons School's (Scholio Oplon Taktikis) who normally run annual ten week
coursesforitsHAFelitepilots.In2016theEgyptianAirForcehasbeenworkingwithKEATforafourmonth
periodtotrainanumberofaircrew.Usingexperiencegainedoverdecadesofsuchtrainingcourseswhich
havebeenupdatedandsoimprovedthetraininggiven.Thisvastexperiencehasbeenusednowtoprovide
highqualitytrainingduringthismultinationalinvitationalexercise,onInvitexbasis.KEATworkedwiththe
HellenicArmyandNavydesignedeachscenariotoincludetimesensitivetargeting(TST)strikesonlandand
sea.Eachtargetsuchasabridge,airfieldoronnavalvesselshasanarrayofairdefencesfromsurfacetoair
missilebatteriestodefendingaircraft.TheHellenicArmyusedattackandutilityhelicopterssuchastheAH
64DwhiletheNavyhadsurfacevesselswithS70SeahawkhelicoptersconductingexerciseAstrapiinpar
allelofINIOHOS.

INIOHOS2017sawawidevarietyofaircraftfromvariousunitswithintheHellenicAirForce(HAF)participat
ingwithover20+F16s,Mirages2000andF4Esfrom338and339squadron,theremainingsquadronsop
erating the aging Phantom. With 338 Squadron, named "Ares", and 339 Squadron, named "Ajax", both
AnIsraeliAirForceF16DtakingoffaboveandararelyseenGulfstreamG550CAEWConformalAirborne
wereformedin1952atElefsisAirBaseasFighterBomberSquadronsequippedwiththeF84G,thefirstjet
EarlyWarning&ControlSystem,below.
aircraftofHellenicAirForce.Nowadays338Squadronsprimaryroleisairstrike,while339
Squadronisfocusedoninterceptiontasks.BesidesthetwelveF16C/DsIsraelprovidedanadditionalaircraft
intheAirborneEarlyWarning(AEW&C)role.TheGulfstreamG550'Eitam'ConformalAirborneEarlyWarn
ing(CAEW)actedasthe'eyeinthesky.TheCAEWisfittedwiththeIsraelAerospaceIndustries/EltaEL/W
2085multibandphasedarrayradarproviding360degreecoveragecombinedwithadvancedelectronicsup
portmeasures,electronicintelligenceandcommunicationsintelligencesuite.Falseor'spoofing'information
broadcastfromtheAEW&Caircraftisdesignedtoconfusepilotswhoalreadyhavemuchtocontendwith
when engaging their opponents. The multinational exercise enhances the interoperability capabilities and
skillsamongstalliedairforcesintheaccomplishmentofjointoperationsandairdefencestomaintainjoint
readinessandreassureourregionalallies.Thegoalistodeveloptheexercisetothemostdemandingand
realisticmultinationalLIVEXinGreeceaccordingtoLt.Col.DimitriosVarsamis.

Eachdaydifferentmissionsinadifferentwarfarescenariowereconducted.Onanaveragedaymorethan
120 sorties were flown in multiple mission per day: Counter Air Operations, Fighter Sweep, AntiSurface
ForceAirOperations,CombatSearchandRescue(CSAR),InterdictionofAirDefensesandAirstrikesagainst
highvaluetargets.

During the Media Day at 29 March Chief of Hellenic Air Force General Staff, Lieutenant General Christos
Vaitsisclearlystatedthatthegoalisfor"INIOHOS"tobecomethelargestmultinationalexerciseintheEuro
peantheatre.
 ve.
a c ka ir c raft,abo
att
rc e A MX,ground USAirFor
ce ReserveC
nAirFo ommandF
Italia 1 6C,above
.

F4EAUP"PhantomII"40YEARSAnniversarylivery,above.
AnimpressiveshowofforceledbyaRF4Eand(4)F16softheHellenicAFwith(3)F16softheIsraeliAirForce.

AMirage20005oftheHellenicAirForceaboveandUnitedArabEmiratesF16E,below.

