Welcome to the CVN-80 the U.S.S. ENTERPISE

As one Enterprise CVN-65 heads for Drydock one last time, a new one's Keel will soon be laid. Here's some fact sheets from the U.S. Navy. I look forward to seeing the next Big E.

Combined Navy Tac Demo, Blue Angels, Thunderbirds 2012 Schedule

Here is a combined VFA-122, VFA-106 (F/A-18E/F), Blue Angels, Thunderbirds 2012 schedule that I was able to piece together. I was unable add the F-22 Raptor as it has not been posted yet. If you happen to go to a show that has a VFA-122/106 then consider yourself very lucky. Their will be shows with only the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds but no single ship military team. This might change as the year goes but the Raptor was grounded for the better part of last year and is a little bit of a hanger queen.

Blue Angels= BA
Thunderbirds= TB


MARCH

10-11    VFA-122/BA       NAF El Centro Air Show, El Centro, CA
17-18    VFA-106/BA        Thunder in the Valley Airshow, Columbus, GA
17-18    VFA-122/TB        MCAS Yuma, Yuma, AZ
24-25    VFA-106/BA        Florida International Airshow, Punta Gorda, FL
31         VFA-106/TB        Sun n' Fun, Lakeland, FL

APRIL

1           VFA-106/TB              Sun n' Fun, Lakeland, FL
14-15    TB                  Davis Monthan AFB, AZ
14-15    VFA-122/BA        Wings Over South Texas, NAS Kingsville, TX
21-22    VFA-122BA          New Orleans 1812 Bicentennial, New Orleans, LA
21-22    TB                   Barksdale AFB, LA
28-29    VFA-106/TB        Lauderdale Airshow, Fort Lauderdale Beach, FL
28-29     BA                Warner Robins AFB, GA

MAY
05-06    BA                  MCAS Cherry Point, NC
05-06    TB                   Shaw AFB, SC
12-13    BA                  The Great Tennessee Air Show, Smyrna TN
12-13    VFA-106/TB        JRB McGuire Open House, Wrightstown, NJ
19-20    BA                  Andrews AFB, MD
19-20    VFA-106        Pee Dee Airshow and Festival, Florence, SC
19-20    VFA-122/TB        Thunder Over the Empire, March ARB, CA
23          TB                  USAF Academy, CO
23          BA                  Jones Beach, NY
26-27    VFA-106        Bethpage Airshow at Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY
26-27    VFA-122        Salute to Veterans Airshow, Columbia, MO
26-27    TB                   Hill AFB, UT
29          BA                  USNA Graduation Fly Over,  US Naval Academy MD

JUNE

2-3        VFA-106/BA       Patriotic Festival 2012, Virginia Beach, VA
2-3        VFA-106        Thunder on the Lakeshore, Manitiwoc, WI
2-3        TB                  Rockford, IL
9-10      BA                  Mankato, MN
9-10      VFA-106/TB        OC Airshow, Ocean City, MD
16-17    VFA-106/BA        Star Spangled Sailabration, Baltimore, MD
16-17    TB                         North Kingstown, RI
23-24    TB                   Indianapolis, IN
23-24    VFA-106/BA        Westmoreland County Airshow, Latrobe, PA
30         VFA-106        Cape Air Festival, Cape Girardeau, MO
30-01       BA                 Boston Portsmouth Airshow, Portsmouth NH
30-01    TB                  Battle Creek, MI

JULY

1           VFA-106        Cape Air Festival, Cape Girardeau, MO
4            BA                  Boston Harbor Fly Over
7-8        TB                   Gary, IN
7-8        BA                  Dayton Airshow, Dayton OH
7-8        VFA-106        National Cherry Festival Airshow, Traverse City, MI
14          BA                  Pensacola Beach Airshow, Pensacola Beach Fl
14-15    VFA-106        Detroit APBA Gold Cup Hydroplane Race, Detroit, MI
21-22    TB                   JB Lewis, McChord, WA
21-22    VFA-122/BA        Power on the Prairie, Sioux Falls, SD
25          TB                  Cheyenne, WY
28-29    VFA-106        EAA Airventure, Oshkosh, WI
28-29     BA                 Twin Falls Airshow, Twin Falls ID
28-29     TB                  JB Elmendorf, Richardson AK

