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In The Air
2013 Performers

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performer The Blue Angels
The U. S. Navy’s Blue Angels are one of the most sought after performance teams in the world. This year the U. S. Navy’s flight demonstration team will be displaying their precision flying skills at the Capitol City Ford Indianapolis Air Show. “We are very excited to have this extraordinary military team headline or event, as they fly a very limited number of shows each year,” said Bob Duncan, chairman of the executive committee for the Indianapolis Air Show.
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performer Jane Wicker Airshows
Step into our time machine and visit the Golden Age of Aviation. Jane Wicker demonstrates the daring and breath taking art of wing walking. Not just wing riding. This is the real thing. With no safety line and no parachute, she amazes the crowd by climbing, walking and hanging all over her beautiful 450 HP Stearman she affectionately calls “Aurora”. All this right in front of your eyes.
 
During the Barnstorming era, wing walkers competed by trying to out do one another with more impressive feats of daring on the airplane. Jane is no different and recreates the thrilling act of wing walking. Not only will you see her on top of the airplane during aerobatic maneuvers, but you will see her climb between the wings without benefit of a safety line and witness moves that no other wing walker is even brave enough to try.
 
Sit back and hold your breath because you are about to see something you’ve never seen before. It will truly be something that you will remember for the rest of your life.
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performer Billy Werth
Growing up in an Air Force family, Billy has been around some sort airplane his whole life. He started flying in 1988 and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Professional Aviation Technology from Indiana State University in 1994. In 1992 he started teaching aerobatics and has been hooked ever since.
 
In 1997 he graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training and started flying for the Air Force Reserves out of Grissom Air Reserve Base, IN where he is an Instructor Pilot on the KC-135R Aerial Refueler. He is a veteran of Operation Northern and Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. He was part of the initial bomber strike on the opening of the Iraqi war staged out of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
 
He was hired by Chautauqua Airlines in 2001 and is a Captain on the Embraer 145, based in Indianapolis. Billy has over 8000 hours of flight time in 20 different aircraft, with 900 of it training pilots how to fly upside down.
 
Grayout Aerosports LLC provides solo airshow performances, aerobatic thrill rides and offers aerobatic and emergency upset training all over the Midwest. Their homebase is located just outside of Indianapolis. Visit their web site for more information Grayout Aerosports.
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performer F4U Corsair
The F4U is one the most famous and recognizable fighters from WWII, and was the first U.S. fighter to exceed 400 MPH in level flight. The trademark gull wings are the result of having to place the main landing at the lowest point in the wings to prevent the huge 13 foot diameter propeller from hitting the ground or flight deck on takeoffs and landings. Many, especially former Naval and Marine aviators, consider the Corsair to be the best American fighter of WWII. It continued to be produced into the early 1950’s allowing it to have the longest production run of any fighter that served in the Second World War. It also served with the Marines and Navy in Korea and was last flown by the Marines in 1965.
 
Pictured is the pristine and highly restored Corsair owned by Dave Folk of Kalamazoo, MI. All of the warbirds have their own distinctive sounds, and the Corsair was known to the Japanese on the ground as “The Whistling Death”, because of the unique sound generated by the air flowing over the oil coolers in a dive. See if you can hear it when flies on Saturday and Sunday at the show.
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performer North American AT-6/SNJ "Texan"
The AT-6 (SNJ was the Navy designation) Texan was the advanced trainer used by all services in WWII. Over 15,000 of these aircraft were built, and they are the most numerous of the warbirds still flying today. During WWII a trainee had to master the Texan in order to receive his wings, which was a handful to fly, but at the same time it did represent the difficulty that would be found in the more advanced fighters, bombers and transports. There were various types of aircraft in both of the primary and basic categories, but when he moved up to the advanced trainer, there was only the AT-6 that was available and used. During the Korean War the T-6 was used by the USAF as forward air control aircraft and known as a Mosquito.
 
The Checkertail Clan’s T-6 making an air show pass for the crowd. The AT-6/SNJ is a great air show performer as it makes lots of noise and when there is a formation of several, as is always the case at Indianapolis Regional; the sound of the multiple radial engines is something not to miss
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performer L-5 Sentinel
Liaison aircraft were used by all of the services in WWII for various tasks, including the evacuation of the wounded to field hospitals. These small aircraft were the predecessors to the medivac helicopter that was developed during Vietnam. The small L Birds had the capability to land and take off from very short landing strips and were most useful along the front lines not only for medical evacuation, but artillery spotting and the movement of messages and people from location to location.
 
