ADF Air Show, Townsville 2009.

[corsair67]

Okay, apart from a dust storm & some smoke haze (which a real photographer told me can be negated somewhat by using a polarising filter: the things we learn after the fact!), and some aircraft non appearances - this year's ADF Air Show was quite enjoyable.

The USAF Thunderbirds were fantastic, and their 35 minute display made the day for the majority of the 70 000 crowd.

Here are some shots I took over the weekend. Unfortunately I have had to edit most of the aerial shots I took, to get rid of the worst of the haze.

Sorry that they aren't the best - one day I'll grow up to be a better photographer.......

[corsair67]

And a few more........

[mcmaster]

Thanks for the shots C67, looks like a cracker of a show. 35 mins for the thunderbird display - excellent value! I realy like shot no 9 where they are at slighly different nose angles for no 2 and 3. were all the displays over the beach? and just an observation. dont we do display routines with our C17's? But nice of the USAF to display one anyway, probably was the support for Tbirds.

[corsair67]

Thanks, Mr McMaster. The USAF had two C-17s out for the Thunderbirds deployment, as well as at least one KC-10 (which wasn't at Townsville over the weekend). There were no RAAF C-17s at the show.

Yes, the flying display was held over The Strand on the Saturday afternoon.

And a few taken at the RAAF Base Open Day on Sunday.....


A couple of Fokkers -










Interesting artwork on C-130H A97-007 -




Any shady spot was welcomed -




Eurocopter MRH-90 -























USAF Thunderbirds' F-16Cs -







(These jets must be the cleanest and most pampered military jets I have ever seen!)

























Chinook -














(Good to see the pin up girls making a comeback)




And of course: Caribous! -

[skyhawkdon]

Was there anything there from the RNZAF Craig? It would have been well worth the trip just to see the Thunderbirds in the flesh. Thanks for the photos.

[flyjoe180]

Great photos Craig, thanks!

[corsair67]

Thanks Don and Joe.

Unfortunately, the RNZAF weren't represented at Townsville. The RNZAF only seem to make an appearance at the bi-annual Avalon air shows nowadays.

[vgp]

likewise great photos mr corsair thanking you for posting them cheers

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for posting these photos Craig. It is interesting to read your comments about the Thunderbirds. i have read many people's comments on overseas forums saying they're a really boring and drab team compared with the Red Arrows and Blue Angels and other such teams. Nice to read someone praising them. Personally I don't think I could stand watching a jet team for a whole 35 minutes though, there are only a certain number of things they could do till they became boring, surely?

[skyhawkdon]

Are those flag (?) markings on the Thunderbird jets behind the canopy all the users of the F-16 or all the countries the Thunderbirds have visited I wonder? There sure are a lot of them and no New Zealand flag in either case!

[corsair67]

Are those flag (?) markings on the Thunderbird jets behind the canopy all the users of the F-16 or all the countries the Thunderbirds have visited I wonder? There sure are a lot of them and no New Zealand flag in either case!

I thought it was the flags of countries that the Thunderbirds have visited - but then I've just noticed that the flag at the bottom right appears to be the US Vietnam War M.I.A flag?

[Andy Wright]

Good stuff, Craig, thanks for posting. Those MRH-90s have a lot of room.

[Craig Sargent]

Definitely not user countries, as Israel has a huge number of F-16s and there is no Israeli flag present (though there ARE a couple that look similar).

[flycookie]

Oct 6, 2009 20:53:39 GMT 12 corsair67 said:

........I've just noticed that the flag at the bottom right appears to be the US Vietnam War M.I.A flag?

A very common sight in the US. Flags, car stickers etc to be seen everywhere, every day.