Saturday Flyover Alert: Practically an Airshow

Submitted by BlueBarron on

This year, the University is celebrating 100 years of the aerospace department (of which I'm a grad, yayy). Here is the flyover schedule for Saturday, it's awesome (with pictures because I'm an aviation photogrpaher):

B-17 'Yankee Lady'

B-25 'Yankee Warrior'


This here's 'Panchito' but similar color scheme to 'Yankee Warrior'

P-51 Mustang, F-86 Sabre, F-100 Super Sabre


Not necessarily flying together. I've heard the F-100 will do an afterburner pop over the stadium, which is really cool. Might make ya jump.

Boeing Stearman


Lockheed Electra Model 12

T-34 Demo Team


There are also three helicopters listed:

Enstrom 480B
Eurocopter
Sikorsky S58T

And that's all I'm allowed to say ;)

EDIT: Also, don't expect these to all fly together. An F-100 can't really fly slow enough to stay in a good formation with a P-51 (see Thunder Over Michigan Airshow 2013). I've heard that they will start doing flyovers at about 3:15.

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603_GoBlue

September 18th, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^

BTN Beyond just went over the best big ten school's teams in the past 20 years.

1. 97 Nebraska

2. 94 Penn St

3. 02 Buckeyes

4. 13 Mich St

5. 97 Michigan 

6. 99 Wisconsin

 

Joined: 01/08/2014

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ijohnb

September 18th, 2014 at 1:08 PM ^

serious?  They put is 5th.  Behind last years Michigan State team?  4 places behind the Nebraska team of the same year?  I may seriously boycott the Big Ten network.   If you want to put is 2nd or 3rd behind 2002 Ohio and/or 94 PSU I could see it, but, that is absurd.

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Voltron is Handsome

September 18th, 2014 at 2:09 PM ^

And this is the EXACT type of reaction the people who create these types of lists are looking for. These lists are simply for fishing and you took the bait.

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bluemoonmc

September 18th, 2014 at 3:43 PM ^

And comparing the B1G from last year to the Big 10 in the 90's is a total farce. 

BTN = garbage

I will always hate that damn network no matter how much money the schools make from it. It was one of the biggest reasons(along with the Longhorn Network) that caused conference realignment and how we got stuck with Rutgers and Maryland.

Joined: 09/18/2014

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Tuebor

September 19th, 2014 at 9:54 AM ^

I'm not saying I agree with them being placed higher than '97 but the utter domination that MSU showed last season has to count for something.  I mean they were 1 or 2 pass interference calls away from playing in the BCS NCG.  Real recognize real 2013 MSU was a great team.

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Jeff

September 18th, 2014 at 2:26 PM ^

Well, that 97 Nebraska team didn't give up a single yard to any B1G teams in conference play. So I guess they were the best B1G team ever.  Too bad Michigan was rotated off the schedule that year. It would have been nice to get a true winner of the B1G.

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Icehole Woody

September 18th, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^

Nebraska's 1997 option offense was about as sophisticated as my kid's JV team's offense. Both schools played Baylor and Colorado that year and Michigan beat them by larger margins. Nebraska had to come from behind to beat Central Florida that year. They lost to Missouri if the refs had done their jobs. Michigan played more ranked teams, several in the top 10, while NE played zero top 10 teams. The only reason there was a split national championship was because NE QB Scott Frost went on camera blubbering about his retiring coach Tom Osborne.

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Ray

September 18th, 2014 at 10:26 PM ^

And because Phil Fulmer changed his vote in the ESPN poll to NE because he got his fat panties in a wad over Woodson winning the Heisman over Manning. No offense to Manning, who has shown himself to be a great player, leader and stand up guy, but Charles Woodson deserved that award hands down that year. And Fulmer is still a buffoon.

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SirJack II

September 18th, 2014 at 1:24 PM ^

It might not cost the AD much when it's the military, since the military sees flyovers as a recruiting tool and good advertising. 

At one point, due to defense budget cuts, there was talk of there no longer being flyovers for sporting events. It does strike me as a frivolous use of resources. But clearly that hasn't happened since week after week there are dozens of them.

Joined: 11/15/2011

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Alton

September 18th, 2014 at 1:33 PM ^

We haven't had a military flyover in a couple of years; it has been all civilian aircraft & pilots.

But aren't military flyovers essentially free for the military?  The pilots have to fly their aircraft a certain number of hours per month or per week or whatever, I would assume.  Wouldn't a flyover just be part of the overall already-authorized training budget?

EDIT:  Never mind; it looks like GoWings just answered my question before I asked it.

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DY

September 18th, 2014 at 1:57 PM ^

Air National Guard, Air Force, Navy, etc, comes out of the military budget, which is why there weren't any military flyovers during the shutdown last year. But the older, WWII planes that come from Yankee Air Museum and other places, I don't know. I'm assuming the AD pays for it.

Joined: 07/01/2008

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Raoul

September 18th, 2014 at 1:13 PM ^

A press release was just posted with details on all the aircraft. It also indicates the air show will begin around 3:15. Here's the opening:

An epic air show with 15 planes and helicopters will take place in the skies above Michigan Stadium before Saturday's (Sept. 20) football game against the University of Utah.

The pregame flyover will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the University of Michigan Department of Aerospace Engineering -- the oldest aeronautical engineering education program in the United States. The event, organized by the aerospace engineering department, will showcase the evolution of aviation. It will begin at approximately 3:15 p.m. and will feature these aircraft:

• Boeing Stearman PT-17A:1930's Military trainer. This airplane was used extensively to train US pilots to fly for WWII. Approximately 8,000 were built at a cost of $11,000 per unit. The pilot will be Christopher Dacson.

Joined: 09/29/2009

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UM2k1

September 18th, 2014 at 1:40 PM ^

In case you didn't read the entire release, it mentions one of the pilots (Bo's favorite) being given a United Airlines award in 1974 for safely landing a damaged craft. It goes on to state he was one of only 5,000 to relieve the award that year. I find it hard to believe United had 5,000 pilots in 1974, let alone 5,000 worthy of an award.

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GoBLUinTX

September 18th, 2014 at 1:17 PM ^

B-24s were built right down the street at Willow Run airport.  It's a shame none will be present for the flyover, a greater shame that there are only 2 remaining airworthy B-24s in the world.

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LSAClassOf2000

September 18th, 2014 at 1:51 PM ^

I believe the Museum has actively campaigned to preserve at least a portion of the plant for the new permanent home of the Yankee Air Museum, and judging from a drive-by a few days ago, they are ignoring one part of the plant as they demolish the rest of it. I don't know if that's a temporary stay pending adequate funds for purchase or if they actually have secured that portion of the old facility though. 

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True Blue Grit

September 18th, 2014 at 2:07 PM ^

I live just SW of Ann Arbor and see it flying over frequently in my area.  In fact, I've had lunch a few times with one of the main pilots and some other guys.  He's a retired Air Force colonel.  I know with a donation around $400, you can get a ride on it - if they get a minimum number of people to go. 

I hope the weather cooperates on Saturday.  They're now talking about possible storms. 

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