The 34th Annual Vectren Dayton Air Show presented by Kroger screams into the Dayton International Airport July 19th and 20th. This year’s show has all of the excitement and enthusiasm that has made it one of the premier events of its kind in the country. The line-up is one that is sure to please any airplane enthusiast.

This summer, the F-22 Raptor makes its appearance in the movie “Iron Man” as the manufactured product of the fictional Stark Industries as well as in the skies above Dayton. The Lockheed Martin/Boeing stealth fighter, which the United States Air Force considers one of the critical components of the U.S. strike force, is an air superiority fighter that takes on the multiple tasks in ground attacks, electronic warfare as well as signals intelligence roles fighter. The fighter has some definite developmental roots in the Dayton area under WPAFB’s National Air and Space Intelligence Center and Air Force Research Laboratory. Major Paul “Max” Moga will run the Raptor through its paces, performing the Cobra, the High Alpha, the Mongo Flip as well as many other aeronautic feats.

The F-104, aptly dubbed “the missile with a man in it” makes its debut in Dayton with the three ship-formation of The Starfighter’s Jet Demonstration Team. Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson began development of the F-104 at Lockheed’s Advanced Projects Development Office, otherwise known as “The Skunk Works.” The F-104 set the record for being the first operational interceptor capable of sustaining speeds above Mach 2 and was the first to attain the World Speed and Altitude records simultaneously.

Witnessing a biplane, or any plane for that matter, diving backwards, tail first, at over a hundred miles an hour would be a heart stopping sight indeed. Yet, for Sean D. Tucker and Team Oracle, it’s just another day at the office. Tucker, is one of the 2008 round of inductees into the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) and is the only civilian ever to perform in close formation with the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels. Following in his father’s footsteps, Sean’s son Eric will be his wingman. The aerobatic skills of Team Oracle as well as Sean’s newly formed Collaborators Formation Aerobatic Team will leave audiences in awe.

Ohio native and Dayton’s first female Navy demo pilot, Lt. Page Felini, will demonstrate the power and versatility of Boeing’s supersonic carrier-based fighter/attack aircraft F-18 Super Hornet. The U.S. Air Force’s F-16 Fighting Falcon will take to the skies to demonstrate its skills as one of the most lethal multi-role dogfighters in the world. The F-16 is the first fighter aircraft built to sustain nine-g turns and has a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one, providing enough power to climb and accelerate vertically.

The P-51 Mustang, which flew bomber escort missions from the middle years of WWII, will be featured flying alongside the F-22 and the F-16 in the U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight. The gull winged Navy Corsair, made famous through “Pappy” Boyington’s Black Sheep Squadron, will fly in formation alongside the F-18 Super Hornet in the U.S. Navy Legacy Flight. Both performances demonstrate quite dramatically how far military flight has come in such a relatively short time.

Originally designed by Hughes Helicopters as the AH-64, the AH-64D Apache Longbow was developed after McDonnell-Douglas purchased Hughes. The helicopter is now produced by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. The advance attack helicopter, named the Apache in keeping with the Army’s tradition in using Native American names for their helicopters, has seen action in Iraq, Afghanistan, Panama and other locales. The U.S. Army Apache Demo team will wow the crowd with their thunderous performance.

Utilized by the Allied army in every theater of World War Two, the Mitchell B-25J will be on static display along with a daily flight demonstration. The plane, named “Panchito,” is a restored “greenhouse” nosed B-25J that served with the 396th Bomb Squadron, 41st Bomb Group, 7th Air Force that was stationed in the Central Pacific.

From The Sky Soldiers, a Vietnam re-enactment group, giving ten minute helicopter rides in a restored UH-1H “Huey” to the Misty Blues’ parachute performances, there is something for everyone at the 34th Annual Vectren Dayton Air Show. There will be stationary exhibits, history, vendors, concessions and demonstrations throughout the two day event. It is quite something to be surrounded by all things aeronautic while standing on the soil where it all began.

You can check out the official Vectren Dayton Air Show web site at www.usats.org for ticket information, package information, times, descriptions of the events, directions and any other pertinent information you would need. The site also has quite a gallery of pictures from last year’s show as well. The list of exhibits and performers may be added to in the coming weeks, so check back often!

---