AUGUST

4-5        VFA-106        The Great New England Airshow, Chicopee, MA
4-5         TB                  Hillsboro, OR
4-5        VFA-122/BA        Seafair, Seattle, WA
11-12    TB                  Abbotsford, Canada
11-12    VFA-106        Milwaukee Air and Water Show, Milwaukee, WI
17         TB                   Atlantic City, NJ
19         TB                   Air Force Week Flyover, New York City
18-19    VFA-106/BA        Chicago Air and Water Show, Chicago, IL
18-19    VFA-122        Kansas City Aviation Expo, Kansas City, MO
25-26    VFA-106/TB        Greater State of Maine Airshow, Brunswick, ME
25-26    VFA-122        Offutt Air Show, Offutt AFB, NE
25-26     BA                 Atlantic International Airshow, Prince Edward Island PE

SEPTEMBER

1-3        VFA-106/BA        Cleveland National Air Show, Cleveland, OH
1-3        TB                   Davenport, IA
8-9        TB                   Sacramento, CA
8-9        VFA-106        Wings Over Waukegan, Waukegan, IL
8-9        VFA-122/BA        Thunder Over the Rock, Little Rock, AK
15-16    TB                    Scott AFB, IL
15-16    VFA-106/BA        NAS Oceana Airshow, NAS Oceana, VA
15-16    VFA-122        Reno Air Races and Airshow, Reno, NV
22-23    VFA-106/BA        GJ Airshow, Grand Junction, CO
22-23     TB                  Salinas, CA
29-30    VFA-122        Wichita Festival of Flight, Wichita, KS
29-30     BA                  Kaneohe Bay Airshow, MCAS Kane'ohe Bay HI
29-30     TB                   McConnell AFB, KS

OCTOBER

6-7        VFA-106/TB        Alliance Airshow, Fort Worth, TX
6-7        VFA-122/BA        San Francisco Fleet Week Airshow, San Francisco, CA
13-14    VFA-106        Wings and Waves Airshow, Daytona Beach, FL
13-14    VFA-122/BA        MCAS Miramar Airshow
20-21    VFA-106/BA        Sea and Sky Spectacular, Jacksonville Beach, FL
20-21     TB                    El Paso, TX
27-28     BA                   Wings Over Houston Airshow, Houston TX

NOVEMBER

2-3        VFA-106/BA        Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow, NAS Pensacola, FL
3           TB                   Homestead ARB, FL
10-11    VFA-106        Stuart Airshow, Stuart, FL
10-11     TB                  Aviation Nation, Nellis AFB NV

Souces, Airshowbuzz.com, http://afthunderbirds.com/site/upcoming-shows/, http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/show/

Air Combat Command Statement on Reduction of Demo Teams

    ACC statement about reduction of single-ship demo teams in 2012

We face significant fiscal constraints and are making tough decisions about the

best ways to continue providing combat airpower to warfighting commanders, which is

what we do as the Air Force’s primary force provider. 

     One decision we’ve made is to sponsor one single-ship demonstration team for

the 2012 air show season, scaling back from the six teams we’ve historically sponsored

– A-10 East & West, F-16 East & West, F-15E and F-22.

     For the 2012 season, we’re sponsoring our F-22 demonstration team to perform

at up to 20 shows.  In addition to the F-22 demonstration team, the Thunderbirds are set

to complete a full season next year, and their schedule will be announced next week at

the International Council of Air Shows conference. 

     Reducing the number of single-ship demonstration teams will allow us to

reallocate more than 900 sorties to our wings so they can maximize their flying hours for

combat readiness training, offsetting some of the reduction we’ve seen in flying hours. 

     Most importantly, reallocating those sorties will provide an increase in more than 25

combat-ready fighter pilots – that’s a very good thing for our Nation and wise

stewardship of our limited resources.

     The opportunity to showcase our aircrew at air shows around the country is

important – and we’re confident our Thunderbirds, F-22 demonstration team and Air

Force Heritage Flight Foundation will continue highlighting the extraordinary work of all

our Airmen.  

Goodbye Viper West. Thanks for turning and burning the skies over

MCAS Miramar.

MCAS Miramar 2010