[MilCom] 2006 Thunder In The Valley Airshow Report

[Mike Riffle]

2006 Thunder In The Valley Airshow Report
Location: Columbus Metropolitan Airport (KCSG) Columbus, GA
Date: 18 March 2006


[FREQUENCIES]
  44.900  U.S Army Silver Wings Parachute Team air-ground (note this is a
          common air-ground freq for the Lee DZ at Ft Benning)
120.100  Air Boss (normally KCSG tower)
121.900  Tower (normally KCSG ground)
122.775  CJ-6/YAK52 formation flight discrete
123.150  Discrete common (Firebirds / Texan Heritage Flight)
136.675  A-10 East Coast Demonstration Team discrete / Heritage Flight
283.700  T-6A East Coast Demonstration Team discrete
396.875  Civil Air Patrol showbox entry/exit control points (ISR ch #1)


[STATIC]
A-10             (#80-0208)   A-10 East Coast Demonstration Team backup
AH-64D           (#03-5406)
Acro Sport 11    (N3791H)
Beech D17S       (N18575)
Bell 206L        (N206MH)     LifeSaver
Boeing 727       (N270FE)     FedEx
Boeing PT17      (N515K)
C-17A            (#99-0059)   437AW, callsign REACH 805G - arrived early
                               Saturday morning, was cleared for multiple low
                               approaches but suffered a bird strike on the
                               first pass and elected to full stop after that
Cessna 172R      (N990CP)     Civil Air Patrol
                  (N996RA)     Auburn University emblem on the tail
Cessna 182T      (N24673)
DC-3             ?N876ST?
Diamond DA20     (N678CS)
E-2C             (#163850)    VAW-77
Ercoupe 415-CD   (N94625)
L39C             (N16RZ)
Lancair LC41     (N207JB)
Lancair LC42     (N2502Q)
MH-53E           (#163067)    HM-14
Pilatus PC-12/45 (N328JP)
                  (N718JP)
Piper PA-28      (N8208A)
Piper PA-32R     (N414FG)
SNJ-4            (N299FM)     arrived during the show Saturday
SNJ-5            (N777AP)
Symphony SA 160  (N642SA)
T-33             (NX99184)    "The Red Knight"
T-6A             (#03-3677)   T-6A East Coast Demonstration Team backup
UH-1H            (#69-15263)  23FTS
UH-60A           (#83-23854)


[AERIAL]
A-10             (#79-0223)   23FG / A-10 East Coast Demonstration Team
B-52             (?)          callsign SCOUT 93 - Sunday flyby, this
                               followed a flyby at the Atlanta Motor
                               Speedway for the Golden Corral 500 race
Decathlon 8KCAB  (N28GK)      Greg Koontz aerobatics
Extra 300/L      (N7EX)       Firebird #1
Extra 300/S      (N911CG)     Firebird #2
                  (N911JD)     Firebird #3
F-86             (N86FS)      "Desert Rats"
Giles G-202      (N202GP)     Gary Ward aerobatics
Grumman G-164    (NX7699)     Gene Soucy aerobatics w/Teresa Stokes
Hughes 269C      (N7505B)     "Otto the Helicopter"
Nanchang CJ-6    (N600YK)
                  (N9164W)
P-47D            (N9246B)     "Hun Hunter XVI"
P-51D            (NL351DT)    "Crazy Horse"
                  (N151TP)     "Sweetie Face"
Piper J-3        (N92400)     Greg Koontz aerobatics
SNJ-4            (N934JT)     Jim Tobul / Texan Heritage Flight
T-33             (NX556RH)    Fowler "Big Dog" Cary's Vintage Thunderbird
T-6A             (#03-3678)   T-6A East Coast Demonstration Team
TB-25            (N9079Z)     "Panchito"
TBM-3E           (N4170A)
UH-60A           (#81-23575)  Silver Wings jump ship / Ranger demo
                               callsign RAVEN 22
YAK 52           (N30HT)
                  (N4059G)
                  (N418JB)
                  (N552TW)
                  (N6206G)
                  (N767RG)
                  (N808TD)

note most of the aerial aircraft were also on static display


[COMMENTS]
As noted by Mike C. at the TiCo Warbird Airshow, the Heritage Flight
discrete has changed for this year. I have noted that the old freq, 136.575,
is now used as an ACARS freq in the Atlanta area.

Paul Stender was having problems with his jet powered delivery truck. He did
attempt one run but shut down very early. They said he just had some new
brakes installed so maybe he didn't want to burn them up on the short
runway here.

The Nanchang CJ-6's and the YAK-52's performed an impressive 9-ship flight
with three different formations.

As they do every year at this show, the 75th Ranger Regiment from Ft Benning
performed a Fast Rope Insertion demo from a UH-60 followed by a Special
Extraction demo.

This was my first airshow using a new antenna - the Maldol AL-500H. This
antenna is tuned specifically for VHF (118-135 MHz) and UHF (230-360 MHz)
with a 3.4dBi gain in the UHF range. It easily outperforms the antenna I
have used for years on the airshow circuit - the Diamond RH-77CA. If you
are looking for a dedicated aviation band antenna I highly recommend it.


Mike Riffle
Cataula, GA