Report: Yuma Airshow 2019

Yuma Airshow 2019.

If you are a fan of vertical takeoff aircraft, surely the annual Yuma Airshow is the right event for you. Can't you visit it? Don't worry, here you can enjoy the highlights of the last show thanks to the great photos taken by our contributor George Karavantos. George flew to Arizona to attend the Yuma Airshow 2019 which was held at the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma on March 8-9.

On March 8, the event took place from late afternoon and included a short flight program, which lasted about 1 hour and a half and ended with a fireworks show. The flying display of the Twilight Show included the USAF A-10 Demo Team, a Marine F-35B from the VMFA-122, the Tora Tora Tora Commemorative Air Force, the Shockwave Jet Truck by Chris Darnell and the Yellow Thunder Airshow T-6's. 

On March 9, the airshow started early in the morning with a much bigger program. In addition to the previous day's performers, the flying display included a VMA-214 AV-8B Harrier II, a VMX-1 MV-22B Osprey, the P-51D & A-10 Thunderbolt II Heritage Flight, the MAGTF (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) Demo by AV-8, AH-1, CH-53, F-35, MV-22 and UH-1, three F-5N aircraft belonging to the VMFT-401 Aggressor Squadron and the T -33 Shooting Star. 

The flight program was excellent, every performance left a good mark: the elegance of the Harrier, the power of the F-35B, the evocative "Tora Tora Tora" Pearl Harbor reenactment, the rare camouflage color schemes of the Aggressors, the effective tactical demo of the Marines... It is impossible to say who was the best! And what can we say about the flame released by the Jet Truck? The fire-tongue of about 10 meters was really impressive!

ABOUT MCAS YUMA

MCAS Yuma is home to several squadrons of AV-8B Harrier IIs and F-35B Lightning IIs belonging to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1), Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VMX-1) and Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401). In addition, it hosts a squadron of enemy combat aircraft belonging to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing of the Marine Corps Reserve.

MCAS Yuma is currently the busiest air station in the Marine Corps, offering excellent year-round flying conditions and thousands of acres of open terrain for air-to-ground weapons ranges, and associated restricted airspace for military flight operations.

Written by Matteo Sanzani
Images: George Karavantos