Winter is a tough time for us airshow fans, whole months going by without the opportunity to go see aerial displays. Luckily for us in Southern California and Arizona, the Marines at MCAS Yuma have been hosting a February airshow for several years.

  The static displays feature a variety of aircraft. The Air Force sent jets large and small, from the B-52 and C-17 to an A-10 and a two-seat F-16. The Marines had one of each of their helicopters on static, as well as a Hercules tanker, an F/A-18, a Harrier, and an F-5 aggressor painted in beautiful desert camouflage. The statics also included a variety of civilian airplanes, from a DeHavilland DH4 replica to an EZ kitplane, and a wide variety of ex-military trainers such as Yaks, Nanchangs, a T-28, and some rarities like an NA-50 (the fighter version of the Texan), a Fokker S-11, and two Ryan recruits.

  The airshow was kicked off when the US Army Golden Knights jumped out of their C-31 Friendship and performed their parachute routine, putting those flexible-wing gliders through steep turns, corkscrew dives, and tight formations.

  John Melby, Sony Weller, Tim Weber, and Rob Harrison each had a chance to amaze the crowd with their aerobatic flying skills. They rolled, looped, spun, tumbled, snapped, and flung their tiny planes through the air. John Collver and Julie Clark also performed aerobatics, gracefully flying their elegant warbird trainers through loops, rolls, turns, Cuban-8s, and other maneuvers, to the sound of inspirational music and patriotic messages. Julie Clark shut down her T-34’s engine shortly after landing, taxied to airshow center with the propeller at a dead stop, and stood up on her seat and waved even as the airplane was still rolling. Collver chose to end his routine with even more energy, racing Scott Hammack‘s jet dragster, “Above and Beyond”. Its J34 engine produces about 6000 pounds of thrust, generating about 10,000 horsepower in the process. Starting the race from rest, the car was behind the airplane for much of the length of the runway. Just as the jet dragster drove under the belly of John’s Texan and ahead of it, it was time to pop the drag-chute so as to slow down before the end of the runway!

  Four Nanchang CJ-6A pilots demonstrated some formation flying. They took off in twos, but then turned around shortly after takeoff, flew towards each other and performed opposing pass. The four warbirds then formed up, and made several passes in a variety of close formations.

  Greg Shelton put a Stearman through a series of loops, rolls, hammerheads, knife-edge flight, and other maneuvers. Ashley Battles then climbed onto the wing, and so we got to see some wingwalking as the Stearman was again put through its paces.

  The US Marines then showed off their hardware: A simulated rescue done from a hovering Huey via a cable, a simulated aerial refueling of a Harrier and a Hornet from a KC-130, and a flight of two pointy F-5 aggressors wearing beautiful grey camouflage and Russian-style red markings.

  Not to be outdone by the Marines, Viper West did their best to show off what an F-16 could do. They performed their full tactical demo, including a long series of maneuvers that few jets could perform, showing off the thrust and controllability of the sleek Lockheed jet. The demo concluded with a Heritage Flight featuring a P-51 Mustang.

  But, as happens at Yuma every year, the last act is what stole the show: A local Harrier pilot performed a short takeoff, a few fast passes and turns, and then slowed to a hover. He flew forwards and then backwards until he was over the center of the runway, stopped in the air, yawed 270 degrees in place, then landed vertically while facing the crowd. The demo concluded with an extremely impressive vertical takeoff, and finally the Harrier landed and taxied in.

  It’s always a treat to beat those winter blues by taking a trip to Yuma and getting to see such terrific flying. The hovering Harrier in particular never ceases to impress, especially given how rare Harrier demos are. These airshows would not be possible without the hard work of many people, so my sincere appreciation goes to everyone who made it happen. Can’t wait till next year!