TheLangkawiInternationalMaritime&AerospaceExhibition(LIMA)isthelargest
showofitskindwithintheAsiaPacificregion.For2017itwasthe14theditionof
thisimportantbienniallyheldeventsinceitsdebutin1991.LIMAisanidealplatform
whereindustrystakeholderscanliaiseandexpandtheirnetworkstowardsforgingnewpartnershipsandbusi
nessagreements.LIMAisahighimpact,highprofileeventofglobalinterest.
Itsimpressivelistofinternationalexhibitorsandsuppliersismorethanmatchedbythesupportivepresenceof
industryelites,whichrangefromseniorGovernmentofficials,militaryandcivildelegatestoindustrymovers
and shakers and more. LIMA is one of the rare places on earth where exhibitors as well as delegations and
tradevisitorscantakepartintwoareas,theaerospacesiteandthemaritimesite.
ThemaritimesegmentoftheeventtookplaceonthesouthsideoftheislandattheResortsWorldLangkawi.
TheaerospacesegmentwasheldattheMahsuriInternationalExhibitionCenter.Visitorshad
noproblemmovingbetweenthetwovenuesbecauseafreeshuttleservicewasprovided.
2017 Peter Thivessen
2xSU30MKM,2xF/A18D,2xHawkMK108,3xHawkMK208oftheRoyalMalaysianAirForce,above.
LIMA 17 was the show of the firsts. For the first time there was an array of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). Present were the USAF MQ1 Predator, the US Navy MQ8 Fire
Scout,ThalesFulmarMiniUAV,SaabAUV62ATandtheTBNUAVfromtheUkraine.
TheRepublicofKorea'sAirForceaerobaticteam,TheBlackEagles,madetheirfirstappearanceatLIMAwith9
KAIT50Bs.TheRussianAirForceDisplayTeam,TheRussianKnightsappearedoutsideRussiaforthe first
timewiththebrandnewSukhoiSu30SM.Theteamiscurrentlyflyingwith4insteadof6aircraft.Leonardo
showcasedforthefirsttimethebrandnewATR72MPaircrafttothepublic,whichwasbeingproposedforMa
laysias requirement for an advanced new maritime patrol capability. The ATR 72MP is a multirole Maritime
Patrol,ElectronicSurveillanceandC4I(Command,Control,Communications,Computers,andIntelligence)air
craftatveryaffordablecosts.FouroftheseaircraftweredeliveredtotheItalianAirForce,thelaunchcustomer
ofthistype.LeonardowherealsopresentwiththeNH90mediumlift,multirolehelicopterandthe
AW169.
Saab as a strong player in Asia showcased a wide range of products at their booth. Especially maritime
productsliketheSaabSwordfishcouldfindamarketintheseemergingregions.Anothersuccessfulstory
camefromThales.ThaleshasbeenselectedbyAirAsiatosupplyavionicssystemstoAirAsiasnewfleetof
304A320neos.Thaleswillequipthe304singleaisleswithitsmarketleadingFlightManagementSystem
(FMS),thenavigationsolutionofchoiceforAirbusaircraft,alongsidetheTHALES/ACSST3CASsurveillance
platform,thepreferredsolutionforallAirbussingleaisleaircraft.

RACMiGdemonstratedthenewesttrainingsimulatorforMiG29SMandaholographicboothshowcasing
the operating parameters of this fighter in Malaysia. As part of the proposed modernization, the aircraft
can be upgraded with the new weapon management control system and the new radar sys
tem. Additionally, the fighters can be converted into multirole combat aircraft adding airtoground
weaponcapabilities,aspeakerfromRACMiGstated.

TheeventwasofficiallyopenedbythePrimeMinisterofMalaysia,YABDatuk'SriHajiMohammadNajib
binTunHajiAbdulRazak,Governmentalmembersandmanyofficialdomesticandforeigndelegationsfrom
domesticandforeigncountries.AttheopeningceremonyTheRoyalMalaysianAirForceshowcasedthe
fullpotentialoftheirairpower.Amongthehighlightswere2xSU30MKM,5xBAeHawkFighterJets(Mk
108 and Mk 208), 3 x FA18D, 7 x PC7 Pilatus, 3 x EC725 Helicopters and 3 of the brand new Airbus
A400Ms.AfterthisimpressiveopeninggambitfromtheRoyalMalaysianAirForceandabreakuntilmid
day,theairshowspeaker,MajorS.ThayalaKumarRaviVarmanannouncedinhisuniqueandgreatvoice
two supersonic B1Bs coming straight from Anderson Air Force Base, Guam. What a view, when two of
thesemagnificentBonesapproachedLangkawiInternationalAirport.TheB1sopenedthesecondpartof
theflyingdisplaybutwereonlypresentonthefirstdayoftheshow.

InthedailyflyingdisplaywerepresenttheRoyalMalaysianAirForceSoloDemofromthe11SqnKingCo
bra,theSukhoiSu30MKMbasedatGongKedak,andfrom18SqnLipan,theBoeingF18D,basedatBut
terworth.Bothdisplayswhereamazinglyflown,andshowedthefullmaneuverabilityandcapacityoftwo
differenttypesofaircrafts.Jobwelldone!AlsointhedailyflyingprogramwastheFrenchAirForceRafale,
flownbyCaptainJeanGuillaumeMartinez.HeflewtheRafaleuptoGLimits,andshowedanimpressive
precisionlanding.TheRoyalThaiAirForcewasondailydisplaywithapowerfuldemooftheSaabJAS39
Gripenfromthe701SqnbasedatSuratThani.TheRussianKnightsandtheGoldenEagleswereawelcome
alternationtothefastsolojetdemos.AwarmreturntoLangkawimadetheIndonesianAirForce(TNIAU=
Tentara Nasional Indonesia AngkatanUdara) Demo Team the Jupiter Aerobatic Team. The team is KAIT50GoldenEaglesoftheRepublicofKoreaAirForcesBlackEagles
equippedwith6SouthKoreantrainersfromtypeKT1BWoongbi.

