Helicopter demos at US airshows?

[Chippin]

Hi,

I’ve been going to airshows in the US since the mid 90’s and only recall one that had a helicopter demo (an airshow at jones beach, NY featuring a pavehawk helicopter demo).

Does anyone know why helicopter demos aren’t more common at US airshows?

Does anyone know if there are plans to have more helicopter demos at future US airshows?

[CultOfTheWyvern]

I'm in agreement that rotary-wing flight is terribly underrepresented at US shows. Probably the biggest reason is that the armed forces don't have any standing helicopter demo teams, unlike in Europe where there are several exceptional rotary displays. And, as helicopters are quite expensive to operate and maintain, there's not much opportunity on the civilian side, save the Red Bull Bo 105s and the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation's Huey and Cobra, which occasionally do demonstration flights at air shows but are more usually there to give passenger rides.

Fortunately, military rotorcraft do tend to display quite frequently at their home bases, and occasionally in close proximity such as with the Jones Beach event you referenced. These usually take the form of role demonstrations, such as the Coast Guard search and rescue demo that pops up at a number of events. I doubt the Army or Navy are planning on standing up a helicopter tactical demonstration on par with the likes of the ACC and Super Hornet demo teams, but the Marines seem a bit more keen on displaying the Osprey - e.g., at more than three or four events a year - so, once the fleet gets back up to full operating capability, we should see more of it.

[Airplanefreak2000]

While there aren’t any true helicopter demonstration teams with exception to the marine osprey. You’ll find that the local army will normally do a few passes at an Airshow close to them. Usually a Blackhawk but sometimes a chinook. However as mentioned before, for the big helicopter showcases you’ll want to go to their local base shows. For example, I’m going to New Orleans next weekend and they have their local based unit Venom/Cobra do a performance. Supposed to be a visiting CH-53 from HM-15 too but we’ll see. Thunder over Louisville is another good option for chopper demos. Not near as good as back in the day but you’ll normally see coast guard, army, and marines choppers buzzing the water.

Also as mentioned, our teams don’t hold a candle to the awesomeness of the European teams and other teams across the world.

[passedgas46]

Good question, and I would've responded earlier but we were moving from DE to NJ over the weekend.

Believe it or not I've seen quite a few helicopter demonstrations at airshows over the decades. Hueys, Cobras, Seasprites, CH-53s, Sea Kings, Jolly Greens, I've seen them demonstrated. I can't recall what was involved in many of them but some were very short in length whereas some were in the 10-12 minute timeline. Unless it's doing something that's part of its mission, once you get past five or six minutes they tend to get boring.

I do remember the SH-2G Super Seasprite flying in its own separate time slot at airshows at NAS/JRB Willow Grove - there was a reserve squadron of them based there and I believe they were the last squadron in the Navy operating them.

I've been to many airshows at NAS Oceana and recall seeing an AH-64 Apache demonstration in one year and a few years later they showed off an SH-3 Sea King. Both were very short in length, and I think the Sea King even did a search and rescue demonstration.

I've seen the Canadians do demos with their CH-146 and drop a car with it to start the demo.

I seem to recall there was one show at Andrews that had an MH-47 Chinook demonstration.

In that same timeline we had an all-helicopter airshow in southeastern PA called Rotorfest. It was held in October at the Brandywine Airport and had an emphasis on all types of helicopters. You'd see a Huey, Cobra, Apache, Kiowa, Chinook, Super Stallion, Sea Dragon, Sea Knight, Sea King, Blackhawk - you name the military helicopter and there was usually at least one of them there. The USCG would come in and do a search and rescue demo, and I think the Canadians even brought helicopters in a few times. Civilian ones too from Bell 47s to autogyros to RC helicopters and even news and medevac helicopters. Sunday's show would have all of the military helicopters flying at the end of the day, sometimes doing a demo or a flyby or a dramatic departure. It was a very unique and one of a kind airshow that no longer exists because of noise complaints from nearby businesses.

I've also seen the New Jersey National Guard do a couple demonstrations with their UH-60 Blackhawks at several airshows over the years.

Of course we all have seen the Coast Guard do search and rescue demonstrations over land and water with their -60s and -65s.

Same with the NY ANG and their -60s at Jones Beach - and in Atlantic City one year.

I've seen MAGTF demonstrations at a few locations where USMC helos were showcased in the demo. McGuire last year had an AH-1Z/UH-1Y demo and a CH-53E demonstration - though it wasn't a MAGTF demo.

The couple times I went to the New York Air Show when it was held at Stewart there was an UH-72 Lakota from West Point that did a demo that lasted maybe five minutes. That was really cool to see.

Civilian helicopter demonstrations? Well we do have the Red Bull helicopter that's out there now. I recall a group called the Showcopters that flew either R22s or R44s. I've seen the late Roger Buis fly "Otto the Helicopter" many times.

That's all I can think of. I'll amend if more come to mind.

[kalamazookid]

Best bet for helo action at US airshows seems to be in MAGTF and/or combined arms demos at military bases. The airshow at JB Lewis-McChord had some good helicopter action including Apaches, Blackhawks and a Chinook or two, but I don't think I've seen many true military helo demos. I'd love to see a more aggressive Apache or MH-53 demo.

For vintage helicopters, Sky Soldiers/Army Aviation Heritage Foundation used to have a massive helicopter demo including Cobras and Hueys (and maybe a Loach) that also incorporated fixed wing aircraft like a Caribou. This was around the 2005-10 time frame. I also saw something similar with a Loach, Hueys, Cobras, a Skyraider, Twin Otter, Beaver, O-2 and others at Battle Creek in the mid-90s, but I don't remember the name of the group. Would be cool (and costly) if something like that could be revived.

[Bretten Bailey]

I also saw something similar with a Loach, Hueys, Cobras, a Skyraider, Twin Otter, Beaver, O-2 and others at Battle Creek in the mid-90s, but I don't remember the name of the group. Would be cool (and costly) if something like that could be revived.

69th Battallion. Couldn't tell you when they stopped performing though but it seems like it was only a few years after we had them in Battle Creek.

[Cipher_2003]

Anyone know why the Sky Soldiers stopped preforming as often? The Cobras were so cool to watch.

[Airplanefreak2000]

Anyone know why the Sky Soldiers stopped preforming as often? The Cobras were so cool to watch.

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