Scott Field AirFest 2003

On 9/6/2003 I attended the air show at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. This was the first time I've been to an air show there, and the first air show I've seen in a long time. Here are a few observations.

Getting to the show was interesting. Scott AFB is 18 MetroLink stops from me, and then I had to transfer to a bus that drove through Scott to the airfield. Everyone passed through metal detectors (last year the show was cancelled for security reasons - 9/11) and my belt buckle set it off, so I was hand scanned as well. Finally got to the display area and this was the first thing I saw - amazing how some pilots can land so precisely. Also, note the appearance of Trusty Lens Flare, my companion for many of my photographs.

Coolest Plane

Although there were lots of neat things to see, this had to be the coolest plane there. Its an E-3 Sentry - yep, AWACS.

I gather this is the flight crew. Note the intense looking gentleman on the left who was intensely looking at me.

I'm guessing this was why.

Something you don't see every day - an AWACS aircraft and a biplane in the same picture (the biplane is in the air).

Next - Transport Aircraft