FORT BLISS MONITOR • OCTOBER 8, 2009 • 15B14B • OCTOBER 8, 2009 • FORT BLISS MONITOR

Thousands of service-members, military retirees,family members and visi-tors from Fort Bliss andthroughout the El Pasocommunity came out to seethe 2009 Amigo Airsho onand over Biggs ArmyAirfield Saturday andSunday.

New this year was theAir Force's F-22 Raptor,one of which was on displayat ground level and anotherthat made several medium-

speed fly-bys. Though theF-22 is the Air Force's pre-miere fighter jet, the F-15Strike Eagle demo fightershowed up the Raptor withthe Strike Eagle's high-speed maneuvers, closepasses and bright afterburn-ers.

The F-15 also flewalongside the P-51 Mustangduring the USAF HeritageFlight, with the Mustangbeing one of several otherolder airplanes, including

the restored B-17 FlyingFortress “SentimentalJourney” and the F-2Wildcat.

Though the F-16 Tomcatand the F/A-18 SuperHornet did not perform aer-ial demonstrations like theydid last year, the F-16 andthe A-10 Thunderbolt IIwere both on the ground forclose-up viewing - as were aslew of aircraft, includingthe C-5 Galaxy, NASA's747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft,

a German Air ForceTornado jet, the UH-60Black Hawk and others.

Civilian demos also vis-ited the sky, including TimWeber's GEICO Extra300S, John Klatt's 300-series aircraft, Greg Poe'sethanol-powered FagenMX-2 and K. Alan Russell'santique biplane. Dave Dacyalso wowed the crowd witha wing-walking demo fromhis biplane.

And although it didn't

fly, Paul Stender's jet-pow-ered school bus took off justas fast as any other aircraftat the Airsho, with itsengine taken from an F-4Phantom.

The Airsho also featuredan M 1A2 SEP Abramstank, Army and MarineCorps Humvees with a vari-ety of weapons, Americanand German air defenseequipment and a patrioticskydiving jump team.

Story and photos by Stephen Baack • Fort Bliss Monitor

Photo illustration by Katrina Chandler

The B-17 Flying Fortress “Sentimental Journey” flies Saturday over Biggs ArmyAirfield.

An Air Force F-22 Raptor sits on the Biggs Army Airfield tarmac Saturday as astatic display.

Paul Stender’s jet-powered school bus

unleashes a massiveflame from its F-4

Phantom engineSaturday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protectiontroopers wave to the crowd after arescue demonstration Saturday at the Amigo Airsho.

Spectators check out the Air Force’s X-1 Super Car Saturday at the Amigo Airsho.

Twelve-year-old Pablo tries his hardest to lock and load the M-2 .50-caliber machine gun Saturday while Marine Cpl. Travis Zurick of D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Division, gives instructions.

An Air Force F-15 StrikeEagle “turns and burns” during ademonstration Saturday at the Airsho.