Ability To Adapt To Weather A Prerequisite

by ANN Correspondent Matt Russell

When ANN last reported on Air Boss activities at AirVenture 2007, Warbirds Air Boss Wayne Boggs had just finished briefing the pilots who will fly in the day’s air show.

Boggs, George Cline, and Mark Ringham have carefully planned the Warbirds show as a unique showcase of fighter planes. "Today’s show is Fighter Day," Boggs says, and proceeds to explain how emphasis will be placed on the needs of the participating fighters.

"We have always tried to showcase different parts of the Warbirds community on different days," says Boggs. "Some days we focus on bombers, other days it’s recon or utility airplanes, and today [Wednesday at AirVenture] has traditionally been Fighter Day." Having been around different types of aircraft for most of his life, Boggs says he finds every Warbirds show interesting, no matter which models are the center of attention. At AirVenture, he says, "I think the crowd is so large that each day’s show will appeal to plenty of people."

So it’s Fighter Day, and the Warbirds show will take place between the "flying showcase" and aerobatic portions of the afternoon. During the showcase, Boggs, Cline, and Ringham head for the trailer at Show Center. Show Center is so-called both for its geographic location on the flight line, and because it serves as the operational authority for the entire show. Show Center would be the "brain" of the airshow’s central nervous system, if it had one. In addition to a massive crowd of showgowers hoping to get a closer look, the performers, Operations officials ("redshirts"), and relatives of both are found here.

This year, National Geographic is filming a documentary on the airshow, and today their crew remains in the shadow of Joe Schumacher, Aircraft Operations Director.

The Air Bosses, among others, report to Schumacher, so his interactions with Boggs and team are recorded by the frightfully quick-moving National Geographic film crew. In addition to FAA representation, Air Bosses, and safety spotters on top of the Operations trailer (from where the show is actually controlled), one would expect the NG crew to add clutter and distraction, but professionalism shines through. As the Air Bosses get plugged into the communication system and take in their surroundings, it is as if they see right through the scurrying film crew.

The Air Bosses remain focused on preparations to launch the Warbirds... but things are about to change.

Don’t like the weather in Oshkosh? "Wait," one resident told me with a grin. "Just wait. The current weather never lasts long here," he said. Schumacher and the Air Bosses know this too, but with tens of thousands of fans watching, it’s a tough decision to cancel an airshow simply because ominous-looking clouds appear. As the day’s showcase wraps up, Boggs and team cue an on-time launch of the first aircraft for the Warbirds show, the T-28s and the "Duggy" DC-3 which carries the Liberty Parachute Team for opening ceremonies.

As soon as the aircraft depart Runway 27 and have gained altitude, the first large drops begin to fall on Wittman Field. The controlled chaos on the trailer ratchets up a notch as performer Sean Tucker, with film crew in tow, pays the Air Bosses a visit to discuss the conditions.

Boggs, Ringham, and Cline focus their attention away from the distractions, and discuss the best way to recover the T-28s, which are orbiting northwest of Wittman Field.

Conditions continue to worsen, and in gusting winds and heavy rain the airshow crowd, volunteers, and most of the Redshirts run for cover. Hiding underneath ponchos, wings, and tents... they prove adept at finding shelter. But shelter is not in the cards for the Air Boss and his backups. Warbirds are circling in the dark sky, so they stay on the trailer and continue working with the aircraft.

"We don’t get to come down until they get down," a soaked Wayne Boggs later says.

Boggs, Cline, and Ringham get the T-28s and DC-3 down safely on Runway 9, and then retreat from the trailer rooftop. The storm stays at Wittman Field longer than expected, and the Warbirds show, Heritage Flight, and opening ceremonies are washed out for the day.

After the storm, Joe Schumacher clears an abbreviated aerobatic airshow to launch. It doesn’t appear hardly any of the AirVenture fans chose to go home, and they are hoping for some entertainment. Long since dried off, the Air Bosses spring into action, using their experience to accelerate operations as quickly as possible. "Cue the National Anthem," aerobatic show boss Jim Mynning says into his headset as the Liberty Parachute Team displays the flag from the back of a parade car. The fans respond with enthusiastic applause as the first performer gets airborne. As the tarmac dries and water is mopped from the seats, it’s business as usual on the Operations trailer.

Fast-forward to the AirVenture weekend show. Boggs and his team plan a large Warbirds display to make up for time lost to the storm. Topping the show is a tremendous amount of "pyro," which is exploding gasoline used to simulate the guns and bombs of the aircraft being shown. Two B-25s, a B-17, and a B-24 depart Runway 18 in front of the crowd, and announcer Danny Clisham gets the crowd excited for a tremendous show.

Warbirds of all different eras, shapes, and sizes are included, as is a re-enactment of WWII ground combat.

The show runs smoothly despite the huge number of aircraft in the sky. The Liberty Parachute Team and National Anthem closely follow the missing man formation of the Bombers, which comes right after the Wall of Fire pyro display. The Warbirds show is so large it’s difficult to pick out the finale.

During it all, the Air Bosses and their colleagues have eyes on the skies and fingers on the mic buttons as the show is coordinated. The planning, writing, briefing, and brainstorming all pay off in these moments.

The Air Bosses proudly wave and applaud as their bombers and fighters roll past on landing... and you can tell days like these make the tougher days worth enduring.

FMI: www.airventure.org/2007