InthemeantimethemaritimedisplayswereonattheResortsWorldinLangkawi.BesidesshipsfromSpe
cialOperationCommandandPolice,helicoptersfromtheRoyalMalaysianNavywereinvolved,liketheSu
perLynxMk300andtheAS555SNFennec.Thehelicopterscarriedspecialunitsforahostageliberation.
AnotherhighlightinthemaritimeflyingdisplaywasthecolorfulflyingboatCanadairCL415MP. helicopters.Wehavealisttheaircraftandhelicopterswhichwereinvolvedinthestaticdisplay.Onour

2017 Wolfgang Jarisch

websites,http://www.theaviationmagazine.com/LIMA_2017_review_Aviation_Magazine.htm
Thestaticdisplaywasmuchdiversified.SmallaircraftliketheDA40,DA42andtheDA62fromtheAus
trianManufacturerDiamondwereshowcasedaswellasbigonesliketheC17GlobemasterIIIpresentedby Allinall,itwasaworthwhileeventtovisit.Itwasawellorganizedeventinauniqueplaceonearth.Great
theRoyalAustralianAirForce.SingaporebroughtanAH64ApacheandaBoeingF15SGtoLangkawi. flyingdemos,fantasticgrounddisplayscombinedwithaprofessionalorganization.Jobwelldone!!!
TheRoyalMalaysianAirForcepresentedmanyofitshelicoptersfromNavyandAirForceatthestaticdis
play.OneofthemostinterestingtypeswastheupgradedSikorskyS61A4Nuri.TheRoyalMalaysianAir TheAviationMagazinewouldliketoexpresstheirthankstotheMediaTeam,toMajorS.ThayalaKumar
Force(RMAF)willbeundertakingaProofofConcept,whereoneRMAFSikorskyS61A4Nuriwillbeunder RaviVarmanandtoLt.ColonelJohnShamforthegreatsupportonsite.(Scratch,manythanks!)
goingatrialupgradetodeterminethebestwayofimplementationontheentirefleetofNuri
helicopters.


RoyalMalaysianAirForcesF/A18DaboveSU30MKM,below.NotethesizeoftheSU30MKMjudgebythepilotheads.

2017 Peter Thivessen

Su30SMoftheRussianKnights.

2017 Wolfgang Jarisch

 2017 Peter Thivessen
AraresightA400MoftheRoyalMalaysianAirForceincloseformationflying!ABombardierCL415tankingupforawaterbombingdemobelow.

2017 Wolfganag Jarisch

 RoyalMalaysianNavyAS555CNFenec2aboveandasubmarinebelow,BombardierCL415,AW139andAS365aboveandaIndonesianAFC130below
2017 Wolfganag Jarisch

All images 2017 Peter Thivessen

KT1B(Jupiter)IndonesianAirForceDemoTeam,aboveApairofH225M(previouslyknownasEC725)andmemoriesoftheLIMAExhinitionfilmstrip.

