2006
Thunder Over Michigan
5-6 August 2006
This annual air show, hosted by the Yankee Air Museum at the historic Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan, is certainly one of the major warbird shows in North America. While several modern military aircraft are also present, the emphasis is on warbirds and ex-military types of all eras and the event is well-attended both in quantity and variety of aircraft.
Note: All photos on this page © Philip A. Tachauer
A dramatic view of Republic P-47D Thunderbolt Wicked Wabbit seen during a simulated strafing run on a realistically re-enacted Second World War ground battle somewhere in Europe. NX647D was one of two P-47Ds at the show, both of which are operated by the Tennessee Museum of Aviation at Sevierville, TN.
The flagship of the Yankee Air Museum, Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress N3193G banks for a fine photo pass. Yankee Lady, like most of the airworthy B-17s today, had many post-military careers including airborne survey work, aerial spraying and firefighting as an air tanker before complete restoration by the museum.
Warbirds present at Thunder Over Michigan are not limited to those with propellers as shown here - nor to those flown by the 'good guys'. William Ward put on a spirited display in his all-black Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17, N406DM, including this nice flypast offering a topside view. Known by the NATO code-name Fresco, it was used in great numbers during the Cold War, and some hot ones, by most Communist nations and others that fell under the influence of the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.
Accompanying the P-47s with some strafing runs during the morning and afternoon ground attack demonstrations was NL1451D, a North American P-51D Mustang. Seen here during a pass following the battle, the gleaming finish of this P-51 indicates that it gets a great deal of care and not a little elbow grease. Such lavish attention is typical throughout the warbird community as can be seen by all of the aircraft featured on this page.
Marine air! Two famous types operated by the US Marine Corps are seen in a unique flyby. The formation is led by a Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, N773RD, representing USMC aviation during the Second World War and the Korean War. In tight echelon formation with Marine's Dream is McDonnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk N524CF of the Collings Foundation. The A-4 family, primarily in its single-seat versions, served the Marines well in war (Vietnam) and peace for over three decades.