[MilCom] Grand Junction, CO Air Show

[Sandy4218 at aol.com]

Went out to Grand Junction, CO to an Air Show over the weekend. Blues were 
the star attraction, but there was a very good static display also. Following 
observed.

On Friday night I saw the first nighttime air show I have ever seen. 
Participating were an 
AT-6, a hang glider and a C-130 from the MO-ANG. The AT-6 and hang glider 
were doing aerobatics with what appeard to be giant sparklers attached to the 
wingtips. Each aerial maneuver was traced by a 50-foot trail of sparks. Looked 
very much like comets dancing around in the sky. Each aircraft also shot off 
fireworks from special launch tubes mounted beneath the aircraft. The AT-6 also 
had a brilliant strobe display mounted beneath the aircraft. The C-130 dropped 
the Army's Special Forces Jump Team, "The Black Daggers." Each of the 4 
jumpers also had a special sparkler device attached to their boots so that the 
progress of their descent was marked by a long fiery trail of sparks. Very 
impressive.

Noted on the flight line were the following:  ((Some of the callsigns 
courtesy of a Grand Junction milcomer)

F/A-18C, VFA-86, Beaufort, AB-410/165171, (WINDER)
2 X F/A-18C, VFA-81, Oceana, AA-110/163462, AA-104/`63435, (ZAPPER-41)
3 X F-5E, VFC-13, Fallon, AF-00/761548, AF-04/741536, AF-24/160796. (BOGEY-20)
EA-6B, VAQ-129, Whidbey, NJ-566/163400 (PUGET-4)
P-3C, ?VX-1, Pax River?, 889/159889. (Aircraft had no Modex or Squadron 
markings. Only marking was picture of a sinking sub on the tail) Callsign NAVY JA-04
C-130T, Blue Angels, "Fat Albert", 164763
6 X F/A-18A, Blue Angels, #1-161697, #2-161975, #3-161948, #4-162893, 
#5-162897,
#6-161960. #7 was parked off on a remote part of the field and couldn't get a 
number.
2 X F-16C, 85 TES, Eglin, 97-0106, 97-0108, (SWORD-53)
2 X F-16C, 20 FW, Shaw, 92-3904, 94-0041. (East Coast Demo Team. Each 
aircraft carried the colors of all three Shaw squadrons on the tail), (VIPER-11)
2 X F-16C, 120 FS, CO-ANG, 87-0229, 87-0237, (REDEYE-91)
C-21, 200 AS, CO-ANG, 86-0377, (DILLON-2)
C-130H, 180 AS, MO-ANG, 86-1395, (JESSE-95)
F-16A, 75-0745 Marked CITB on the tail and being used as a recruiting aid at 
the Air Force Recruiting display. 
RC-12D, 305th MIBtn, Fort Huachuca, 81-23374, (INTEL-16)
TBM-3E, NL53503
SNJ-6 h-98/112023, N5500V
P-51D, "Cripes A Mighty", 414906, (MUSTANG)
AT-6A, 93222
MiG-17, Unable to get number, but it is based at Jeffco Airport near Denver. 
Callsign REDSTORM


Following freqs were noted active:

123.475 Air Boss. Most of the flying acts stayed on this freq.
123.15: Freq for aircraft broadcasting to the PA system (except Blue Angels)
384.55: East Coast F-16 Demo Team (Shaw F-16 #92-3904). Callsign VIPER-11
305.50: Fat Albert
346.5/139.875: Blue Angels Comm Cart. (139.8125 & 142.6125 also reported by 
another milcomer)
284.25: Blue Angels Diamond formation as well as the 6-ship. Also used for PA 
broadcast.
251.60: Blue Angels Solo
275.35: Blue Angels Solo, Also Common Freq.
Also noted without enough info to ID were 139.725, 143.825, 142.80 and 
139.975; all of which appeared to be Air Show related. 139.975 appeared to be a 
mobile unit.

All in all, it was a very good show

Sandy
Denver, CO