Pictured is the L-5 flown by Rodney Davis of Indianapolis taxiing out at the airshow. Rodney will be back this year and on display with this fine looking warbird.
 
When flown as an artillery spotter in WWII, it was the most feared aircraft in the sky by enemy troops!!
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performer C-45 Expeditor
The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", saw military service during and after World War II in a number of versions including US Army Air Force’s C-45 Expeditor, AT-7 Navigator, and AT-11 Kansan; and for the United States Navy, UC-45J Navigator and the SNB-1 Kansan. The AT-7, AT-11 and SNB-1 versions were used for navigator training, bombardier training, and aircraft gunner training with the AT-11 and SNBs being fitted with turret mounted machine guns, bombardier noses with bombsights, and operational bomb bays containing practice bombs. The C-45’s and UC-45J’s were used as transport for military personal and light cargo hauling. Of the total 8,000 Twin Beeches built, 1800 were constructed for the military during WWII. C-45s were operational with the US Air Force until 1963, while the US Army kept their Expeditors flying until 1972. Many Twin Beeches are still hauling cargo in the 21st century, attesting to its solid design, operational efficiencies, and utility.
 
Pictured here is the great looking C-45 owned and operated by Jordan and Nicky Brown of Brazil, IN. 2010 was their first appearance at the Indianapolis Air Show and we are looking forward to having this highly polished Expeditor back in 2012 for both static and flying display.
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performer L-19/O-1 Bird Dog
The "Bird Dog" was originally ordered by the US Army after WWII to replace the various liaison aircraft that had been used and worn out during that conflict. Cessna delivered 2,486 L-19’s to the Army between 1950 and 1954, of which 60 were diverted to the US Marines. A few saw duties during the Korean conflict, but it was in Vietnam that the O-1, as it was then designated, saw considerable duty. Acquired by the Air Force from the Army, it was used extensively in the early stages of the American involvement as a forward air control aircraft until being replaced by faster aircraft later in the war.
 
The L-19 shown here is owned by Bill and Debbie Finney of Muncie, IN. They are past participants at the show and are always willing to talk to you about their "Bird Dog".
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performer L-17 Navion
The Navion was designed by North American Aviation in 1946 as a civilian aircraft, and Ryan Aeronautical Company bought the design and manufacturing rights in 1947. Over 1,100 were produced, which were used extensively during Korea in a wide variety of roles, including cargo transport, liaison, forward air control, and VIP transport.
 
Allyn Beaver of Noblesville, IN is seen flying his pristine and well maintained Navion during the Mt. Comfort Air Show. Allyn has been a participant at the show at the Mt. Comfort Airport for many years and is always willing to support the Central Indiana Community Foundation. This L-17 and his CJ-6’s are kept at the Mt. Comfort airport.
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performer T1 Bulldog
The "Bulldog" was used until just recently by the Royal Air Force as a primary trainer for all of its aviation cadets in Great Britain. It features side by side seating for the pupil and instructor which results in better cockpit communication during training, and is fully aerobatic to teach the fledging aviator the necessary maneuvers needed for military flight competency. Currently there are 62 "Bulldogs" operating in the United States.
 
This particular "Bulldog" entered service in 1976 with the Royal Air Force at the Shawbury Training Squadron in England as both a primary and instrument trainer. In June of 2000 it was taken out of service by the RAF and then purchased by John Joyce and Dale Sollenberger of Carmel, IN. This neat little warbird first appeared and flew at the Indianapolis Air Show in 2003 and will again return for us in 2012.
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performer Nanchang CJ-6
The Nanchang CJ-6 is the Chinese version of the YAK-18 Russian trainer that was produced after World War II and into the height of the Cold War. The original Chinese version of the aircraft, designated CJ-5 and produced in Nanchang from 1954 until 1958, did not have a retractable landing gear, which made it unacceptable as an initial jet trainer as was originally intended and desired by the Chinese military authorities. This led in to the design of the CJ-6 which included the retractable landing gear and a more powerful engine producing 285 horsepower instead of the previous underpowered 145 hp.
 
