MILAVIA > Air Shows > Rhode Island Air Show 2017 Last updated: 16 June 2017
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Air Show Report : Rhode Island Air Show 2017

Rhode Island National Guard Air Show 2017

Photo report by Dave O'Brien from the Rhode Island Air Show 2017 at Quonset Point, North Kingstown. The annual show hosted by the RI National Guard this year took place on May 20-21.

A week before the Rhode Island Air Show news broke that the Canadian Snowbirds were canceling shows because of a close call at the prior show. The team decided, rightfully so, that they needed more practice and training so they canceled their next 4 shows starting with Rhode Island.

Luckily Rhode Island’s line-up this year was already jam packed and with the help of the other demo teams they were able to still put on a fantastic air show. The F-16 Viper Demo of the 20th FW based out of Shaw AFB, SC, the F/A-18F Super Hornet Demo of VFA-106 Gladiators based out of NAS Oceana, VA, and the AV-8B Harrier II Demo of VMM-264 based out of MCAS New River all flew their display routine twice a day.

To start the show the 143rd AW took to the sky with the USSOCOM Parachute team. The initial jumper descended with the American Flag while the anthem played. Then three more jumpers came out on the next pass.

Sean D. Tucker was up next with his ribbon cutting performance and a teaser of things to come later in the afternoon. The Harrier followed Sean for his first demo, the noise that this little plane brings during his hover is just ear shattering.

Capt. John “Rain” Waters of the F-16 Demo went up next. The 20th FW F-16 used for the display featured the special 50th Anniversary tail of 2015 for being a “Wild Weasel” unit since 1965. Mike Goulian & Rob Holland shared the skies after the first Viper demo. The Geico Skytypers went up next in their North American SNJ-2’s. “Purple” and “Hot Gun” took off next in the F/A-18F Super Hornet to perform their first demo.

The Rhode Island National Guard Dynamic Military display came next. It wasn’t the Combined Arms Demo we’ve had in years past, as they added two AH-64 Apaches from Fort Drum’s 10th Aviation Regiment as well as a CH-47 Chinook from the 104th Aviation Regiment, CT Army National Guard. Local UH-60 Blackhawks of the 126th Aviation Regiment and C-130Js of the 143rd AW filled the skies. It was my first time seeing an Apache demo and I thought they a pretty good job, but I missed the A-10s with the mock airfield gun runs seen in previous editions.

John Klatt in “Sasquatch” went up next and after his show raced the Shockwave Jet Truck. Mark Murphy followed next in a repainted Corsair dedicated to John Glen. After Mark Murphy’s display of the Corsair, Randy Ball took off with his MiG-17F. This was another first for me, Randy flew this jet like a rocket and reminded me of Dale “Snort” Snodgrass with as low as he got this thing flying.

The second half of the show was all three military demo teams going back up again. First the Harrier, followed by the Super Hornet demo and “Rain” closed the show with the second F-16 Viper demo. With all the military demos going up twice on both Saturday and Sunday, I felt like a kid again going to the air shows back in the 80’s when the military aircraft were all they had flying at the shows. All that military power was simply awesome.


Thanks so much to the 143rd PAO for allowing me the media access on Friday and getting me on for the media flight on the UH-60 to start out Sat morning.

