Wow, that was a show and a half. Four days spent baking in the Ontario sun, under record temperatures for the time of year, under glorious sunshine, has yielded these results. I'm going to post these in the order in which I damned well please, so no, they're not chronological. I make no apologies for the quantity of images. Hope they're of interest!
1. I'm not terribly fond of fast jet display schemes (i.e., the Belgian F-16 and SoloTurk are utterly hideous). This, however, is an utter masterpiece:
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
2. Would've been worth the ~6-hour drive just to photograph this beauty in such epic light.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
3. Two shots later in the burst, because you decide if it looks better with a tinge of glare, or in all its unfettered glory:
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
4. And from the other direction...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
5. What could be better than the Canada 150 Hornet basking in grand sunshine? The Canada 150 Hornet in formation with a Vampire! As you probably figured, they were just a bit distant on this pass.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
6. A little closer this time. That'll do it!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
7. ...Aaaand one more of the RCAF's first jet fighter with its current example.
IMG_9741 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
8. "Glib" finishing up his Friday rehearsal. Not an angle you get to see too often in the display.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
9. Damn, that beast looks gorgeous even on the ground.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
10. And here it is in the early morning light.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
Had enough CF-18? No, of course you haven't, but that's all I've edited, so it'll have to suffice
11. Jerry Conley's Vampire is a new addition to the North American air show circuit, and is really making the rounds! Last time I saw a Vampire in flight was in 1995. Welcome back!!!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
Okay, now onto the "Hour of Power" that took place on Friday evening...which ran waaay more than an hour. Not that I'm complaining, with that light and the quality of aircraft involved!
12. Things kicked off with a pair of CF-18s escorting a trio of F-16s from Toledo, Ohio into the show. The Vipers would spend the Saturday in the static park and head home during the Sunday show. The Hornets were parked up in the static once they recovered.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
13. The five fighters took turns making low approaches...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
14. ...and the Canadians really seemed to want to show up their southern neighbors.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
15. Besties.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
16. Not sure how I feel about the new Viper paint scheme...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
17. Throughout the course of the weekend, I got to watch five Super Hornet displays (two Friday rehearsals, plus public displays on Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday).
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
18.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
19. One of these is the quintessential warplane, a generational example of aviation excellence. The other is an F-35.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
20. The Lightning II might be ugly as sin, and exponentially less charismatic than the month-old, half-eaten ham sandwich you find under your deadbeat neighbor's sofa, but it sure does make a lot of noise...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
21. Snowbirds!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
22. I have to say, the Snowbirds really are one of the more photogenic display teams. Especially in light like this.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
23.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
24.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
25. They really do wring every ounce of performance out of those old, underpowered Tutors.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
26. Grand finale
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
27. Two Super Hornets from NAS Lemoore arrived during the evening show.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
28. With most of the heavies (USAF C-5M and C-17, Canadian CC-130 and CP-140, USN P-3 and P-8, USCG HC-130) cancelling understandably due to hurricane relief duties, we were lucky to see this CC-177 (which was supposed to be in the static park) arrive to drop off some supplies in between missions to the Caribbean.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
29. They were even kind enough to give us a single flyby before returning to nearby Trenton!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
The Hour of Power featured two further items (the MiG-17PF and CF-18 demo), which were impossible to photograph, but fun to watch!
30. Another highlight for me: the CC-115 Buffalo! Catch 'em while you can; according to the crew, the out-of-service date is 2020.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
31. Whilst I fully appreciate the crew bringing this old girl all the way from Comox (they were in Ontario for a search and rescue exercise), a topside would've been really sweet! Eh, I'll take what I can get. Straight-and-level Buffalo is better than no Buffalo at all.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
32. There is no word in the English language (or the Russian language, for that matter) to convey the sheer bliss of seeing an F-15 in flight for the first time in five years.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
33. From its departure midway through Sunday's show. I love how squadron markings add just enough color to a fast jet's paint scheme to really set things off. RAF take note, your bland grey Typhoons look like crap.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
34. I drove all the way from Pittsburgh just to see a KC-135...from Pittsburgh. Part of a USAF 70th anniversary theme...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
35. ...that also included these gnarly things from Michigan. I'm told they're fairly popular with them aeroplane lovers.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
36. Rumor had it that the heritage A-10 (the one painted up like a P-47) was supposed to attend. Rumor also had it that Selfridge is having serviceability issues, so we had to settle for a different pair.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
37. But who's complaining?
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
38. No colorful markings on this one, but it does have mission marks!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
39. Literally, the only propeller-driven warbird at the show.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
40. Oh, yeah. There were a few of these, too.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
41. How is this thing stealth again, when the amount of heat coming out its arse end is only slightly less than the amount emanating from the golden maw of the yam-headed imbecile currently occupying the White House?