All images 2017 Wolfgang Jarisch

 Itsafairlystrongunderstatementtosayittakespracticetoflywithin
afewfeetofeightotherjetaircraftincloseformationduringagiant
barrel roll in the sky while executing multiple formation changes.
Likewise,itsobvioustoprettymuchanyonewhentheyseeaCF18
Hornet crank into a 45 degree climb while still only several feet off
the runway on takeoff and then immediately execute a 360degree
dirtyroll,thatittookpracticetoperfectthemanoeuvres.Buthoning
theflightskillsofanairdemonstrationteamspilotsisjustoneaspect
of the demanding training that teams undertake to prepare for an
upcomingairshowseason.
The two official air demonstration teams of the Royal Canadian Air
ForcearetheCF18DemonstrationTeamandthe431AerialDemon
strationSquadrontheSnowbirds.TheyheadtoVancouverIslandon
CanadaswestcoastinAprileachyearfortheirfinalpreparationsbe
foremovingontotheaircircuitforanotherseason. 19WingCana
dian Forces Base Comox is chosen to host the demo teams final
preparations for several reasons. Low airport traffic load, its shore
linelocationtoallowforoverlandandoverwaterpracticeforwater
frontshows,anditstypicallygoodspringweatherusuallycombineto
makeitanideallocationforthefinaltwotothreeweeksoftraining.
ThisyeartheweatherduringthefirstweekandahalfinComoxwas
uncharacteristicallybad.Cold,windandrainwerefrequentandsome
trainingdayswereatotalscrubwithnoflying.Withtheirfirstshow
cominguponApril30th,theweathercertainlymadeitmoredifficult
than usual for the teams to complete their training; but with extra
effort once the weather improved, both teams were successful at
completingtheirlengthylistofpreparations.
Tobereadytohittheroadfortheseasontheteamshavemuchmore
than their flying demonstration itself that needs to be practiced,
checkedandplannedfor.SpringtraininginComoxistheteamsfirst
shotattacklingallthebehindthescenespreparation,maintenance,
organization and coordination that it takes to make their perform
anceslookeffortlessawayfromthecomfortandconvenienceoftheir
home base. Skills for managing all aspects of their operations from
ensuring the support trailers are completely equipped, to running
through briefings and debriefings in unfamiliar spaces, maintaining
theaircraftinharshweatherandgettingfamiliarwithlifeontheroad
aredeveloped.Teamsupportmembershaveskillstodevelopaswell.
Public Affairs Officers for example receive coaching on narration of
theairshowroutinesfromaveteranairshowannouncertoensuretheirtim
inganddeliveryofthescriptisassmoothandpolishedastheflyingdemon
strationsthemselves.Allinall,theresalottoaccomplishinashorttimeand
theteamsfansknowthatallthisefforttopreparefortheseasoncreatesa
fantasticopportunityforthem.
For over 2 weeks with only a day or two off, both the CF18 Demo Team and the
Snowbirdsflytwiceadayworkinguptotheirfullperformances.Thepublicareinvited
toaccessthebasesbeachareadirectlynexttotheairfieldfencelinetowatchthem
train.Whentheteamsaredoingoverlandpractice,theviewingareaslocationoffers
upcloseperspectivesoftheshowsthatcanonlybeviewedinComox.
Andwhentheteamspracticeoverwaterandtheweathercooperates,theBritishColumbiacoastalmoun
tainsaddsaspectacularbackdroptotheperformances.Sadly,duringmyvisittoComoxthisyeartophoto
graphtheteamworkups,themountainswereobscuredmostofthetimeincloudandhazeduetotheun
characteristically poor weather. The Tuesday of my visit was an exception though and I managed to catch
mostwhatIwaslookingforintheperformancesonthatday.
TheSnowbirdswereingoodformfromallthetrainingtheyhaddonepriortoarrivinginComox.However,
theyonlyflewwitha6planeformationontheTuesdaytocompleteformationchecks.Todothesechecks
experiencedteammembersflywith,evaluateandmentornewteammembers.
ThedaybeforeonMonday,theCF18DemonstrationTeamdemopilotCaptainMatthewGlibKutryk,had
flownhisshowroutineinacombatgrey,2seatHornetbringingbackbadmemoriesofthepreviousyear.In
2016,theyellowandblackBritishCommonwealthTrainingPlandemojetleftComoxonthedayIarrivedfor
paintrepairsanddidntreturnuntilafterIdleft.SeeingthegreyjetintheskyonMondaythisyearleftme
withmyfingerscrossedthatallwaswellwiththe2017demojet.Turnedoutthattheywereusingthe2seat
jetforGlibsfinalaltitudecheckwithCaptainRyanRoidKean,lastyearsdemopilot,toclearhimtorunthe
routineatlowlevel.
TheartworkfortheteamsCANADA150jetcreatedquiteabuzzamongstairshowfanswhenitwasreleased
at the International Council of Air Show convention in November of 2016. The red, white and grey paint
schemewasdesignedtocelebrateCanadas150thbirthday.Ihadcoveredthejetsunveilingceremonyat4
WingColdLakeearlierinAprilandafterseeingthejetinpersonhadbeeneagerlyawaitingthedayIdsee
thejetinthesky.WithclearblueskiesoverthefieldonTuesday,Glibtooktotheskiesinthe2017CANADA
150jetandIwasfarfromdisappointed.Thetopsidemapleleafgraphicontheredpaintwassimplystriking
againsttheskyandtheredmadeforexcellentcontrastagainstthevaporsqueezedoutoftheskybytheHor
netasGlibflewhisshow.
BoththeSnowbirdsandtheCF18DemoTeamflewtwiceontheTuesdaybuttheweatheronTuesdaywasso
poor,neitherteamcouldevenflyaflatshowsotheTutorjetsweremovedintothehangarandtheteamsgot
on with tasks to plan for the season other than flying. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were flyable, but
onlyjust.Withafullwindsockmostofthetimeandprecipitationthatvariedunpredictablyfromdrizzleto
raintoboarderlineicepellets,flyingandshootingwasachallengebutbothproduceddecentresultsasthe
teamsmovedslowlyforwardthroughtheirtrainingplansandImanagedtocatchafewmorekeepers.
Withtheshowseasonnowinfullswing,theRACFsdemoteamshavemovedonfromComoxandhittheair
showcircuit.Theresnodoubtthattheyllberunningintomaintenance,logisticandotherissuesasthesea
sonunfoldsbutthefoundationoftrainingandexperiencefromtheirtimeinComoxsetsthemuptomanage
whatcomestheirway;withtheresultbeinganothersuccessfulseasoncelebratingCanadas150thbirthday
andexemplifyingthehighlevelofskill,professionalism,teamwork,disciplineanddedicationinherentinthe
menandwomenoftheCanadianArmedForces.
IdliketothanktheteamsandespeciallyMajorPatrickPacoGobeilSnowbird1,CaptainMatthewGlib
KutrykCF18 Demo Pilot and the teams Public Affairs Officers and narrators, Lieutenant (Navy) Michelle
Trembley,andLieutenantJenniferHalliwell,fortheirsupportandassistanceincoveringthisyearstrainingin
Comox.

ThehistoryofthePatrouilledeFranceandtheiraircraftovertheyears
TocommemoratethefirstcentenarysincetheentryoftheUnitedStatesintheFirstWorldWarin1917,the
PatrouilledeFrance,FrancespremieraerobaticteamdecidedtovisittheU.S.thisyear.Forthosewhomay
notyetbeawarethePatrouilledeFrance,(PAF)istheoldestmilitaryaerobaticteamintheworldwhoseori
ginsgobackallthewayto1931.
In 1931 France's first aerobatic demonstration took place overtampesMondsir aerodrome. It was per
formed by the instructors from the local flying school under the command of Captain Amouroux,
withMoraneSaulnierMS230aircraft.Theteam(knownaspatrolin France)receivedconsiderablepraise,
theirfruitsoflabourwasrewardedbybeingchosentorepresentFranceinnationalandinternationalevents
underthenameofPatrouilledeEtampes.
In1934,anotherteamwasformedunderCaptainWeiserinDijon.Theparticularityoftheteam"Weiser",or
"CircusWeiser",hadauniqueflyingfeature:duringtheirdemonstration,twooftheaircraftwouldflytheir
routinewhiletiedtogetherwithsteelropes.Thisuniquenessbroughttheteamhugepopularityandpublic
acclaim.TheyflewMoraneSaulnierMS225andSpad510,withupto18aircraftatatime.
In1937,thePatrouilledEtampeswasrelocatedtotheSalondeProvenceairbase,thehomeofthenational
Air Force Academy, adopting the namePatrouille de l'cole de l'air("Flying school Patrol"). The Second
WorldWarinterruptedtheoperationsofalltheaerobaticteams.
AftertheSecondWorldWar,in1946CaptainPerrier,Patrouilled'Etampesveteran,reestablishedanaero
baticteamatAirbase705Tours;homeoftheEcoledel'AviationdeChasse(FighterPilotSchool).Theteam
wasonceagaintheteamwasnamedafterthelocationasthe"PatrouilledeTours"composedof12Stampe
SV4Cin1946.In1947theteamwasgiventhename"AirForcePresentationSquadron"bytheAirForceDe
partment.Astheirpopularityincreasedoftheirperformances,anumberofsimilarunitswereformedwithin
theAirForce.InterestinglyenoughtheircreststatedPatrouilled'Etampes.

The first French Air Force aerobatic team with jet aircraft was established in July 1950 at BA 102 Dijon
Longvic, under the command of the 2nd Fighter Squadron, Commander Gabriel Gauthier with Captain
Marias,asPatrouilledeDijon.TheteamwasequippedwithfourDeHavillandVampirejetfighters.Theirfirst
public presentation took place on March 8th, 1951 with Commandant Delachanal, Lieutenant St Macary,
LieutenantRobert&SergeantChefColignon.The2ndFighterSquadronparticipatedinnearlythirtyaeronau
ticaleventsinFranceandabroad.
In1954astheFrenchaircraftmanufacturersstartedtoproducetheirfirstjetfightersenmasse,theFrench
AirForceheadquartersorderedtheestablishmentofanewPatrouilledeFranceteamflyingwiththeDas
saultMD450OuraganHurricanetheirlatestfighter.TheMD450jetswerefromthe2ndfightersquadron
basedatDijonLongvic.

In 1951, Captain Marias founded another aerobatic team from the 4th fighter squadron, based at Frie
drichschafen,Germany,butverylittleisknownaboutthisteamoratleastavailableontheinternet.

