Photo: USAF/Master Sgt. Christopher Boitz
Say what you want about air shows, but where else do you get to see airplanes from entirely different eras flying together? Heritage flights is how they call these amazing get-togethers, and later this week there are plenty of them coming to Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
It is there where the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture air show will take place, with Air Force Special Operations Command airmen and aircraft joining a host of other participants for what we expect will be an incredible event.
Among those taking part is the AC-47 Spooky you see in the main pic of this piece (click photo to enlarge), released earlier this month by the USAF. It belongs to the American Flight Museum in Topeka, and it was restored for exactly such gatherings.
Historically, the Spooky first took flight in 1964, being developed as the first in a series of fixed-wing gunships made during the Vietnam war. With a crew of seven, it could reach a top speed of 230 mph (370 kph) and altitudes of up to 24,450 feet (7,450 meters).
Accompanying it the photo, as the two planes trained for the Oshkosh show, is an AC-130J Ghostrider deployed with the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
This plane is a variant of the AC-130 (this one, in turn, is a variant of the C-130) that was first flown in 2017.
The heritage flight of these two planes will not be the only highlight of the event. As usual, American carmaker Ford will be on-site with a special and unique version of the Mustang Mach-E, dedicated to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) unit of the Second World War. The Goodyear Blimp, the Orbis Flying Eye hospital, and many more will be featured there.
The AirVenture show lasts for a week starting July 26, with tickets prices listed here, in case you’re planning to go.
Among those taking part is the AC-47 Spooky you see in the main pic of this piece (click photo to enlarge), released earlier this month by the USAF. It belongs to the American Flight Museum in Topeka, and it was restored for exactly such gatherings.
Historically, the Spooky first took flight in 1964, being developed as the first in a series of fixed-wing gunships made during the Vietnam war. With a crew of seven, it could reach a top speed of 230 mph (370 kph) and altitudes of up to 24,450 feet (7,450 meters).
Accompanying it the photo, as the two planes trained for the Oshkosh show, is an AC-130J Ghostrider deployed with the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
This plane is a variant of the AC-130 (this one, in turn, is a variant of the C-130) that was first flown in 2017.
The heritage flight of these two planes will not be the only highlight of the event. As usual, American carmaker Ford will be on-site with a special and unique version of the Mustang Mach-E, dedicated to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) unit of the Second World War. The Goodyear Blimp, the Orbis Flying Eye hospital, and many more will be featured there.
The AirVenture show lasts for a week starting July 26, with tickets prices listed here, in case you’re planning to go.
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