The Jack Link’s Screamin’ Sasquatch will be making it’s second ever flight performance at the 2014 Jones Beach Air Show this Memorial Day Weekend!
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels may have been absent from last year’s Air Show at Jones Beach due to budget cuts but locals will be in for quite the ride at this year’s show. Not only will the Blue Angels be returning to headline this year’s Air Show but there is a new and exciting entry to the line up - the Jack Link’s Screamin’ Sasquatch.
The Screamin’ Sasquatch was able to be brought to life through a
partnership between Jack Link’s and John Klatt Airshows. The aircraft
made its inaugural flight at the Rhode Island Air Show held Saturday,
May 17th and Sunday, May 18th at the Quonset State Airport in Rhode
Island.
“It was by the far the most crowd pleasing aircraft there,” said Jeff Boerboon who will be piloting the aircraft.
Boerboon
has been part of the John Klatt Airshows team for three years. He began
flying in 1988 after he attended the aviation program at the University
of North Dakota. His love for airshows sparked when he was only five or
six years old after attending the Oshkosh Air Show. In 2010, Boerboon
received the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatics Champion title. For the past
three years, Boerboon has been a member of the John Klatt Airshows.
John Klatt has served for the U.S. National Guard for over 20 years flying
combat, air support and humanitarian missions throughout the world in
the F-16 "Fighting Falcon," the C-130 "Hercules" aircraft as well as his
own Air National Guard MX-S.
Boerboon
and the rest of his team have been training with the airplane all
winter and fine tuning its systems. The Screamin’ Sasquatch first
started as a new project that has been sitting around. In the last 13
months, the John Klatt Airshows Team have been working on the aircraft
in preparation to put on an exhilarating show.
Today, it is a one of a kind plane and will be making its second performance flight at the 11th Anniversary Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach.
This revamped 1929 taperwing waco civilian aircraft has been redesigned
not only to allow the plane to fly at airshows but to accommodate for a
985 radial engine with a propellor - a bigger engine not found in any
other 1929 plane.
In addition, the Screamin’ Sasquatch also has a CJ610 (J85) Jet Engine
which can triple the amount of available power. It is capable of
traveling up to 250 mph and a total power thrust that exceeds the weight
of the plane. With 4,500 pounds of thrust, the aircraft can hover in
the air and fly vertically similar to that of a helicopter. The power to
weight ratio is 1 to 1 which allows the aircraft to accelerate going
straight up for those vertical climbs.
It can also perform aerobatic
flights such as flat-spins, snap rolls and torque rolls.
The
plane is also equipped with 24 gallons of smoke oil which makes the air
show smoke. The oil is pumped directly from the tank to the exhaust
system.
“They are gonna get a one of a kind experience. They will not see anything like it,” Boerboon said.
In
order to transport the aircraft from one location to another, the plane
is disassembled to fit in a 53 foot semi-truck which hauls the plane
show to show and is reassembled at the new show location.
Prior to
taking off, the jet waco undergoes numerous safety checks.
With
two different fuel systems and two different oil systems, it is
critical that preparations are done in an appropriate manner.
Dell
Coller, the aircraft’s principal mechanic and Crew Chief for the
Screamin' Sasquatch Team, ensures the plane is ready to fly before a
show by checking the fuel systems, fueling the plane with the proper
fuels and oils, and ensuring the safety of the pilot - a process that
can take up to an hour.
“I don't let anyone fuel and service the airplane other than Dell,” Boerboon said.
The
Screamin’ Sasquatch was inspired by the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Brand, a
top food supplier for the U.S. Armed Forces, and the “messing with
Sasquatch” commercials. The plane has a “Feed Your Wild Side” attitude
and even has the motto written on the plane. Sasquatch himself is even
featured on the tail of the plane.
“Flying this jet waco brought out a wild side of me I never knew I had,” Boerboon said.
The Air Show will run on Saturday, May 24th and Sunday, May 25th from 10 AM to 3 PM in celebration of Memorial Day. Admission for the show is free to the public but visitors will be
charged $10 per vehicle for parking. However, those who carry the NYS Empire Passport will enjoy a free entry into the beach. The passport allows for unlimited access to New York State parks, beaches and recreational facilities.
“We would like to spend the weekend and take a moment to pay homage to all
the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to our country.”
Story and photo gallery: http://www.longisland.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment