Great Pocono Raceway Airshow 2021
Despite the potential for storms, the rain held off, and the air show was a tremendous success. Beginning on a solemn note, however, after losing pilot Andy Travnicek, number 3 of the Geico Skytypers, after an incident at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport the weekend prior. They dedicated the show in his honor. The schedule of events was short, yet none of the performers were disappointed. The show began with a demonstration from Mark Meredith, retired US Navy Captain, and his super chipmunk, which he rebuilt himself. Along with those achievements, Mark wouldn’t become a pilot until age 47, which is such an inspiring act. Next up was Mark Murphy, who had his T-6G, a noticeably bigger aircraft than the last. They used this aircraft as a trainer to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II. The pilot showed incredible skill as he maneuvered this plane across the sky effortlessly. The last act before the Thunderbirds was Scott Francis and his ultra-high-performance MXS aircraft. Pulling 10Gs and soaring through the skies, I can only say this pilot was insane! The last event was the United States Air Force Thunderbirds. Flying their F-16 fighting falcons, these highly experienced pilots fly in formations just inches apart from one another. The entire performance, beginning to end, was nothing short of spectacular. From the delta formations to diamond formations, precision. While fixated on that, the solo pilots come screaming in from behind. The solo pilots pull off some genuinely unbelievable acts, from flying upside down to flying between formations at incredible speed. The whole airshow collectively showed extraordinary passion and skill from all pilots. The airshow at the Great Pocono Raceway was remarkable. Let us not forget pilot Andy Travnicek all of our servicemen, women, and front-line workers. Thank you.
