For those within driving distance of Lake Ontario, the 2011 Rochester/ESL International Air Show is fast approaching. Your photographer has only been once – in 2009 – and the show, featuring a nice flying display, was held along the waterfront. This year the event, featuring the US Navy's Blue Angels, is at Greater Rochester International Airport and promises a good assortment of aircraft on static display.
Note: The following post was originally published on a now-defunct website in 2009. In order to maintain historical context, the captions remain in their original form.
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2009
ESL Air & Water Show
30-31 May 2008
The 2009 ESL Air & Water Show at Rochester, New York marked the first time that the long-running air show was not held at the Greater Rochester International Airport. The event was moved to the Lake Ontario waterfront at Ontario Beach Park and, as the official name implies, nautical activities were added. Though such a show lacks static displays that are always extremely popular with the spectators, a nice mix of military and civilian acts was presented. Unfortunately, the weather only partially cooperated, at least on the 31st when the following images were taken. The double-edged sword of a passing cold front left beautiful, clear skies but low temperatures and high winds combined to create conditions more reminiscent of winter.
(above) A somewhat unique 'unofficial' display of several passes by N846BP, a Border Patrol Eurocopter AS 350, preceded the show and allowed the audience to view a type not usually seen as US Border Patrol officers go about their unsung day-to-day duties. The USBP is a component of United States Customs and Border Protection which operates a large fleet of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft and which has itself been a part of the Department of Homeland Security since March 2003.
(above) Displays of parachuting are regular features at air shows today but few, if any, teams have been around for as long as the US Army's Golden Knights. Its roots are to be found in the Strategic Army Corps Sport Parachute Team which was formed in 1959 and so 2009 marked the team's 50th Anniversary. Though the US Army Parachute Team is best known for public displays, its members are still involved in competition parachuting and participate in events throughout North America and, indeed, around the world. The Golden Knights are assigned two twin-engine aircraft types - the Fokker C-31A Troopship and the de Havilland Canada UV-18A Twin Otter - and C-31A 85-1608 is seen here. Unfortunately, winds gusting at 25-35 mph (40-56 km/h) on Sunday forced team members to remain in the C-31 during several passes over Ontario Beach.
(above) The Canadian Forces' 431 Air Demonstration Squadron - the Snowbirds - perform at many locations in the United States during any air show season. Despite a busy 2009 schedule which supported air events during the 100th anniversary of powered flight in Canada, the team still managed to fly shows at over a dozen locations across the United States. The ESL Air & Water Show was one of the venues and the Snowbirds' nine aircraft - well-known red, white and blue Canadair CT-114 Tutor trainers - are seen here rolling out against a cloudless blue sky.
(above) There are several outstanding aerobatic pilots in North America today and among them is Tim Weber. He flies an Extra 300S and the type, of German origin, is one of the most popular aerobatic aircraft in use today. This image of patriotically painted N94BJ during a topside pass leaves no doubt as to the identity of the primary sponsor.
(above) The sea service was represented by this F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-106's East Coast Super Hornet Demo Team. Based at NAS Oceana, Virginia, it is a fleet readiness squadron staffed with instructors who provide training for pilots (Naval Aviators), navigation / weapon systems operators (Naval Flight Officers) and maintainers destined for Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 squadrons. In order to carry out this work, VFA-106 - Strike Fighter Squadron 106 - is equipped with F/A-18C and 'D' Hornets as well as F/A-18E and 'F' Super Hornets, or 'Rhinos' as the latter type has come to be unofficially known. In this view, the NFO grabs the handhold as the pilot pulls the nose up for the afterburner-assisted 'dirty' roll.
