Will Be Flying At Air Shows From April To November, Including AirVenture

The GEICO Skytypers Air Show Team will take flight later this year at several of the nation's top air shows.  The 2018 season kicks off in April and wraps up in November, with can't-miss special events planned for several weekends.

"The SNJs flown by our team were originally used as training aircraft for WWII and Korean Conflict pilots," says Team Flight Lead Larry Arken.  "During our air show performances, we are able to demonstrate the amazing capabilities of these vintage warbirds on behalf of our sponsor, GEICO.  The 75-year-old SNJ aircraft are a testament to the engineering genius of the Greatest Generation."

The GEICO Skytypers fly six SNJs powered by 600-horsepower Pratt and Whitney engines.  As training aircraft, the SNJ can perform all the maneuvers of a fighter plane, but at slower speeds. The historic sound of the vintage engines fills the air as the team demonstrates more than 20 different tactical maneuvers.

"We have an exciting schedule for the 2018 air show season including some new shows and a number of regular or rotating stops on our tour," said pilot and marketing officer Steve Kapur.  "Whether new or old, the best part of each event weekend is meeting air show fans from the youngest of future aviators to veterans who trained in our aircraft."

The Skytypers will open the season in Florida at the Vero Beach Air Show on April 21-22 and quickly travel to South Carolina to perform at the inaugural Wings Over Myrtle Beach Air Show the following weekend on April 28-29.  These two events kick off a 15-show schedule.

The Miss GEICO offshore racing team will join the GEICO Skytypers Air Show Team at select events.  The 10-time world championship offshore racing team will compete against the solo pilots for the Skytypers racing in their 47-foot Victory watercraft powered by twin 1650 stern drives producing more than 3,300 hp.  The air vs. sea duel is a rare event and will only take place during the Ocean City, Atlantic City, and Baltimore air shows.

As the team name suggests, the team also skytypes giant messages.  During appropriate conditions, the fleet of aircraft will ascend to 9,500 feet to fly in a line-abreast formation to type messages 1,000 feet tall.  Because the messages are taller than the Empire State Building, they are visible for 15 miles in any direction.  In less than two minutes, 20-25 characters are generated utilizing a patented program to generate smoke releases at timed intervals.  Because the typing speed is 17 times faster than traditional skywriting, viewers are often drawn in to guess words, similar to playing "Wheel of Fortune" style games.

(Image provided with GEICO Skytypers news release)

FMI: 2018 Air Show Schedule