USAF F-22 Raptor Demo Team The F

 USAF F-22 Raptor Demo Team
The F-22 Raptor is the US Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft and audiences in Rome, GA will be able to see
one of only 183 in operation worldwide as it performs its last state-side airshow of the 2015 season. The fifthgeneration fighter aircraft has a combination of stealth, maneuverability, integrated avionics, and improved
supportability that represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities. The demonstration features
maneuvers designed for combat operations, but performed at much lower altitudes.
USN F/A-18 Hornet Tactical Demonstration Team
Designed as an all-weather jet fighter and attack aircraft, the F/A-18 Hornet is the nation’s first strike-fighter.
The US Navy’s Tac Demo Team is made up of actual Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) instructors. The
primary mission of an FRS is to train newly designated aviators, as well as transition aircrew into the F/A18A-F Hornet and Super Hornet. The Tactical Demonstration or “TAC Demo” is designed to highlight the
mobility, versatility and power of the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet for the citizens who look to the Navy
for the defense of freedom.
USMC MV-22 Osprey Demonstration Team
In its first appearance at Wings Over North Georgia, the USMCs’ MV-22 Osprey Demonstration Team will
demonstrate the tilt-rotor aircraft’s vertical takeoff and landing capabilities used for combat missions and
Special Operations missions worldwide. The Osprey’s primary military function is providing amphibious
assault transport of troops, equipment, and supplies from assault ships and land bases. But at Rome, the
team performs to amaze and inspire future generations of aviators.
GEICO Skytypers
The headlining formation demonstration team at the Wings Over North Georgia Air Show flies six restored
Navy SNJ’s – the WWII-era plane that trained the pilots of the Greatest Generation. The 75-year-old planes
fly wingtip-to-wingtip, demonstrating the low-level, close-formation maneuvers that helped win WWII and the
Korean War. The aircraft is also used to perform skytyping missions before each performance, promoting
WONG and honoring the nation’s armed forces and veterans with giant messages in the skies of Atlanta and
Chattanooga.
USSOCOM Para-Commandos
The Para-Commandos perform precision free-fall parachute demonstrations from an altitude of 12,500 feet.
The jumpers free fall for approximately 2 miles and reach speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour utilizing
smoke canisters to make the skydivers visible to the public below. The Para-Commandos are active duty
military or Department of Defense civilians assigned to the Special Operations Command in Tampa,
FL. Their airshow performances are dedicated to honoring the work being performed by the Special
Operations Command’s soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen deployed to more than 100 countries around
the world.
Buck Roetman – Wild Horse Aviation
Buck Roetman has been flying for more than 35 years. Buck also is a certified Airframe and Power Plant
Mechanic and Aerobatic Competency Examiner for the International Council of Air Shows. During the Wings
Over North Georgia Airshow, Roetman will perform in a modified Christen Eagle. His aircraft was completed
in 2003 and has been flying at air shows across the US ever since. The plane is uniquely powered by a
Lycoming IO360 4-cylinder engine, built by Penn Yan Aero, and pumped up to 250 HP.
Mike Wiskus
The 2002 U.S. National Aerobatic Champion returns to Wings Over North Georgia in 2015, flying his
signature Pitts S-1-11b stunt bi-plane with a 300HP Barret IO-540 engine. His high-energy aerobatics routine
reaches a power speed of 195mph, spinning and tumbling through a series of classic maneuvers. Almost 40
years after earning his pilot’s license, Wiskus has accumulated more than 24,000 flight hours as a corporate
pilot and in performances at airshows from March to November each year.
Lucas Oil Parachute Team
Lead jumper Nick Halseth has been skydiving for 22 years. This year at Wings Over North Georgia, Halseth
will be joined by fellow parachutists Ryan Albrecht, Andy Junghans, Jim Skakoon, and Karl Eakins. In
addition to the team’s 150-square-foot, 3-to-1 glide ratio Lucas Oil parachutes, they’ll use a special 245square-foot American Flag parachute during the opening ceremonies each day as the national anthem is
performed to honor US service men and women.
Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Car Show
Retired airman and flight engineer Bill Braack worked on C-130s and C-141s in the Air Force Reserve and
brings that jet-engine know-how to one of the most popular acts at Wings Over North Georgia. His jet car is
powered by a Westinghouse J34 jet engine originally used in the North American T-2A Buckeye aircraft. The
jet turbine in full afterburner produces 7,500 pounds of thrust creating over 10,000HP. The jet car will
accelerate to 400 miles per hour in nine seconds and utilizes a drag parachute to bring the vehicle to a halt.
