P-51D Mustang 45-11381 Old Crow – Ray Fowler – ( Roush Aviation – Livonia, MI) Here is the list of aircraft and performers for this year’s air show: So make your plans for 2021, when the next Ray Fagen Memorial Air Show will take place! It is the kind of intimate air show which everyone interested in aviation history should attend, as you really get a chance to fully appreciate the ambiance of a bygone age, and that’s rarely possible at larger events. Combined with the vintage air traffic control tower and a new-build hangar (with a design that harkens back to the early 1940s), you can’t help but feel more “connected” to WWII history. Since the last time I was there, the museum has installed a period-correct water tower on site which originally came from nearby Pennock, Minnesota. While this air show isn’t as large as others, the fantastic atmosphere more than made up for it.
![midwest super stearman you tube midwest super stearman you tube](https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/b3840782-51e2-4e84-96f9-fb14f5e26fe2/svn/philips-fluorescent-tube-lights-543272-c3_1000.jpg)
(photo by John Chvatal/Gazing Skyward TV) Fagen Fighters beautiful FM-2 Wildcat Bu.86774 demonstrating its carrier landing configuration, with its tail hook deployed. As a safety precaution, Fagen will be pulling the engine along with the propeller for inspection and possible repair. Because the propeller suddenly went into low pitch at a high power setting, the engine rpm far exceeded normal operating limits and let out a roar… much the way a car’s engine can do when you accidentally shift from fourth gear down into first instead of fifth. He said that the Wildcat experienced a runaway prop, which forced him to curtail his show and land as soon as he could. I asked Evan Fagen, the pilot, what happened. The FM-2 Wildcat made a spirited display, but during one of its passes I heard the prop pitch make a rapid change. The only real disappointment for me was not seeing the museum’s rare Curtiss Jenny fly. Outside of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, it is a rarity in the Upper Midwest to have warbirds performing low level passes with pyro effects. (Photo by Matt McVicker – )Īside from the windy conditions and temperatures reaching into the mid-90s, it was an enjoyable show which included numerous warbird flights as well as performances from Greg Shelton Airshows, Younkin Airshows, and the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team. An impressive line up of no less than five P-51D Mustangs attended the show, with Fagen Fighter’s P-38 Lightning in the rear. Of the aircraft on hand, there were 32 warbirds, coming from 12 different states for everyone to enjoy, although the weather prevented a further 19 warbirds from coming. Amongst the visitors were 41 WWII veterans, although the heat and humidity persuaded others it was safer to stay home. In fact, attendance numbers were up in comparison to 2015. (photo by John Chvatal/Gazing Skyward TV)ĭespite the inclement weather, the show was well attended. This aircraft is based with the CAF’s Great Plains Wing in Cedar Bluffs, Iowa. Evidence of earlier rainfall is in abundance on the apron tarmac. The Commemorative Air Force’s P-51D Mustang Gunfighter is seen here being released from the aircraft tug after having been towed onto the flight line. While there were periodic showers until around 1 pm, thankfully the skies cleared up just in time for the afternoon air show to take place. Even on the Saturday morning, I had doubts that the rain would stay away. It wasn’t looking too good, with predictions of rain for both Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th of June. The last time they held the event was in 2015, but scheduled runway resurfacing delayed the next iteration a year until 2018.Ībout a week out, I started paying attention to the weather forecast for the weekend of the show.
![midwest super stearman you tube midwest super stearman you tube](http://www.natureandtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BreitlingSuperStearman.jpg)
There aren’t many air shows in the Upper Midwest that I look forward to with as much anticipation as the Ray Fagen Memorial Air Show, organized biannually by the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum in Granite Falls, Minnesota.