Day one of the Air Race brought about a huge disappointment as high winds forced the cancellation of the qualifying round.
Huge crowds along the Detroit…
…And Windsor riverfront were estimated at about 750,000
Despite the cancellation of the racing, the crowds at day one were treated to a small air show. The Red Bull Grumann Albatross amphibious flying boat. There were 466 built between 1949 and 1966.
The Canadian Harvard Aerobatic team.
The Yankee Warrior from the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run airport, Ypsilanti, Michigan. This is one of only two B-25 bombers still flying.
More aerobatic flying
Off to day two, and the race is on. This helicopter was used to get aerial footage of the race
And they’re off… Qualification followed by the finals…
We certainly lucked out as we had the more stunning backdrop to watch the race.
This Red Bull plane piloted by Kirby Chambliss, won today’s race. Chambliss won the Air Race series championship in 2004 & 2006.
Another shot of Chambliss.
Racing action continues…
The video screen shows Chambliss smiling as the time of his opponent in the final leg, was not good enough to win, and Chambliss is declared the winner.
The show was closed out with another flyover from the Canadian Harvard team.
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Shawn, they are in fact real. No fakes here.
A few little birdies have told me RedBull wasn't happy with the way Windsor had responded (not the citizens but city hall). They didn't like the way Windsor waited the last minute for most things, like hanging the banners, finally voting to get the river closed, the ad hoc way set things up....I have a new moniker for Eddie. "Last minute" Eddie rings true.
Have you ever noticed how Windsor now waits for the last minute to do anything?
Not everybody loves an airshow. We had a discussion about it last year, regarding the Toronto show:
http://spacing.ca/wire/2007/08/31/watching-the-blitz-from-the-beach/
I think many are ambivalent. There are people on either side who have more passionate feelings.
I don't mind it from the beach (like I said in the above link ... it makes the water vibrate), but I think it's anachronistic and wasteful -- yet at the same time I wouldn't lobby to stop it because I don't want to ruin somebody else's fun, because there is likely a kind of fun I like that somebody else see's as ridiculous.
I should add that even the moderate critics (myself included) still find an airshow awesome, in an Awsome kind of way. Flight still looks so impossible. Watching planes is still magic. etc etc.
What a shot in the arm for civic pride. Peeps who attended had a first clas time.
This was a world-class event. It won't be back but it was a cool experience.
What was crazy was the way they handled the line-up to get in. With that many people qued up they should have opened the gates early. The que haphazardly snaked through dow town for about 7 blocks, then doubled back upon itself. Peole had to wonder around tracing the line to find the end rather then walking directly tail.
how do i go about purchasing one of these photos?
Dennis, send me an e-mail and we can disscuss it offline - andrew@internationalmetropolis.com