Gary Air Show 2015
By Mike HeilmanThe 2015 Gary Indiana Air Show made a triumphed return after a two-year hiatus. The air show was cancelled the past two years for various reasons. In 2013, the show was cancelled due to the Federal Sequester issues. In 2014, the show organizers tried to move the show to a different location in North Central Indiana, but heavy rains forced the show to cancel because the wet show grounds could not handle the large crowds. The city of Gary sponsors the free show to help promote tourism to the city and the Lakeshore Marquette Park area. This year’s show drew an estimated 120,000 spectators to the two-day event.Headlining the Gary Air Show was the United States Air Force Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds flew their F-16C “Fighting Falcon” both days of the event. The United States Navy West Coast F/A-18F “Super Hornet” Demonstration Team flew a tactical demonstration. The Super Hornet Team is from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122, based at NAS Lemoore, Calif. The United States Army Golden Knights Parachute Demonstration Team made several jumps at the show.
The civilian portion of the event included world-class team and individual aerobatic acts. The Lima Lima Aerobatic Team performed in their Beech T-34B trainers at the show. The team’s name originated from the FAA identifier LL-10 Lima Lima’s home airport at nearby Naperville, Ill. Lima Lima team’s slot pilot Roger “Fritz” Fritzler explains how the team got its start, “ Lima Lima started around the mid ‘80s at the Naperville, Ill. airport with a bunch of guys buying T-34s. They started going out and doing formation work and found out that they were good at it. Then they decided to start doing air shows.”Frizler is the newest member of the Lima Lima flight demonstration team, but he has a lot of flight experience, “I am an ex-Navy guy. I was 10 years active and 20 years in the reserve. I flew the F-14 with VF-111 “Sundowners” off the Kitty Hawk, then the A-4 in the reserves in an adversary squadron VFC-13. I also flew with the airlines and with my first paycheck from American Airlines, I put a down payment on this baby [T-34B].”
The Aerostars precision Yak-52 aerobatic team performed at this year’s show. The team flies a 1970s Soviet designed Yak-52 aerobatic trainer made for military and civilian use. The Vanguard Squadron flew a four-ship formation aerobatic demonstration in their aircraft fueled by ethanol. Matt Chapman performed an aerobatic routine in his Embry Riddle-sponsored CAP 580. It was his final airshow performance in the CAP 580.Air show veterans, Dave Dacy and Tony Kazian, performed a Super Stearman Wingwalking act at the Gary show. Dacy flew the Model 75 Boeing Stearman while Kazian move to different positions on the wing. Jack Knutson flew a high-energy performance in his “Firebird” Extra 300S. Paul Wood demonstrated the power of the 1950s designed A-4 Skyhawk. The A-4 is part of the Warbird Heritage Foundation located in Waukegan, Ill. Bill Stein performed an aerobatic show in his Edge 540. The Edge 540 paint scheme changes colors at various angles during Stein’s performance.
The city of Gary, Indiana has been using the show to successfully promote the city and the Lakeshore. The free show provides families a chance to see aviation while enjoying a hot summer day on the beach. The large attendance numbers have proven that the city’s plan to attract visitors to the area is working.