USSOCOM Parachute Team with American flag
USSOCOM Parachute Team opened the airshow
Sean D Tucker ribbon cutting
USMC AV-8B Harrier II Demo
USAF F-16 Viper Demo with 20th FW 50th Anniversary 1965-2015 Wild Weasel tail
Geico Skytypers formation display
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet
Rhode Island Air National Guard C-130J Hercules take-off for the Combined Arms Demo
CT Army National Guard CH-47F Chinook taking part in the Rhode Island Combined Arms Demo
Rhode Island National Guard UH-60 escorted by AH-64 Apache
10th Aviation Regiment AH-64D Apache from Fort Drum taking part this year
Rhode Island National Guard Combined Arms Military Display
Sasquatch Jet Biplane racing Shockwave Jet Truck
Randy Ball MiG-17F
Mark Murphy FG-1D Corsair
Randy Ball flying the afterburner MiG-17F 'Fresco'
USMC AV-8B Harrier II Demo
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet
USAF F-16 Viper Demo
USN P-3C Orion arriving for the static display
ANG F-15C Eagle 79-0544 arriving to take part in the static display
ANG F-15C Eagle 79-0064 landing at Quonset Point
ANG F-15C Eagles on static display
USN P-3C Orion on static display
UH-60 media photography flight
RI National Guard UH-60 crew
USN VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet 247
USAF F-16 Viper Demo flown by Capt. John “Rain” Waters
USMC AV-8B Harrier II 165425, coded 05
USMC AV-8B Harrier II going vertical
USMC Harrier ground crew
USMC AV-8B Harrier hover
USMC AV-8B Harrier VTOL demo
USMC AV-8B Harrier II 164140 coded 55
USMC AV-8B Harrier II parking
USAF F-16C 92-0920 with 1965-2015 Wild Weasel special tail
USAF F-16C Viper Demo take-off
USAF F-16C Viper Demo afterburner
USAF F-16C Viper Demo high-alpha climb
USAF F-16C Viper Demo high-speed
USAF F-16C Viper Demo high-G turn
Geico Skytypers SNJ-2 (T-6 Texan) #1
Geico Skytypers #2 and #3
Sean D. Tucker Oracle Pitts Special
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet 247
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet take-off
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet high-alpha
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet inverted
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet touch-and-go
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet touch-and-go
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F Super Hornet low pass
ANG 143th AW C-130J Hercules
US Army AH-64D Apache take-off
US Army AH-64D Apache from Fort Drum’s 10th Aviation Regiment
National Guard Combined Arms display's UH-60 and CH-47
National Guard combined arms demo UH-60 Blackhawk
National Guard combined arms demo
CT National Guard CH-47F Chinook with Howitzer load
RI National Guard UH-60 Blackhawks
National Guard combined arms demo
US Army 10th Aviation Regiment AH-64D Apache
RI ANG C-130J cargo drop
CT National Guard  CH-47F Chinook 09-08784
RI National Guard UH-60 Blackhawks
RI National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk
RI National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk Medevac
Fort Drum's 10th Aviation Regiment AH-64D Apache
ANG 143th AW C-130J Hercules landing
Mike Goulian and Rob Holland
Sasquatch with jet engine
Sasquatch jet-powered bi-plane
Sasquatch flown by John Klatt
Shockwave Jet Truck
Shockwave Jet Truck
Mark Murphy presenting the FG-1D Corsair
Mark Murphy FG-1D Corsair freshly painted dedicated to John H. Glenn, who flew a USMC Corsair coded N51, downed three MiG-15s in Korea flying USAF F-86 Sabre, and later became a Mercury astronaut and U.S. Senator
Mark Murphy FG-1D Corsair display
Randy Ball MiG-17F solo display
Randy Ball MiG-17F afterburning climb
Randy Ball MiG-17F high-rate turn
MiG-17F photo-pass
Randy Ball MiG-17F high-speed pass
Randy Ball MiG-17F landing
Randy Ball returning from an excellent display
USMC AV-8B Harrier with mission markings
USMC AV-8B Harrier Demo
USMC AV-8B Harrier Demo hover
USMC AV-8B Harrier Demo vertical landing
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F take-off
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F fuel dump
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F high-alpha pass
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F topside
USN Tac Demo VFA-106 F/A-18F landing
VFA-106 Tac Demo pilots 'Purple' and 'Hot Gun' in the VFA-106 F/A-18F Commander aircraft
USAF F-16 Viper Demo Team getting ready
USAF F-16 Viper Demo Team brakes on
USAF F-16 Viper Demo Team departure from parking
USAF F-16 Viper Demo pilot Capt. John 'Rain' Waters
USAF F-16 Viper Demo high-rate turn
USAF F-16 Viper Demo afterburner climb
USAF F-16 Viper Demo loop
USAF F-16 Viper Demo landing ending the 2017 Rhode Island Air Show

Report and photos by Dave O'Brien ( view portfolio )



First Published: 16 June 2017
Last Modified: 16 June 2017