More from the Air Expo.

More airshow stuff, because I'm still basking in the glow. Here's a nifty C-47.

I had my lunch on my folding chair in front of this nifty plane. Italian sausage and peppers. Yum! But if I wasn't keen on supporting the museum, I wouldn't have paid $8.00 for it.

Then it was a blast from the past with the "Japanese" contingent--the planes from "Tora, Tora, Tora!" Here we have a Japanese Val Dive Bomber and two Zeroes...sort of.

These aircraft were some of those made for the epic movie Tora, Tora, Tora!. Back then, there were no real Jap warbirds left flying so several were built from T-6 Texans and BT-13 and BT-15 trainers, which were cheap and plentiful back then. (Sigh...) After the movie was finished, they were sold off to collectors, some flying in other movies and TV shows. Several still fly today on the airshow circuits. Here are three.

And fly they did.

Are we at Lakefront Airport, or Hickam Field?

But sure as art imitates life, just like in 1945, the Japanese aircraft all went away, and the hero of the day arrived overhead.

Back then there were thousands of B-29s. Now there's one. (Soon to be two...oh, Joy!)

And then, after FiFi landed, we got a surprise addition to the airshow--an unscripted visit from the Louisiana Air Guard--maybe some of Juvat's pals.

Hey look! F-15s!

They flew over a couple of times, and then jumped in the pattern and shot three approaches, each time coming in gear down then pulling it back up and flying the length of the runway fast and low before pulling back up again.

Look--an F-15 flying cover for a B-29. How many times you ever going to see THAT?

Now he's just showing off. And yeah, I was impressed.
I talked to the airshow narrator afterwards. He had no idea they would be there. He said they just showed up and contacted the tower for clearance, which they got.

Too bad they didn't arrive on scene five minutes earlier. Could have been like that great scene from The Final Countdown.

One of those Zeroes look familiar?

Great day to watch planes.