The CJ-6 pictured here belongs to Lynn Williams of Morristown, which is one of over 1,800 built in China from 1961 until 1965. With a top speed of 230 mph, a range of 450 miles, a fuel consumption of 15 gallons per hour and the ruggedness typical of both the Soviet Bloc and Chinese built aircraft, the CJ-6 has become very popular with warbird owners in this country today.
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performer UH-1 Iroquois (Better Known As The Huey)
During the Vietnam War the United States Military used at least 68 different types of aircraft. These included everything from the smallest observation planes to the some of the world's largest bombers and transports. But there is just one aircraft that is synonymous and most identifiable with that conflict, and that is the Bell UH-1 Iroquois. The army named all of its aircraft after American Indian Tribes but the official name never really caught on. The reason for this is that when this aircraft went into service the original designation was HU-1 for Helicopter, Utility, One. The HU-1 was later reversed by the Pentagon for standardization among the different services to UH-1, but by then the unofficial Huey nickname from HU had been established and has stuck with it even until today. The Huey had all sorts of missions that included command and control centers flying over a battleground to psychological warfare missions for dropping leaflets on suspected enemy locations. This was the only aircraft in Vietnam that was used by all four of the military services.
 
This year we will have one of these classic and historical aircraft at the Indianapolis Air Show, which is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, which will be on static display on the east ramp. This great looking warbird, a UH-1H serial number 68-16563 is operated by Indiana Air Search and Rescue (IASAR) . 68-16563 served with the several units in Vietnam as both a slick and medivac. Stop by and talk with the IASAR crew about Huey 68-16563 when you are at the show.
 
The most recognized and famous warbird of the Vietnam War!!
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performer North American Red Tail P-51C "Mustang"
The P-51C is most recognizable by the razor back canopy that was used by the early Mustangs in WWII and is one of only five P-51 Razorbacks still flying today. The Red Tail signifies the tail markings of the Tuskegee Airmen that flew in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations during WWII. The Indianapolis Air Show is proud to have the Red Tail Mustang on static display with the Rise Above Exhibit and also as a flying exhibit during the show with P-51 aerobatics and warbird fly-bys.
 
This particular Mustang was built by North American Aviation in its Dallas, TX plant and the US Army Air Force took possession of it on April 7th, 1944. It then served out the remainder of the war as a training aircraft in Florida and Georgia at which point it was declared surplus and ended up on static display at Montana State College until the mid 1980’s. At that point it was purchased by the Minnesota Wing of the Commemorative Air Force and restored to flying condition in 2001. Unfortunately it was involved in a fatal accident in 2004 and its future unclear. The Minnesota Wing did not let the adversity of the accident derail it from its mission of displaying this rare aircraft in flying condition and again took up the restoration challenge and had it back on the air show circuit in 2009. The Indianapolis Air Show is proud to have the P-51C Red Tail making its first appearance at the 2012 event as part of the Rise Above Exhibit.
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performer Shorts Tucano T.Mk1
The Shorts Tucano T.Mk 1 is a two place turboprop trainer built from 1987-1993 by the Shorts Aircraft Company in Belfast, Ireland for the RAF. The T.Mk 1 was developed from the Brazilian Embraer EMB 312 to provide a more economical basic trainer than the Jet Provost being used at the time. That was accomplished in that T.Mk 1 could climb to 15,000 feet in four minutes vs. the 15 minutes needed by the Provost allowing for more training time at altitude. It could also fly two training missions before needing to be refueled and all things considered, was 70% less costly to operate than its predecessor. A total of 158 Tucanos were built, with 130 going to the RAF, 12 to Kenya and 16 to Kuwait.
 