In 1952, shortly after the USAF Skyblazers aerobatic teams visited France, based out of Frstenfeldbruck,

Germany,flyingtheRepublicF84EThunderjets,CommandantDelachenalwasinspiredtoestablishanother
aerobaticteamutilizingtheF84GversionbasedatAirBaseReimsin1953.Whiletherewasnoofficialname From1955until1956PAFwasassignedtothe12thsquadronbasedinABCombreinitiallywiththeMD450
fortheteam,astheseteamswerenamedafterthebasetheywerestationedat. butlatertransitionedtotheDassaultMystreIVfighter.In1956,the4thsquadroninBremgarten,Germany,
hadthehonourtocarryonthenamebutrevertedtotheMD450.
On May 17th, 1953, during their visit to an international aerobatic display at Maison Blanche, Algeria,

Jacques Noetinger, the show announcer got carried away and his excitement proclaimed to the public
From1957until1961,the2ndsquadronbasedinDijonwereselectedonceagaintobethe"Patrouillede
"Ladiesandgentlemen,thePatrolofFrancegreetsyou!".OnSeptember14thofthesameyear,theAirForce
France"equippedwiththeMystreIVfighters.Atthattime,theteamflew11aircraft.
staffapprovedthename.ThefourpilotswhoflewwerecongratulatedbyMr.RenPleven,MinisterofNa

tionalDefenceandTheArmedForces,attheendoftheirdemonstrationattheBourgetmeeting.
Between 1962 and 1963, the 7th squadron at AB Nancy was honoured to carry on the name. In January,
1964,duetomilitarybudgetcutsthe"PatrouilledeFrance",whichflewexpensivetomaintain
fighterjets,wasonthevergeofbeingdisbanded.

OnFebruary10th,thecommanderoftheFlightSchoolatSalondeProvence,sentatelegramtotheMinster
ofDefence,thattheywillassumethenamefortheirownPatrouilledel'coledel'air(thesuccessortothe
Patrouille dEtampes) to save the heritage and the name of Patrouille de France. Patrouille de l'cole de
l'airwasoperatingthemoreeconomicalCMFougaMagisterjettrainerssince1957.Asofthatdateonwards
thePatrouilledeFranceisbasedoutofAirBaseSalondeProvence.ThelastdemonstrationwiththeFouga
MagisterwasonSeptember16,1980,attheMeetingofSalondeProvence.Thetotalnumberofteamair
craftvariedfromsixtoelevenovertheyears,butitwasfinalizedateight.

2017USTourpatchofthePatrouilledeFrance

In1981,PatrouilledeFrancereceivedthebrandnewDassaultDornierAlphaJettrainingaircraft.Builtbythe
French/Germanconsortium.Initially,theteamreceivedsevenairplanesandthenin1982,theteamwasex
panded with an additional aircraft. Ever since 1982, Patrouille de France has been flying in their familiar
eightshipformation.

 MoraneSaulnierMS225,1936PatrouilledeEtampespilotsandtheirStampeSV4Caircraftatairshowsandintheair,thelastframeisatManchesterBarton,UK,in1951

Vampiresperformingin1951MD450OuraganwiththeFlightSchoolemblem,1954MD455MystreIVwithanewemblemperformingatairshowsfrom19571961,aboveandmidframesbelow

LTTRobertoneofthefouraerobatic
pilotswhoflewtheVampire,1951 CMFougaMagisterfrom1964
 PAFwasnotonlythefirstaerobaticteamintheworld,theyalsoachievedanotherfirstwhenComman
dantVirginieGuyotafighterpilotoftheArmedel'AirwasappointedleaderofthePatrouilledeFrance,
becomingthefirstwomanintheworldtocommandaprecisionaerobaticdemonstrationteam.Images
aboveandbelowweretakeninMaltain2010.

In 1986 PAF visited the USA with several flyovers and air
shows.Icouldnotlocateanyimagesfromthatvisitapart
from the top left one. PAF also visited Canada for an air
show at CFB North Bay, with the help of the Canadian
Forces Museum of Aerospace Defence, 22 Wing North
Bay,DepartmentofNationalDefence/GovernmentofCan
ada,wewereabletolocatetheaboveimagesoftheirarri
val and air show at CFB North Bay. The (3) images from
the Collection of the Canadian Forces Museum of Aero
spaceDefence.
 2017 Peter Thivessen
 GuillaumeLECOMTE/Armedel'air/Dfense
Patrouille de France pilots posing at SalondeProvence before their departure. Allof CapitaneGeorgesMadonwith41victoriesontherightsideofaircraft#0above,andCapi
themarehighlyskilledairforcepilotswiththousandsofflighthoursinseveralfighter taneAlfredHeurtauxonaircraft#9,below.
andstrikeaircrafttypes.WeareintroducingtheTeamindetailonthefollowingpages.

WorthnotingthatthePAFaircraftaredisplayingimagesofWWIFrenchAcepilotsnext
totheFlightSchoolemblem.TheAcesarealsoshownbesidesthepilotdescriptions.

OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense

Detailimages2017L.Nyary
 OlivierFORTIN/Armedel'air/Dfense
TheA400MAtlassupportaircraftleavingforNorthAmericafromSalondeProvence,above.
InthecockpitoftheAlphaJetonwardstoNorthAmerica.

OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense
AllimagesOlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense
AllimagesOlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense
AllimagesOlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense

PAFpilotswhoflewoverNYC,below.
FromthegroundPAFwiththeA400MAtlasphotoplatformaircraftloverManhattanaboveandrightpage.

OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense 2017 BrianRVeprek

2017 BrianRVeprek
 FlyovertheNASASpaceCenterinCapeCanaveral

AllimagesSGCMORTREUILJULIENEPAA/ARMEEDEL4AIR
AllimagesOlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense
OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense

OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense M.JOUARY/armee de lair

OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense
 M.JOUARY/armee de lair

OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense
Allimages2017KatsuhikoTOKUNAGA
2017GeoffreyArnwine

OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense 2017GeoffreyArnwine

OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense
OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense
J.MORTREUIL/armedel'air/dfense

J.MORTREUIL/armedel'air/dfense J.MORTREUIL/armedel'air/dfense
OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense

2017KatsuhikoTOKUNAGA
AllimagesOlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/Dfense
 M.JOUARY/armee de lair

M.JOUARY/armee de lair

OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air

OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air

M.JOUARY/armee de lair
OlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air

OnApril30ththeonlyappearanceofPatrouilledeFranceinaCanadianairshowwasscheduledtocele
brate Canada's 150 years of Confederation, and to reinforce the historic bond between Canada and
France, which was strengthened during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917, and subsequently on the
ground,intheairandatseaduringtheSecondWorldWar.
SaturdayApril29,wasdesignatedforthemediaonly(mostlyjustphotographers,Imightadd).Themedia
wasrestrictedtotheVintageWingsrampfrom9tonoon,duetoTransportCanada,becauseitwasan
activeairport,funnynotevenonecivilianflewinortookoff,butgofigure.Onlyduringthemilitaryau
thorityfromnoonto3pmwewereabletogotothedesignatedmediaareaandtakephotosoftheongo
ingpracticeactivities.Eventuallywehad"group"staticvisit,whichwasfarfromsatisfactorytotakegood
imagesfromdifferentanglesofthestaticaircraft,whichincludedsurprisingly2RAFEurofighterTyphoon
FGR4s, who flew up from LangleyAFB, from their joint Atlantic Trident Exercisewith the FAF, RAF and
USAF.ItwouldhavebeenbettertosendthemuchbetterlookingandinterestingFAFDassaultRafalein
steadthantheRAFmultirolefighters.Itwasaverywindy,coldbutatleastasunnyday.
ForSundaythepublicday,theweatherturnednasty.Itwasovercastwithuglygreycloudcoverandonly3
Celsius.Andthatwasjustafterthegatesopenedtothepublic.Thewindpickedupandaround9:30am,ice
pelletsstartedtofall.Thentherainstartedtoo,itwasonandoffwithvaryingseverity.Overallitwasjust
plainmiserable:damp,windyandcold,farfrombeinganidealweatherforanairshow.Personally,Ihave
beenat150+airshowsovertheyearsandbyfarthiswasthenastiest.
Around10:30amthefirst3PAFAlphaJetsarrivedfromtheAirTattooatNorfolk,Virginia,ontheirwayback
toFrance,andlandedquicklyinthepouringrain.ShortlyaftertheirarrivaltheChinookarrivedfromCFBPet
awawatoo.Rightonthescheduleat11:30theAirbusA400Marrivedbringingintherestofthenonperform
ingcrewandstaffoftheFAF.Itperformedanimpressiveextremelyshortlandingforsuchalargeaircraftand
justaboutturnedonadimeontherunwayasittaxiedslowlyintothe"hotzone".Thiswasthefirsttimethat
theA400MAtlasbeenseenatanairshowinCanada,evenifitwasjustastaticinthe"hotzone".Itisinter
estingtonotethattheA400Mhas4counterrotating8bladepropellers.Thetwoenginesclosesttothebody
rotatetowardsthewingtipsandthetwooutsideenginesrotatetowardsthebody.ShortlyaftertheA400M's
arrivalingroupsofthreetheotherAlphaJetslandedtoo.AtnoontheSkyHawksParachuteTeamtookofin
theChinookandopenedtheshow,despitethecold,messymixofrainandicepellets.Thefirstjumperhada
largeFrenchtricolorflag.
TheSnowbirdsflewnext,despitetheweathertheydidagoodshowforthecheeringcrowds,whohadtobe
trulydedicatedtoputupwiththemiserableweather.AftertheSnowbirds,apairofCT155Hawkstookoff
justaround2pm.Around3:15pm,PAFeventuallyflewbutonlyperformedalowshowduetothepouring
rain. PAF performed together with the Snowbirds of a flyby on Monday over the Parliamentbuildings and
thencontinuedtoMontreal,andbacktoCFBBagotville.However,therewerenootherpublicperformances
duetothebadweather,endingtheirNorthAmericantour.Foradditionalimagespleasesee:
www.theaviationmagazine.com/AERO150_Gatineau_airshow_review_Aviation_Magazine.htm
Allimagesonthispage2017L.Nyary
TheA400MarrivingonSundaymainimageandtheShyHawkswith
theFrenchflag,above.

