Dover Air Force Base Open House wows public

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. James Wilkinson
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The finale to ten months of preparing, scheduling and implementing plans came to a climactic ending Saturday and Sunday when Dover Air Force Base successfully hosted its two-day 2006 Open House here.

People arrived from all over the country to enjoy performances from a lengthy list of aerial demonstration teams and more than 50 static displays of aircraft from Dover as well as other places around the world.

Although the low cloud ceiling prevented some acts from performing Saturday, others were able to use the weather to their advantage, enhancing their show.

"The nice part of having a lot of moisture in the air is that we get what we call 'vapes' on the jet, and it's almost like we create our own cloud as we go by," said Navy Lt. Gary Buxton, demonstration pilot for the F/A-18 Hornet demonstration team from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.

"Vapes" are created when forces around the aircraft become so powerful that the change of air pressure results in a drop in temperature around the aircraft. This condenses the water in the air, and makes the vortex of forces around the aircraft visible in a white cloud.

The F/A-18 demonstration included a variety of aerial maneuvers, which showcased the jet's aerial capabilities, and ended with a heritage flight when it paired up with a F-4U Corsair, a World War II-era fighter plane.

The contrast between the old and new plane was a show stopper for one Pennsylvania-resident who came to visit her daughter who works at the base here.

"It was neat to see an old plane that was made when airpower first started and then the new plane flying with it," said Donna Reinard, who visited here with her husband, son and his family.

"It's amazing to see how far we have come with technological advances in aviation," she said.

The Dueling Sabres, a team of two F-86 Korean-era fighter aircraft, also used the low cloud ceiling to enhance their low-altitude performance.

Dale Snodgrass and his wingman Ed Shipley flew their F-86 Sabres in a tight formation in their dynamic act, which provided the crowd with a precise, low level and close aerobatic routine.

"The routine includes loops, slot rolls, barrel rolls, Cuban eights and very low level photo passes," said Mr. Snodgrass.

Ed Hamill, representing the Air Force Reserve, was the last demonstration to perform Saturday as he dived and rolled over the Dover AFB flightline in his factory-built, unmodified biplane.

Although inclement weather put a stop to some performances Saturday, the weather brightened up for Sunday's line-up and every act slotted to perform got their chance.

Sunday's demonstrations began with the Wings of Blue. The U.S. Air Force Academy's parachute demonstration 12-person team leapt from their HH-60 helicopter and gracefully fell to earth, soaring and landing with exact precision on the Dover AFB flightline.

The Aeroshell Demonstration Team also had their chance Sunday to "wow"
Dover's audience with four pilots flying formation aerobatics in their World War II North American Advanced Trainers through a series of loop aerobatics and roll maneuvers with smoke trails.

Open House goers enjoyed detailed tours of fuselages and flightdecks from a variety of static displays from Dover's own C-5 Galaxy as well as the E-3 Sentry and C-17 Globemaster III, who flew here from Tinker AFB, Okla., and Charleston AFB, S.C., respectively.

The headliners of the Open House were the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron Thunderbirds from Nellis AFB, Nev., who stole the show performing more than 40 formation flying and solo routine maneuvers during their one-hour routine.

The Thunderbirds performance is intended to showcase the uncontested training of Air Force pilots as they highlight the capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon in which the pilots fly.

"When we're out here at Dover and everywhere else, we're really proud to represent the Air Force," said Maj. Brian Farrar, Thunderbirds lead solo pilot in jet number five. "That's not only the six pilots that you see in the air. We have over 120 personnel on the team representing 24-plus career fields, and primarily representing our folks are the folks that are out there in the real Air Force taking care of us and keeping us free all over the world."

As for Team Dover, Airmen here were excited to give the community a glimpse of what both Dover AFB and the Air Force as a whole are all about.

"Dover is so good to us; this was our chance to open our doors and let them experience what we do," said Maj. Alan Springston, 436th Operations Support Squadron and Open House air boss.

For one proud mother of a Dover Airman, the event was a time to share a piece of her daughter's military career.

"I'm scared of heights. So when we kept climbing the stairs on the C-5 clear up to the top deck, my husband and family got a kick out of it," said Mrs. Reinard. "It gave me a whole new appreciation for the military and what the Airmen who work on these planes do every day for a living.

"I kept wondering how do these Airmen go up and down this ladder 17 million times a day," she said. "I already appreciate what my daughter does for a living, but the open house gave me a better idea of what the Air Force does for our Nation. I couldn't be more proud!"