Valiant Air Command Show 2013
The Valiant Air Command kicks off the warbird season with a great show every spring. For well over 30 years they have gathered enthusiasts and warplanes to Titusville Florida for one of the longest running events in aviation.
This year there was a very different event happening. The lack of a budget at the Federal level left the Thunderbirds without funding to perform for this season. The decision was made to fly until April 1 and no shows after that. They came to Florida and launched out of nearby Patrick AFB (which in an F-16 is actually minutes away), they flew a great show on Friday and Saturday. Sunday during the show, a severe storm hit the field ending the airshow as well as the Thunderbird’s season. While it blew over some tents and got a lot of people wet, it didn’t dampen the spirits of everyone on the field.
There were a lot of planes that flew in for the show, a lot of people who spent a lot of money on fuel and maintenance to be there. They did get in a couple of days of flying. For those reading this, you can see who was there from the photos, this isn’t “photorecon” for nothing.
One significant person who was there was there was Col. Richard Cole. Dick was Jimmy Doolittle’s Co-Pilot on the Tokyo Raid, he was born on September 7, 1915. In another 3 months he’ll be 98 years old, looking at him, he could well pass for 75. He come to TICO every year, signing autographs, in the past he used to fly a B-25, but he’s since retired from flying. What a great guy, we all wish him well and many more years.
With a bit of bad weather aside, the members of the VAC worked hard to put on a great show. It’s one well worth coming to, keep in mind that the Mouse isn’t the only reason to come to Florida.
I’d like to thank Col. Terry Yon of the Valiant Air Command for making this story possible.
You can contact me at TNMark@Me.Com. Fly Safe.
