2005 Nevada County Airfest
July 10, 2005
Story by Rick Pisio
All Photography by:
Rick W. Pisio/RWP
Photography
Except
Where Otherwise Indicated...
At the northern
end of California's Gold Country, between the towns of
Grass Valley and Nevada City, is a 4350 foot strip of
concrete that is the Nevada County Airport. The airport
is home to a number of kit built, antique, and classic
aircraft as well as the Grass Valley Interagency Air
Attack Base.
On July 9th & 10th, 2005, the airport and EAA Chapter
1175 hosted the 28th Annual Nevada County Airfest. The
gathering brought together many kit planes, World War II
era trainers and fighters, and even a few privately owned
ex-military jets. Most of the planes present were not
only on static display but would be taking to the air for
flybys before days end.
The California Department of Forestry and United States
Forest Service started the flying program shortly after
the singing of the national anthem. The base at the
Nevada County Airport is home to an OV-10 Bronco, a pair
of Grumman S2T Trackers, Bell Ranger 514 Helicopter, and
a Bell Huey Cobra air attack platform. There mission
during California's fire season is to respond and
suppress wildfires in the Northern California area.
The CDF Bronco and Tracker were first up with a water
drop demonstration that thoroughly watered the strip of
land between the taxiway and the runway. As they came
around again, this time with the Bronco leaving a smoke
trail for the Tracker to follow, the water bomber dumped
its load of water along the entire length of the runway.
It was an impressive, and comforting, sight for anyone
who owns property in the fire prone rural areas of
Northern California.
After the flyby and landing of the Bronco and Tracker the
Forest Services Bell Ranger moved into position for a
fire fighter repelling demonstration. With the USFS Cobra
monitoring the simulated fire from a distance the two
members of the Forest Service's ground attack crew
repelled down the 250 feet of rope hanging below the
Ranger.
Once the firefighters were recovered the EAA Chapters
members brought their aircraft out for some flybys. First
in the air was a Turbine Legend "Miss Ginger"
which was followed immediately by John Parker in his
Thunder Mustang. Both planes demonstrated the type of
speed that is possible from a home made kit built
aircraft. John Parker in particular showed how he was
able to capture the Class 1C speed record a month earlier
by making a number of blistering passed down the length
of the runway that impressed the crowd.
Other aircraft that took to the air during the
Experimental Association Flybys included Vans RVs, a
Compair SL7, Long EZ, an AcroSport, and a Wittman
Tailwind W-8. The majority of the homebuilt and kit
aircraft that took to the air were local to the Grass
Valley area.
At noon the piloted aircraft took a break from flying and
allowed the local RC Modelers to own the airspace for
awhile. The modelers performed flight demonstrations and
a pylon race. It was during a flight demo of a
beautifully crafted P-38 Lightning that the day?s only
mishap occurred. A mechanical malfunction caused the
pilot to lose control of his aircraft and as the crowd
looked on in horror it spiraled into the ground nose
first. The crowd responded to the loss by donating $5 and
$10 bills for the rebuilding effort.
After the impromptu debris gathering demonstration on the
part of the modelers the larger aircraft again took to
the air. While the trainers where brought out and started
up the field was briefly visited by a Gulfstream IV which
made a number of high and low speed passes before coming
in for a landing and departure. As the Gulfstream sat at
the runway going through its takeoff checklist a pair of
BT-13 Valiant Basic Trainers taxied down to the east end
of the runway for takeoff.
The Valiants made a number slow and noisy passes while
the next group of aircraft prepared to take their turn in
the air. Four brightly colored PT-17s took to the air to
form the Eagle Flight. Once airborne the PT-17s formed up
for a number of skillfully executed formation passes. The
Eagle Flight's performance, which was flown by Russ
Greenburg, John Hodgeson, Ernie Parish, and Turk Turley,
was dedicated to American War Veterans.
The next group of aircraft on the schedule were the
advanced trainers. The first of the group to take to the
air where the Nanchang CJ-6A Chinese trainer followed
immediately by a group of T-6 Texans that grouped into
formation for their flybys. The T-28 Trojan was well
represented with 6 aircraft taking to the air.
The real crowd pleasers of this show were the piston
engine fighters. When they turned over their Merlins,
Pratt & Whitneys, and Centaurus engines and taxied
out for departure the anticipation grew. First off of the
ground was Kent Carlomagno in his black Yak 9 "Blyak
Moose." As he headed west, then south to circle
around behind the crowd he was followed by Ted Contri in
his P-51D Mustang "Sizzlin Liz," Steve Coutches
flying his father Mike Coutches' very rare P-51H, Chuck
Wentworth in his FG-1D Corsair, and finally Ellsworth
Getchell in his Hawker Sea Fury.
The distance between the crowd line and the flight path
of the aircraft at Grass Valley seems to be shorter than
most airshows. Perhaps because of its positioning atop a
bluff the distance between the taxiway and runway was
kept to a minimum. Whatever the reason the Warbird pilots
made some memorable passes that won't soon be forgotten.
Chuck Wentworth brought his Corsair down low and pushed
the throttle forward to show the spectators why the
Corsair was a feared weapon in the Pacific Theatre. Ted
Contri did the same in his Mustang making his Merlin
engine sing its sweet song. However, the most spectacular
passes where made by Ellsworth Getchell in his sea green
Hawker Sea Fury.
Ellsworth has always been a photo friendly pilot. His
take-offs stay lower longer than most, he will bank the
aircraft towards the crowd line to give a top view, and
in the case of this day in particular he took his
aircraft up a few thousand feet in altitude and dove into
his passes. Hugging the deck at a high rate of speed he
would pull up sharply, banking to the south, to go around
and do it again.
While the fighters departed to the north for a photo
session it was the jets turn to play. With two BA-167
Strikemasters and an L-39 Albatross taking to the sky,
the pilots took turns with their flybys. The two
Strikemasters kept together making formation passes while
Bob Button in his L-39 "American Spirit"
followed behind.
But the day was not done for the piston engined fighters.
Returning from their photo shoot each took a turn with
one last pass down the runway before departing for home,
except for Ellsworth. The big Hawker made a few more
spectacular passes before bringing the plane down for a
final landing.
As the show ended, and aircraft queued up for departure,
the final performance of the day belonged to the CDF air
tanker. With a fire burning to the west the fully loaded
S2T lumbered down the runway and clawed its way skyward.
It was time to get back to work at the Grass Valley
Interagency Air Attack Base.
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