This particular aircraft, ZF136, is owned by Lee Leets of Louisville, KY and is the second of the series having been built in 1987. Between 1987 and 1989 it was used for flight testing before being assigned RAF Linton-on-Ouse as a training aircraft. Not long afterwards it was pulled from training duties and was assigned as one of two air show demonstration aircraft for one year. The paint scheme that is currently on this Tucano is same original paint that was applied when it became a demo aircraft. In 2002 it was taken out of service along with 49 others due to budget cuts and was sold as part of a 22 aircraft package to RS Warbirds in Phoenix, AZ in 2007. In 2010 Lee purchased ZF136 which he will bring to the Indianapolis Air Show for the first time this year. It is only one of six currently flying in the US and will be a rare treat for all those at the show this year.
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performer Yak-52
The Yak-52 began service with the Russian air force in the 1960’s and was used for initial flight, formation, instrument, and aerobatics training. Since the Russian philosophy of training included much more aggressive aerobatics than was prevalent with the NATO countries, the Yak-52 was designed to be a rugged, high performance trainer. The 3,500 YAK-52s that were produced for the USSR and satellite nations also had two hard points under each wing for the fitting of practice bombs and rockets. The aircraft has been sold to many countries for use as a trainer with the last batch of aircraft going to Vietnam in 2001. With the dwindling of military orders, S.A. Aerostar of Romania decided to produce the Yak-52 redesigned and suitable for the western market. There are now three variants of the venerable Yak-52 available: the Yak-52W, Yak-52TW, and the Yak-52TD.
 
The Yak-52W is a westernized tricycle gear airplane. The westernization includes Cleveland wheels and brakes, Champion ignition harness, and western instrumentation, while also retaining the forward retracting landing gear of the original model. The Yak-52TW is a tail dragger version with inboard retracting landing gear and the westernization kit. The Yak-52TD is a new tricycle variant with inboard retracting main gear similar to the 52-TW. All of the new models utilize the Vendeneyev M14P-XDK engine that produces 400 HP, which when coupled with the MTV-9 propeller from MT-Propeller, gives the Yak very impressive vertical performance for aerobatic demonstrations.
 
The YAK-52TW pictured above is owned by Glenn Foy of Indianapolis, IN.
 
A venerable warbird manufacturer with today’s technology!!
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performer North American AT-6 Aerobatic Demo
New to the 2012 Indianapolis Air Show this year will be James Leavelle from Mentor, OH performing in his T-6 Texan. James has accumulated over 6,000 flight hours since he began flying on his parents’ airstrip before he could drive an automobile. Experienced in everything from the venerable Piper Cub to the B-17 Flying Fortress and A-10 Warthog, James brings the first T-16 solo aerobatic routine to the show in many years. With plenty of smoke and supersonic prop noise James and the T-6 will no doubt bring back the sights and sounds of the early barnstormers.
 
In the attached photo the T-6 is taking off with Smoke On as the gear retracts into the wheel wells.
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performer Julie Clark's Team Juice Plus+ T-34
A pilot for more than 42 years and a retired Northwest Airlines Captain, Julie Clark has logged more than 31,000 accident-free hours in the air and is rated in more than 66 types of aircraft. Marking her 32nd year as a solo aerobatic air show pilot, Julie has earned the admiration of fans everywhere and garnered many awards and honors. Read more about Julie Clark.
 
The T-34 was the brainchild of Walter Beech, who developed it as the Beechcraft Model 45 private venture at a time when there was no defense budget for a new trainer model. Beech hoped to sell it as an economical alternative to the North American T-6/NJ Texan, then in use by all services of the U.S. military. Learn about Julie’s T-34.
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performer John Klatt Airshows
John Klatt has thrilled millions of air show spectators across America with a unique blend of precision, power and performance. He has served in the Air National Guard for more than 20 years - flying combat, air support and humanitarian missions throughout the world in the F-16 "Fighting Falcon" and the C-130 "Hercules" aircraft.
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performer Aerostars
The Aerostars are among the most recognized precision aerobatic teams in the sky, dazzling audiences at air shows around the world for more than a decade. Flying at speeds of over 250 miles per hour just a few feet from one another, the trio performs breathtaking barrel rolls, graceful formation loops and dramatic opposing maneuvers in their Yak-52TW warbirds. With a combined 80-years of professional flying experience, the Aerostars have established themselves as true ambassadors of aviation and a source of inspiration for fans, young and old.
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Be sure to come early and enjoy the multitude of exhibits and displays as well as an expanded food & drink selection, exhibits, and many static displays of airplanes you can see up close and personal.

Performers, Schedule & Events are subject to change.

2011 U.S.Navy Blue Angels Air Show of the Year.

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Indianapolis Air Show
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