Tuscaloosa Airshow Info

Full Schedule for Tuscaloosa Air Show
For both Saturday (4/4) and Sunday (4/5)

9 a.m.: Gates open

10 a.m.: Airspace closes

10:45 a.m.: Opening Ceremonies

10:55 a.m.: Golden Knight Parachute jump

11:12 a.m.: Red Eagle Air Sports – Teaser routine (full show at 2:38 p.m.)
The two-member Red Eagle Air Sports team flies the Talon Eagle and the Red Eagle. The Red Eagle is a one-of-a-kind plane with a engine that exceeds 250 horsepower. It travels 180 miles per hour while flying level and can exceed 230 miles per hour during air show maneuvers. The roll rate of the plane is 360 degrees per second and the vertical climb is 1,500 feet. The Talon Eagle is one of five in the world and features an unusual double-swept wing and a powerful engine. The biplane travels 210 miles per hour in level flight and 250 during maneuvers. The roll rate is 400 degrees per second and vertical climb capability is 3,000 feet.

11:25 a.m.: Alabama Air National Guard KC-135 Flyby
The KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling craft that the United States Air Force has used for more than 50 years. The planes also provide refueling support for the Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft. The aircraft has four turbofans mounted under 35-degree swept wings, which power it to takeoffs at gross weights up to 322,500 pounds. A crewmember known as the boom operator is stationed at the rear of the plane and controls the boom – the KC-135’s primary fuel transfer method.

11:26 a.m.: Warbird Flight
Warbird is a term used for vintage military aircraft. P-51 Mustangs will be showcased at the Tuscaloosa show. The Mustang was among the best and most well-known fighters used by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Possessing excellent range and maneuverability, the P-51 operated primarily as a long-range escort fighter and also as a ground attack fighter-bomber. The Mustang was used in nearly every combat zone during WWII, and later in the Korean War.

11:36 a.m.: U.S. Air Force A-10A Thunderbolt II Demo
The Thunderbolt II can survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high explosive projectiles up to 23 mm. With a wingspan of 57 feet, 6 inches and weighing 29,000 pounds, the aircraft can reach 800 miles per hour. The planes are favored by the Air Force for their maneuverability at low air speeds and low altitude and their highly accurate weapons-delivery platforms. The Thunderbolt II can loiter near battle areas for extended periods of time and can operate under 1,000 foot ceilings with 1.5-mile visibility. They are used against ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles.

11:52 a.m.: Greg Koontz and The Alabama Boys – Flying Farmer Routine and Cartop Landing
Greg Koontz got his start in aerobatic flying in Ernie Moser’s Flying Circus, where he became known for his comedic performance and “World’s Smallest Airport” stunt, where he lands on a moving pickup truck. In the comedy show, Koontz climbs into the bleachers as “Farmer Clem Cleaver” who demands a flight lesson. He ends up “stealing” a 1946 Piper J-3 Cub with the crew in pursuit and eventually lands on the truck when “Grandpa” shoots a tire out. Until 2002, Koontz flew jet aircraft for a corporation in Alabama and performed airshows in his spare time. He owns a bed and breakfast with his wife in Ashville where he is an aerobatic flight instructor. The team flies Super Decathlon planes, which exceed 200 miles per hour.

12:07 p.m.: U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress Flyby (Saturday only)
Air Combat Command’s B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet. It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. It is highly effective when used for ocean surveillance, and can assist the U.S. Navy in anti-ship and mine-laying operations. Two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles of ocean surface. The plane cruises at 275 miles per hour and can reach 437 miles per hour.

12:12 p.m.: U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet East Coast Demonstration Team
The fighter and attack aircraft was first flown in 1995 and is used by the Navy for day and night strikes with precision-guided weapons, anti-air warfare, as a fighter escort, for close air support, suppression of enemy air defense, maritime strikes and reconnaissance missions, forward air control and air-to-air refueling .

12:25 p.m.: Gordo Sanders Roll Tide T-6
A former Lt. Col. in the Air National Guard and later a FedEx pilot, Gordo Sanders served in the 1990 Gulf War and was involved in search and destruction of SCUD missiles in Iraq. During his military career, he logged more than 1,500 hours and flew aircraft that exceeded 600 miles per hour. Sanders flies a T-6 Texan, the basic training planes used during World War II and has competed in competitions and flown in air shows across the Southern states.

12:35 p.m.: Mike Wiskus, Lucas Oil Pitts
Solo performer Michael Wiskus’ show has been described as smoky, loud and high-energy. Wiskus, from Minnesota, began flying at an early age and was the 2002 U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and a 2004 U.S. National Aerobatic team member. He has competed in air shows in Europe and Russia. His Web site describes the performance as “outrageous, high-performance, low-altitude, solo aerobatics smothered with smoke and noise”. Wiskus flies a one-of-a-kind Pitts S111B plane, an biplane that is a variation of the Pitts Special -- an aerobatic type of plane first used in the mid-40s and widely used in air shows of the 1960s and 1970s. Wiskus reaches speeds of more than 260 miles per hour.

12:49 p.m.: Warbird Flight
The Yakovlev Yak-52 first flew in 1976, and is still being produced in Bacau, Romania. The planes were originally designed as a trainer for students who would later fly Soviet jet aircraft. Nanchang CJ-6 are Chinese aircraft designed and built in China for use by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) as a basic trainer.

1:02 p.m.: Greg Koontz Decathalon Demo

1:24 p.m.: Aeroshell Aerobatic Team

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team has performed across the country for more than 20 years. Pilots fly AT-6 Texans. Nicknamed “The Pilot Maker”, the planes were first used in 1938 as basic training plane for the United States Army Air Corps. They were flown by all World War II pilots who went on to fly fighter aircraft. The Texans are still used as basic training planes and light attack aircraft in 22 countries. The planes have wingspans of 42 feet and can reach 212 miles per hour. There are under-wing attachments for light bombs and rockets. The team is sponsored by Shell Aviation, the aviation division of Shell Oil.

1:44 p.m.: U.S. Army Golden Knights

2:20 p.m.: U.S. Air Force C-17 Demo

2:33 p.m.: Air Force Reserve Jet Car
From zero to 400 miles per hour in just eight seconds, The Air Force Reserve Jet Car always outraces the pilots who try go up against it – despite the head start from driver Bill Braack. The car is powered by a Westinghouse J-34 jet engine that develops 10,000 horsepower and 6,000 pounds of thrust. Made of aluminum and magnesium, the 26-foot long car weighs 2,300 pounds and uses 40 gallons of diesel fuel for each performance. Attached parachutes can bring the car to a stop in less than 2,000 feet. Mike Wiskus, of Lucas Oil Pitts, will attempt to beat the car in a race.

2:38 p.m.: Red Eagle Air Sports Full Show

3 p.m.: U.S. Navy Blue Angels C-130 Demo

3:15 p.m.: U.S. Navy Blue Angels

5 p.m.: Gates close