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Homeschool Spotlight

2002 Claremore Air Show


By: Michelle May, Rogers Co. CHEF
Photos by: Sheryl Burklin

Click on the images to enlarge

The students and parents of Rogers County CHEF would like to thank Mr. Tim Fleetwood and the Claremore Regional Airport for hosting us at a special performance of the Will Rogers Claremore Air Show on September 20, 2002.

I don't think we could have asked for more perfect weather-a warm, clear, sunny day-glorious for watching some thrilling airplane aerobatics.

W.W.II aircraft were on display and several T-6's and two B-25's flew in formation to start off the show. Tulsa's own Greg Shelton, flying a T-6 "thrill(ed) the crowd with lots of noise and smoke." Mr. Shelton did many amazing feats-figure 8's, straight up and downs and quick turnarounds-with smoke trailing behind to add to the thrill of it all. He was one of my favorite performers.

Dr. Guy Baldwin made an appearance in his Make-a-Wish Extra 300 aerobatic aircraft. It was an excellent performance and for a very worthy cause.

"The Russians are coming!" Nikolay Timofeev, an air show professional and world competitor, had already impressed me with his list of accomplishments before he got in the air. He was ranked as the 4th highest air show pilot in Europe over the last decade, European Unlimited Champion in 1997, World Air Games Unlimited Champion in 1997, and won three gold metals at the World Aerobatic Championship of 1992, 1995, and 1996. Our other Russian friend, Elena Klimovich, a 1994 World Champion, gave a wonderful performance and as Mr. Fleetwood said, "If any girl wanted to learn to fly, Elena could teach her." She also was very friendly, waving and smiling to the crowds as she taxied past. You could tell that these Russians were world-class competitors almost as soon as they got up in the air.

Another unique experience was the exhibition of the Learjet 23. We got to see the first time appearance of the legendary performer Bobby Younkin from Springfield, Arkansas in his Learjet 23, which looked fast just sitting on the runway in its shining red paint with twin engines that sounded like a Boeing 747. It shot up into the sky, nearly vertical as it climbed. Mr. Younkin's Learjet is the only aerobatic Learjet in the world. He gave an electrifying performance. The spanky Learjet was the last performance of the day, but not the last in my heart.

One of the benefits offered us was a ride in a flight simulator for 100 lucky students. I stood in line for over an hour for my turn to ride in the F-16 simulator. The hour wait was well worth it even though the ride was only four minutes long.

The operator strapped me in at four places because I did five 360 degree rolls. The simulation had actual footage from the cockpit of an F-16 that was chasing an enemy plane and shooting it down. It was very realistic. After the simulation I returned to the stands to await the arrival of an actual F-16. I was not disappointed.

With little warning the F-16 roared by with the engine's wake sweeping after it causing little children to scream in terror and cover their ears. Me, well, I just grinned. I have always had, as my parents put it, a "need for speed" and flying a fighter jet has a certain appeal to me. With an Air Force officer describing the F-16 and its crew, and informing us of the maneuvers it was performing, I stood spellbound, staring up into the bright blue sky as the powerful machine dipped and dived through the fluffy clouds. Performing 4-point and 8-point rolls (rotating and stopping 4 or 8 times in a 360 degree roll) the plane roared by, close to the ground, the sound vibrating in my chest though it was only going one-third its top speed. My "need for speed," the patriotic music, and having just "been" in the cockpit through the simulator, made me want to do nothing more than be in the actual cockpit of that plane streaking past. I stood there wanting it so badly, I would not have been surprised if I had lifted right off the ground and met that machine in the sky.

Then, when I thought it couldn't get any better, the officer announced they would do a Heritage Flight. A World War II vintage P-51 Mustang, showing the pride of the past, and the F-16, showing the might of the present, flew wing to wing as they buzzed over us. It was so profound that I was almost moved to tears. After the two war birds finished their flight and the F-16 flew into the distance, I felt miserably left behind. As the F-16 flew parallel with another plane on the horizon and then crossed paths as they roared away, I was oddly cheered. So, from one girl who wanted to fly high and fast, God bless our armed forces and may He protect them.


        

             

        

             


 


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