Next week is the 2018 EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI, the world’s greatest aviation celebration with more than 10,000 aircrafts arriving and 500,000+ people attending. As every year, numerous airplanes practice for the airshow at the Dubuque Regional Airport the week before. This year the 80th anniversary of the T-6 Texan will be celebrated. This aircraft first flew on Sept. 18, 1938. Usually there are about 50 T-6 at the show but this year 80 of this historic aircrafts are expected. This airshow will feature a 28-ship T-6 formation to create a large “80” and other formations over Oshkosh.
Well, everybody who took the time to go to the Dubuque Airport during the last couple days had a chance to see how this all will unfold in Oshkosh. Both days it was a great excitement to see how the T-6s were lined up with spinning props, getting ready for take-off, two at a time.
Both days the airplanes came back in different formations, including the “80”. Today we had a strong gray overcast and all ground to air pictures just sucked. Hence the blue sky is from yesterday’s shooting while the pilots flew over the airfield.
T-6 #217 of the Royal Canadian Air Force
I positioned myself at the southern end of the runway, just outside of the fence, and it was an unbelievable spectacle when all planes arrived back at the airport.
This N134SM/44005/HM-05 Beech T-34B Mentor (BG-312) flew above the T-6 formation and seemed to direct and lead the whole show.