Warbird Information Exchange

Really somewhat disappointed in the recent lack of updates. We've known that the 262, 190, and a skyraider have been cancelled for practically two weeks yet they are still shown on the thunder website and no updated roster or information can be found on their Facebook page either. Personally, all of this has me worried to the point I'm afraid they might even be kicking around the idea of canceling the show this year again

I understand what you are saying. It is very frustrating that this information takes forever to get updated. I think that the show will happen, it's just that apparently whoever updates their web site is apparently involved with a lot of other things and they also may be concerned about not posting the updates until they are highly confident that no more changes will be coming.

I don't think they seriously ever kicked around the idea of canceling this year's show, but they have sure had enough obstacles thrown in their way.

I hope the web site and Facebook page are updated soon. I have faith in the team that runs this show and I think we will have a great warbird event in August.

But the sooner we have more information and a more complete aircraft list, the better off everyone will be!

Is the worse year ever for airshows nation wide thanks to the bumbling stooges in DC, hopefully this show will go off without a hitch.

Thunder was MORE fun (hard to believe, I know...) before assets that could be messed with by the "bumbling stooges in DC" were ever really involved in the show's makeup.

I remember seeing Bob Odegaard's red Super Corsair along with Riff Raff, Miss Merced and Cloud Dancer on the Yankee Air Museum's ramp once upon a time. They flew during the afternoon show as well. In fact, I remember the Canuck Lancaster being considered a "regular" for a few years. Always impressive to have her wing her way through the Ypsilanti skies!

Oh, and another thing. It used to be somewhere in the vicinity of $10 for admission and something miniscule like $5 to park. (I can even remember attending Thunder events before they started charging for parking...)

It was kind of "neat" to head out to Willow Run and just see what you could see. The collection of aircraft they assembled was far more impressive than anything they have put together in the past 5-6 years and the flying was always top-notch, especially on arrival and departure days.

We can dream (about the old days), can't we?

I remember [barely] seeing the Blue Angels flying Phantoms at Ypsi ,,, Or maybe it was the Birds, or both ? Must have been early/mid 1970's, about 6 years old and I can still remember those noisy, smokey beasts roaring over the trees.
Also used to watch shows right at the end of the runway at Selfridge when I was a kid, those days are long over. But yeah, government participation is not necessary for a great show. I'm more of a jet guy though, always have been, so obviously without armed forces participation, the chances of seeing a high performance military jet drop to near zero. Especially in MI, which is dam near a demilitarized zone.

So lets take some stock here:

Aerobatics
Sean D. Tucker
Mike Goulian

World War II
Dave Folk (F4U-5 Corsair)
Yankee Air Museum (B-17)
Yankee Air Museum (B-25)

Vietnam Aircraft
Dean "Cutter" Cutshall (F-100)
American Flight Museum (AC-47 "Spooky")
Doug Goss (C-1A "Trader")
American Huey 369 (UH-1) x 2
Air Heritage (C-123K Provider)
Army Aviation Heritage Foundation (UH-1) x 4
Pete Bale (OH-6A Cayuse)

Skyraider - Themed Aircraft
Neal Melton (A-1H Skyraider)
Warbird Heritage Foundation (AD-1 Skyraider)
Jim Rohlf (AD-4NA Skyraider)
Cavanaugh Flight Museum (AD-5W Skyraider)
Colling's Foundation (A-1E Skyraider)

How we lookin' here? Feel free to comment and critique based on the information that we have based on posting in various/other forums.

Rob,

Your list of currently announced aircraft as we know it for Thunder is "fairly" accurate with a couple of differences. As far as I know there are only TWO Hueys currently on the aircraft list based on a post a while back on the Thunder Facebook page. Apparently the change in dates from June to August caused 4 of the planned Hueys to be lost from the lineup.

So let's assume for a minute that the rest of the aircraft on your list remain in the current plans which would mean 17 aircraft announced and 23 still to be announced if the number (40) thrown out by Thunder Over Michigan on their Facebook page about a week ago of aircraft currently booked is accurate.

If we end up with another 7 to 10 vintage warbirds beyond the 15 currently announced (Tucker's and Goulian's are not warbirds of course) that would make a good show even by Thunder standards assuming there is decent variety in there and that we weren't looking at just adding a bunch of T-6/BT-13 type aircraft or something like that to the lineup.

So I anxiouly await to hear what the 20 to 25 "booked but unannouced" aircraft are, and remain "hopeful" for the show at this point. I plan to be there Friday for arrivals and Saturday for the show.

Thanks Jim.

Although I haven't heard anything, I would expect some Mustangs (one at the very least...) for the morning World War II battle re-enactment. Again, I haven't heard anything to validate this. I'm only going off of what has become a trend for the past few years.

I would also think that a gaggle of T-6s/Harvards and a Stearman or two would be on tap for Thunder. Again, no mention has been made of these aircraft being added so I'm going off of what has been "commonplace" over the past few years.

So as it stands right now there are less than 20 aircraft on tap for Thunder Over Michigan?

Tom, Kevin, Michael? Are we missing anything here?

Rob,

I would agree completely that a Mustang or two are quite likely in the list of unannonced aircraft that are "booked," being that aside from perhaps Texans and a couple other types they are among the most common flying WWII warbirds out there. Several Texan/Stearman types are likely also, just would hate to see them be too lopsided a part of the unannounced list.

I remain at least "cautiously" hopeful that at least another jet or two (A-4, MiG-17, etc.) may be in the unannounced group, but we will see.

With the show just 5 weeks from this coming weekend I hope they will be announcing more aircraft soon!

The CAF Red Tail Squadron has Thunder on their schedule and I would assume both of Jack Roush's P-51s will at least be on static display.

_________________
Matt

Just added,

Eric Downing's AD-5W Skyraider!

_________________
Michael Luther
Yankee Air Museum's
Air Show Director
THUNDER OVER MICHIGAN

Just added,

The Warbird Heritage Foundation's A-4B Skyhawk!

_________________
Michael Luther
Yankee Air Museum's
Air Show Director
THUNDER OVER MICHIGAN

GREAT news - and a beautiful Skyraider!

Anthony

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SIX AD/A-1 Skyraiders back in the lineup and the second Vietnam era jet, the A-4B Skyhawk!

OUTSTANDING additions to the lineup. The show has the potential to be the best warbird air show in North America this year.

Unless you like World War II planes.

I think they can stop adding Skyraiders now. They had the Nam crowd buttoned up at 4 or 5 of those, and they need to give WWII buffs a reason to attend, which right now they don't have.

August