The 2019 Vectren Dayton Air Show Presented by Kroger promises to be a weekend packed with heart-pounding air performances and family-friendly activities. This is your chance to get up close and personal with the aircrafts and pilots!
The 44th annual 2019 Vectren Dayton Air Show a Dayton summer tradition, will be held on June 22nd and 23rd at the Dayton International Airport.
Air Show officials announced five exciting attractions to the 2019 show: The British Sea Harrier, Shockwave Jet Truck, GEICO Skytypers, Skip Stewart and Jacquie B. These exciting performers will join the US Air Force Thunderbirds jet demonstration team!
Operated for many years by Britain’s Royal Navy, the Sea Harrier is similar to the Harrier “Jump Jet” flown by the U.S.
Sea Harrier
Marine Corps. Capable of vertical takeoffs and landings, the Sea Harrier lifts off like a helicopter, hovers in mid-air and then flies at nearly the speed of sound. This amazing example of aviation technology will astound spectators and is sure to be a crowd favorite in 2019. The Sea Harrier performing at Dayton is the only privately-owned Harrier in the world. It was acquired from the Royal Navy in 2005 by U.S. citizen, Art Nalls, a retired and decorated Marine Corps pilot. The Sea Harrier first performed at Dayton in 2012.
Back by popular demand is the world-famous Shockwave Jet Truck. Powered by three afterburning Pratt & Whitney J34 jet engines producing 36,000 horsepower, Shockwave is the Guinness Book world record holder for the fastest jet truck in the world at 376 MPH. Spectators will be amazed as it explodes to life and hurdles down the runway at lightning speeds…even racing an airplane! With the three ingredients loved most by air show fans…fire, speed and noise, it is an absolute show stopper and the Vectren Dayton Air Show is proud to once again present this incredible attraction in 2019. Shockwave last appeared in Dayton in 2015.
Shockwave Jet Truck
The famous GEICO Skytypers Team will return to Dayton to perform their precision flying demonstration and create some unique aerial smoke messages for spectators and the community. Flying six North American SNJ-2 World War II aircraft equipped with 600 horsepower Pratt & Whitney radial engines, the team will showcase many of the maneuvers that were taught to pilots training for WWII combat. GEICO’sroutine is low-level and close-in, making it an especially exciting experience for show fans. The team’s lastperformance in Dayton was in 2017.
Prior to their aerial performance the GEICO team will do their signature skytyping. Flying in line-abreast formation at 10,000 feet a paraffin-based solution is released into the engine manifold that is then compressed and released through the engine exhaust. The moment the steam hits the air at the highaltitude white “dot-matrix” clouds appear. The entire process is computer-controlled cleverly producing messages 1,000 feet in height (or as tall as the Empire State Building) and spanning 6-8 miles in length. The end result is a spectacular presentation that can be seen 15 miles in any direction or approximately 400 square miles. Messages will also be presented over Dayton and possibly Cincinnati on the Friday prior to the show.
Last appearing in Dayton in 2013, Skip Stewart is one of the most electrifying aerobatic pilots on the air show circuit. Being the only pilot to fly under a jumping motorcycle at an air show, Skip will thrill spectators with his highly-modified Pitts S-2S appropriately named “Prometheus”. The “hot rod” bi-plane is completewith a dramatic flame paint scheme which matches Skip’s sizzling routine. Skip is the recipient of the International Air Shows Sword of Excellence and many other distinguished awards that signifies he’s one of the best in the business.
Skip Stewart
“Ladies, it’s Time to Fly!” This statement is prominently displayed on Jacquie B’s Extra 300S aerobatic aircraft. It tells Jacquie Warda’s (her real name) personal story of how she started aerobatic flying at the age of 50! She has become an accomplished aerobatic pilot with over 3,200 flight hours and more than 1,100 coast-to-coast air show performances. Jacquie is a powerful inspiration to the millions of fans who realize that they too can accomplish great things in life if you put your mind to it. Jacquie spends a large part of her time as a role model by way of speaking to kids at schools, civic groups, private groups, and particularly groups of women and young girls. She’s a perfect fit for the Vectren Dayton Air Show and fansare going to love her.
The blockbuster performances above will join show headliner the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Air show officials plan to announce more exciting attractions in the air and on the ground over the next few months.
2019 Vectren Dayton Air Show Presented by Kroger tickets including the popular Pavilion and Blue SkyChalet are now on sale at the show’s website, www.daytonairshow.com.