Allimagesonthispage2017L.Nyary
 2017L.Nyary
TheCP140Aurorafromthemediadaydoingatouchngo,above.
TheCH147FChinookdepartingwiththeShyHawksfortheparachutedroponSunday,below.

2017L.Nyary
 DespitethemiserableweatherthePAFtooktotheskiesforthefewdiehardfanswhostuckitoutallthe
way

DespitetheraintheWWIIwarbirdstookoff:CorsairontopandHurricaneinthemiddle.

AllimagesonthispageOlivierRavenel/Armedel'Air/
Allimagesonthispage2017SteveBigg
AllimagesM.JOUARY/armeedel'air
THEENDOFAJOURNEY
Writtenby:LTTAntoniaBuroni,May3,2017

That'sit,wecometotheendofourAmericanadventure.AfterourreturntotheEastCoastoftheUnited
States, with the stopover at Langley and Stewart, we landed at the naval base of Norfolk, Vir
ginia.Subsequently,weperformedademoandtwopassagesfortheNATOTattooFestival.

TheNATOAlliedCommand(NATO),whichisresponsibleforoverseeingthetransformationofthemilitary
capabilitiesofNATOcountries,islocatedatNorfolkNavalBase.ItisheadedbyGeneralDenisMercier,for
merChiefofStaffoftheAirForce,whoisnowSupremeAlliedCommanderTransformationsinceSeptember
2015.

OnthedayofourarrivalonApril26,2017,wepresentedourdemotoseveralcivilianandmilitaryofficials,
includingGeneralMercierandNorfolkMayorKennethCooperAlexander.Wemadeafirstpass,onApril28,
overScopePlazainNorfolk.WedroppedthetricolorflagintheskyofthecityastheFlagRaisingceremony
tookplace.Asoldierfromeachofthe28NATOcountriespresentedhisflagwhilepartoftheanthemwas
beingplayed.ThatsameeveningwehadthehonourofattendingtheVirginiaInternationalTattoo,agreat
showwhereanumberofmilitarymusicalensemblesfromaroundtheworld,includingtheAirMusic,per
formed.

Thenextday,whentheParadeofNations,alargeparadeinthestreetsofNorfolkwhereeachcountryof
theorganizationshoweditscultureandheritagewasheld,weflewoverthecityagain.April30wasourlast
dayofpresenceintheUnitedStates.WeleftforCanadianneighboursthatdayfortheGatineauairshow
"Aero150".ThisairshowcelebratedtwogreateventsinthehistoryofCanada.

Firstofall,Canadacelebratesits150thanniversarythisyear.ThecountrywasbornonJuly1,1867,madeup
byfour4provinces;ofQuebec,Ontario,NewBrunswickandNovaScotia,thisisknownastheConfedera
tionofCanada.Theothereventhonouredatthismeetingwasthe100thanniversaryoftheBattleofVimy
Ridge.ThisbattletookplaceduringWWIinthisFrenchcommunelocatedbetweenLensandArras,andwas
wonbytheAllies.InApril1917,afterfourdaysoffighting,theCanadiansmanagedtotakeVimyRidge,but

AllimagesSIRPAAIR
atthecostofmorethan10,600soldierswoundedandkilled.ThisbattleisveryimportantforCanadabe
cause,forthefirsttimesincethebeginningoftheFirstWorldWar,thefourdivisionsoftheCanadianCorps
foughtsidebyside.

TheweatherwasnotwithusonApril30,fortheairshowwithacloudyskyandalotofrain.Wetherefore
presentedour"badweatherorlowshow"demo.WehavehadtheopportunitytomeetwithourCanadian
counterparts,theSnowbirds,whoaretheCanadianArmedForces'aerobaticteam.Wewereabletoadmire
the performance of their 9 aircraft, the CT114 Tutor, a training and ground attack aircraft designed by
Canadair.

OnMay1,thedemothatwehadplanedtoperforminMontrealwascancelled,theskybeingtoolowforus
tobeabletoflysafely.

DuringourtransitonMay2,wewereabletoflywiththeSnowbirdsoncertainpartsoftheroute.Attheir
side, we flew over Parliament in Ottawa, but also Montreal. These passages were rich in symbols of the
strongtiesbetweenCanadaandFrance.

Webeginthereturnferry,withstagesplannedinnorthernCanada,Greenland,IcelandandScotland.The
landingonourSalondeProvencebasewasscheduledforMay6th.