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
42. The two F-22s on static display on Saturday gave us a nice little departure show on the Sunday.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
43. They just couldn't resist showing off a bit!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
44. F-16 bugging out on the Sunday.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
45. Part of the Canada 150 celebration was this rare formation of a CT-156 Harvard II and a pair of CT-155 Hawks from Moose Jaw.
IMG_0550 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
46. Hawks in formation...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
47. ...leaving the Harvard all by itself.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
48. I've always found the Canadian Hawks hard to photograph. With the right lighting, it's possible...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
49. Randy Ball in the MiG-17PF.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
50.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
51. Some assorted Super Hornet photos from the weekend. This is Saturday's display...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
52. ...and Sunday's...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
53. ...and Friday's first rehearsal of two (they bring two display crews, so each flies a practice demo), in mid-morning when the sun was still poorly positioned for photography, but with the best shockwave of the weekend.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
54. Also from the early rehearsal on Friday.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
55. The F-35C made its first appearance outside the USA. Those extra-long wings make it look like an R/C glider. That got hit repeatedly with an ugly stick.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
56. The Canadian Sky Hawks are one of the more exciting parachute teams I've seen.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
57.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
58. View this big so you can see the middle jumper's facial expression!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
59. Hometown hero Pete McLeod, of Red Bull Air Race fame, was the only civilian performer not flying an ex-military aircraft.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
And now, some static displays. The photo pass option gave ticket holders access to the airfield at 0700, well before sunrise and a full two hours before the gates opened to the general public. Also, the hot ramp area, where the performing aircraft were parked, was open until 1130. So, many great photo opportunities were to be had!
60. I know I already posted a static Buffalo shot, but it's the Buffalo, so here is another.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
61. They even let us get up close with the Snowbirds!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
62. This is the spare ship for the CF-18 demo. Getting a photo of it without a bunch of vans and ground service equipment in the background was a challenge, to say the least.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
63.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
64.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
65.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
66. Hey, look! Another Buffalo shot!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
67. Do you know how hard it is to get a low-angle shot of an aircraft that sits approximately three millimeters off the ground?!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
68. The F/A-18Es that came in late Friday left early Sunday, so you had to come on Saturday to get a good look at them.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
69. Again on Sunday. The Raptors were in the static park on the Saturday. Things really thinned out on Sunday...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
70. This Mustang felt really out of place in between all those fast jets...
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
71. Even with the hurricane-related cancellations, the lineup of heavies was rather nice. The folks in the hot air balloon had a nice view!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
72. The prize for the longest trip to Airshow London goes to the Royal Australian Air Force KC-30! (Actually, they were in Toronto to drop off that country's Invictus Games participants, so in terms of actually getting to the show, they didn't travel far at all.)
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
73. Raptors in the static on the Saturday.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
74. Of the three USCG aircraft scheduled to attend, the HC-144A was the only one to make it.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
75. The International Test Pilots School is based at London International. Their Albatross and L-29 were on static display.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
76. Thought you'd all be interested to check in with XL600 in her new home. She should be back flying soon!
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
77.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
Some arrivals, from outside the airport on the Thursday and inside on the Friday (they closed the road I was shooting from at 1000 on Friday and shooed us away - just as the KC-30 was on downwind).
78. Here's that ITPS Albatross in the drier of its two natural habitats.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
79. F-35C arriving on the Thursday:
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
80.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
81. This Skyvan is the jump ship for the Sky Hawks. It's so ugly it makes the F-35 look...slightly less ugly.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
82.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
83.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
84.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
85.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
86.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
87. In addition to the Louisiana ANG Eagle that participated in the flying display, two more turned up for the static.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
88.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
89. Over the course of four days in London, Ontario, I saw a lot of Dash 8s. It was nice to catch one that didn't say either "Air Canada Express" or "WestJet Encore" on the side.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
90. The Ocean Sentry crew were kind enough to give us a few missed approaches upon arrival.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
91. The E-6B did a few touch-and-goes as well. But only once with a Dash 8 in the background.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
And in closing, I'll leave you with a pair of Snowbirds images from the Saturday show!
92.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
93.
Airshow London 2017 by
Sean Ceallaigh, on Flickr
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend the next six months in an ice box just to keep from spontaneously combusting.
