Date: May 18-20, 2007
Story by: Jim Deveney
Photography by: Jim Deveney

What more fitting a place to hold a Memorial Day weekend airshow and car show than at the dedicated “America’s First Defense Airport” as it was named by local, state, and federal officials on August 2, 1941. After being constructed, Millville became a gunnery school for fighter pilots in the P-40 Warhawk, but the P-40s were soon replaced at Millville by the P-47 Thunderbolt. Approximately 1,500 pilots trained at Millville during its three year existence. Today, Millville Airport is home to many types of light civilian aircraft and corporate jets. Memorial Day weekend 2007, Millville would become a haven for airshow enthusiasts. This Memorial Day weekend airshow produced by David Schultz Airshows LLC, would benefit the Millville Army Airfield Museum.

Thursday May 24, six beautiful blue and gold trimmed F/A-18A Hornets of the United States Navy Blue Angels arrived in delta formation rolling the field with their smoke on. Everyone within miles of the airport now knew the Blues had arrived in town. The airport was now alive with the sound of freedom.

With the U.S. Navy Blue Angels headlining the show and having Greg Poe in his Fagen sponsored “Ethanol Kicks Gas” Edge 540 as the featured civilian performer, Millville Wings & Wheels 2007 was a winner from the start. David Schultz, with cooperation from the producers of the New York Airshow at Jones Beach, coordinated two very special events. The first being a three pass flyover of the USAF B-1B Lancer, and a warbird flight of the P-51D Mustang “Glamorous Gal” and P-40 Warhawk from the Warbirds Over Long Island Museum flown by the father and son duo Bob & Chris Baranaskas. Millville’s own Tom Duffy complimented that flight by putting up two planes from his vast aircraft collection, the FG-1D Corsair “Marines Dream”, and his newest acquisition, the P-47 Thunderbolt “No Guts No Glory”. There was also a flight of three B-25 Mitchell bombers that included “Panchito” which is raising awareness for the Disabled American Veterans, the Mid Atlantic Air Museum's “Briefing Time”, and Tom Duffy’s bare metal B-25.

Just so no one would get comfortable in their seats, Tim Weber in his Geico Extra 300S and Rob Holland in a Pitts Model 12 biplane both tumbled across the New Jersey sky, exciting the large Millville crowd. Jim Beasley brought his newest Mustang to the show, the P-51C Princess Elizabeth he aquired from Stephen Grey’s Flying Legends Collection of Duxford England. After doing a short aerobatic routine, Beasley then took the Princess to the holding area while Capt. Tony “Baron” Bierenkoven of the F-15C Eagle West Coast Demo Team tore up the skies over Millville. Once the F-15 demo was over, Jim and Baron joined in a USAF Heritage Flight. It was very special due to the fact that although it wasn’t the first Heritage Flight for Beasley,it was the first with the Princess Elizabeth. The Princess Elizabeth, according to Jim, is one of only three razorback Mustangs in the country.

Other jet action came from a guy who will only say he is in his 70s in his all-white L-29 Delfin trainer, Don “Beetle” Bailey, and Allen “Attila” Smith in his beautiful L-39 Albatross. The Red Eagle Air Sports Team of Buck Roetman and Dan McClung gave a dazzling display of formation aerobatics in their Christen Eagles, pumping the crowd up for the main attraction, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

On Saturday, the Blue Angels C-130, affectionately known as “Fat Albert”, burned up the sky and grass at Millville in one of the big birds final JATO shots ever. Once the fire on the ground was extinguished, the Blue Angels six blue & gold F/A-18A Hornets burned up the skies at Millville. Once the team went to the delta portion of their show, Lt. Cmdr. Craig “Merlin” Olson would peel off to land. Merlin,brought back after the tragic loss of Lt. Cmdr Kevin “Kojak” Davis a month ago, had not had enough practice to fly the complete six ship delta in airshows as of Millville. It was a good thing to see him flying the solo maneuvers as if he had never left the Blue Angels two years ago.

The cooperation between two very close airshows, big crowds, hot temperatures, and even hotter flying, Millville Wings & Wheels 2007 will go down as a major highlight of the 2007 airshow season.

Photo captions left to right: (1) The Blues come from left to right. (2) Princess Elizabeth. (3) Princess Elizabeth in the air. (4) F-15C. (5) USAF Heritage Flight with Princess Elizabeth leading the F-15C. (6) Fat Albert JATO. (7) Blue Angels Walk-Down. (8) BAC 167 Strikemaster.