National Cherry Festival Takes Flight over West Grand Traverse Bay in 2009

The Trojan Horsemen are the only six ship T-28 formation/acro team in the world. They demonstrate the aircraft with a stirring patriotic "Salute to the Armed Forces" airshow in venues from West Texas to the Midwest and East Coast of the US.

The Flying Eagles saw new life when the squadron redesignated to VFA-122 in January 1999 and became the first squadron to operate the FA-18E/F Super Hornet. In the years since, VFA-122 has flown over 58,100 class 'A' free flight hours in the Super Hornet. Last year the Flying Eagles flew over 17,000 hours. The squadron's role remains the same as it was on the 29th of JUNE 1959: to train replacement aircrew and maintainers for combat operations in a new and challenging aircraft. The Super Hornet is the Navy's newest and most advanced aircraft and has seen combat flown by VFA-122 trained aircrew, in Operation Iraqi Freedom. VFA-122 currently has 225 staff officers, 408 enlisted personnel and operates over 60 aircraft.

Christine CC Gerner is no stranger to speed and excitement. As a former World Class Alpine Skier, she has experienced downhill speeds of over 100 miles per hour. CC has taken this same athletic ability and skill to new heights with her aerobatic flying. With over 20 years of flying experience and 12,000 hours of flight time, CC is the perfect mixture of experience, skill and showmanship. Watch as CC transfers her unique ability to the controls of her Unlimited Class Extra 300L aircraft. She always leaves the crowd cheering and wanting more!

Growing up in an Air Force family, Billy has been around some sort airplane his whole life. He started flying in 1988 and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Professional Aviation Technology from Indiana State University in 1994. Billy has over 8000 hours of flight time in 20 different aircraft, with 900 of it teaching folks how to fly upside down.

Billy’s plane is the Pitts S2C, a two place aerobatic bi-plane built by the Aviat Aircraft Company in Afton WY. This particular Pitts has a one of a kind paint job – the colors are the exact match to the American Flag. The engine is a Lycoming six cylinder pumping out 260 horsepower swinging a high performance, composite, 3-blade “claw” propeller from Hartzell. The S2C has a top speed of 212 mph and a max G loading of +6 and -5.

Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, which was established in 1946, is a part of the United States Coast Guards Ninth District. We are situated on the southern end of Grand Traverse Bay in northern Michigan. Since 1995, Air Station Traverse City has controlled and manned Air Facilities throughout southern Lake Michigan. Our area of operations includes all of Lake Michigan and a greater part of Lake Superior and Lake Huron. The H-65 has been the Coast Guard's most prolific multi-mission aircraft for over 20 years.

The A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces. They are simple, effective and survivable twin-engine jet aircraft that can be used against all ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles. Their wide combat radius and short takeoff and landing capability permit operations in and out of locations near front lines.