Bob Carlton - Vertigo Airshows
Retired rocket scientist Bob Carlton returns to Richard Russell Airport for another mind boggling avionics
demonstration. Bob will perform in the Super Salto jet sailplane, his latest invention, which has more power,
speed and aerobatic capability than any other sailplane on the planet. With its military-grade, 250-poundthrust engine, the Super Salto jet sailplane self-launches and performs a classic sailplane aerial ballet with
low-level jet aerobatics. The juxtaposition between the silent wind and gravity powered sailplane combined
with intermittent jet thrusts is truly a rarity on the air show circuit.
Kent Pietsch
The renowned “Mayor of the Airshow Industry” flies an 800-pound Interstate Cadet with a 37-foot wingspan.
The plane’s horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine can generate 90HP with G-forces ranging from minus-3
to plus-5. Kent performs a comedy aerobatics routine that includes a rooftop landing on a moving Recreational
Vehicle. Wings Over North Georgia will be his 21st airshow performance of the 2015 season and the last for the
year on the east coast.
Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation
The mission of this non-profit organization is to feature modern fighter and attack aircraft flying alongside World
War II, Korean conflict and Vietnam-era aircraft to honor the nation’s air power history. The formation flight over
the Russell Regional Airport will serve as a living memorial to the men and women who are currently serving or
have previously served in the USAF. The foundation provides support for USAF recruiting and retention
efforts. This year’s formation flight will include the famous P-51 Mustang of WWII alongside the Air Force’s
newest fighter, the F-22 Raptor.
Disabled American Veterans B-52 Flight Team
The DAV Aviation Outreach Program was developed to increase public awareness of disabled veterans and to
serve veterans in communities across the nation. Using a World War II-era B-25 bomber, the team tours
airshows throughout the country. The B-25 Mitchell Bomber was made famous by USAF Lieutenant Colonel
James Doolittle’s 1942 Tokyo Raid, the first air raid to attack the Japanese home islands.
Jim Tobul F-4U Corsair Demonstration
The F-4U Corsair was the most capable carrier-based bomber-fighter of World War II. The one Jim Tobul will
demonstrate at Wings Over North Georgia was rescued from a lime orchard in Homestead, FL. After a 10-year
rebuild, the “Korean War Hero” now carries out a very different mission: thrilling airshow crowds with rolls,
loops, and dives. Tobul’s Chance Vought F-4U Corsair was built in 1945 and served on 200 combat missions
with two tours on aircraft carriers. The last 10 years of military service for this plane were from 1960 to 1970 in
the Honduran Air Force.
Scott Yoak P-51 D Mustang Demonstration
The father and son team, Bill and Scott “Scooter” Yoak of West Virginia spent 13 years meticulously working to
build their Quick Silver P-51D Mustang from parts of Mustangs flown in every war theater. The famous twoseater fighter-bomber was utilized during bombing raids over Germany and missions in North Africa, Italy, and
in the Pacific. This airshow crowd pleaser and fan favorite is nicknamed the “Resurrected Veteran.” The plane’s
paint scheme features elements to honor those who have served in the US military.
Sky Soldiers Cobra Demonstration Team
The Sky Soldiers Precision Flight Demonstration Team perform in the US Army’s legacy AH-1F Cobra Attack
helicopter. The Sky Soldiers are an elite group of decorated, veteran military aviators and ground support
personnel who have served their country in Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi
Freedom. The team pilots have collectively accumulated more than 85,000 flight hours in military aircraft,
7,000 combat flight hours, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 9 Bronze Stars, and 168 Air Medals. Their AH1F Cobras are painted in the team’s signature Black and Gold and demonstrate the dynamic maneuverability
and capability of the attack helicopter and the skills of the military aviator.
Tiger Flight Foundation Missing Man Formation
Tiger Flight Foundation is based in Rome, GA at Richard B. Russell Airport (RMG). The Tiger Flight
Foundation’s mission is to inspire youth and adults to become “Pilots in Command” of their own lives. Major
foundation components include Tiger Flight Formation Flight Team, Tiger Flight Museum, and the Children’s
Education and Motivational Program. It was founded in 2000 by two Atlanta-area pilots to share and enjoy
the challenge of formation flying and to promote unique aircraft.
Ladies For Liberty
Ladies for Liberty is a singing troupe dedicated to performing the Andrews Sisters-style of music through
their own rendition of vocals, costumes, hairstyles, and the spirit of patriotism reminiscent of the 1940s.
Remember “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Shoo Shoo Baby” and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree?” Those
songs, along with “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Oh, Johnny, Oh!” and “Lullaby of Broadway” are just a few of
the songs in their musical repertoire. They are sure to bring back old memories for a few and establish new
ones for all.