Air Force wows crowds at airshow down under

  • Published
  • By PACAF Public Affairs
AVALON AIRPORT, Victoria, Australia --  About 100 Airmen from across the Air Force recently flew 'down under' to represent the U.S. military and demonstrate aircraft capabilities at the 2009 Australian International Airshow March 13-15.

Airmen from Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Reserve Command and Pacific Air Forces showed off their aircraft, a total of nine, thrilling more than 165,000 spectators over the three-day airshow open to the public.

A cross section of aircraft was on display in the southern hemisphere's largest airshow, demonstrating U.S. commitment to the security of the Asia-Pacific region. Participating U.S. aircraft, including the B-1B Lancer, C-17 Globemaster, KC-135 Stratotanker, C-5 Galaxy, F-15C Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon, as well as the U.S. Navy's F/A-18E/F Hornet, were showcased through static displays and aerial demonstrations, drawing thousands of excited visitors.

Aerial demonstrations by the F-16, accompanied by an enthusiastic narrator, often slowed pedestrian traffic as people watched the maneuvers in awe.

"Knowing that (the crowd) feels the excitement and is in awe in watching (the pilot) do his maneuvers makes me proud of what I do for the Air Force," said Staff Sgt. Michael Botti, F-16 crew chief from the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan. "Being able to fix these aircraft every day and watching him do what he can do is amazing." 

The Air Force was also able to assist the Victorian government fight their recent battle with the catastrophic bushfires that killed more than 200 people in February. A C-5 crew from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., transported tons of phos-cheks, fire retardants, to the Victorian Department of Sustainability March 7 and stayed for the airshow.

"We were tasked to fly 52 tons of fire retardants to support efforts against the Australian bushfires," said Maj. Ben Buller, C-5 aircraft commander at the airshow. "Not only is this a great opportunity to support the Australians in their firefighting efforts but it's also a great time to show off and promote Air Force capabilities."

Capt. Tim Ryan, C-17 pilot from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, added similar thoughts to supporting the airshow.

"(Coming out to the airshow) is a great opportunity to not only demonstrate the capabilities of our aircraft but also to interact with the people of a foreign country," said Captain Ryan.

This was the fifth time the United States participated in the airshow in Australia, enhancing U.S. security and commitment to the Asia-Pacific region. 

"(Our) relationship w/Australia is so strong ... we are not only interoperable, we're interdependent and integrated," said Hon. Bruce Lemkin, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs. "I think this partnership is a model. We've been partners for many years."