Airshow London 2022 | THE AIRSHOW GUY

The annual Airshow London was held September 9th through 11th at the London International Airport. The event was Canada’s largest airshow for 2022 and was named the best Airshow in North America for 2022.

The show continued their tradition of a Friday evening twilight show, featured several current jet aircraft demonstrations and was headlined by the return of the USAF Thunderbirds.

RCAF CF-18 Hornet Demonstration Team

Capt. Jesse “Modem” Haggart-Smith piloted the CF-18 Hornet. The Hornet demo is based at Canadian Forces Base Bagotville, Quebec. The CF-18 has been Canada’s primary fighter aircraft since 1983.

USANG F-16C Fighting Falcons (Viper)

F-16 Vipers from 180th Fighter Wing, 112th Fighter Squadron “Stingers” from the Ohio Air National Guard. The unit is based at the Toledo Express Airport, and are the “alert” squadron for the midwest region of the United States.

P-51 Mustang “Double Trouble Two”

Mackenzie Cline brought P-51D Mustang “Double Trouble Two” (44-73871/N551TF) for a solo aerobatic display. Merlin music is always appreciated!

USAF MC-130J Commando II Hercules

Airshow London lucked out with a rare flight demo of the USAF’s MC-130J, callsign “Aleka17”. The MC-130J is the aircraft used to support special operations forces. Duties include nighttime infiltration, exfiltration, resupply, airdrops and air-to-air refueling.

RCAF CT-155 Hawk

The Hawk is the RCAF’s advanced jet trainer. Students learn fast jet operations and after their training period will be placed into F/A-18 Hornets.

USAF E-3 Sentry

Saturday’s flyin performer was an E-3 Sentry callsign “Norse73”, serial 81004. The aircraft is an airborne warning and control system (AWACS), which provides situational awareness and airborne control of assets. The aircraft is a modified Boeing 707, with a 30-foot in diameter rotating radar dome on the top.

USAF B-2 Spirit

Sunday’s fly-in performer was the USAF’s B-2 Spirit “Spirit of America”. The B-2 is the US Air Forces stealth bomber aircraft. While the current design is modern, the flying wing concept dates back to the late 1940s.

USMC MV-22 Osprey

The MV-22 is the world’s first operational tilt-rotor aircraft. Designed for the flexibility of a helicopter with the ability to fly like a conventional aircraft for cruising and range.

The demo was performed by VMMT-204 “Raptors”. The unit is the V-22 pilot training squadron. The squadron trains pilots for the USMC, USAF and Japan. The unit is based at MCAS New River, located in North Carolina.

RCAF CC-130J Hercules

Canada’s heavy lift capabilities were represented by CC-130J, flying with call sign “Burma04”. The Hercules performs multiple duties, including tactical airlift and troop transportation. The Hercules is capable of landing on short airfields, including those that are unpaved.

USAF F-22 Raptor Demo

Maj. Joshua “Cabo” Gunderson piloted the USAF F-22 Raptor demo. The F-22 demo team is based at Joint Base Langley-Eustice in Hampton, Virginia.

Louisiana ANG F-15C Eagles

Two F-15C Eagles from the 159th Fighter Wing, 122nd Fighter Squadron “Bayou Militia” of the Louisiana Air National Guard participated in the show.

“The Changing of the Guard”

The Raptor Demo Team formed up with the Louisiana ANG F-15s for a formation pass symbolizing the “changing of the guard.” With the service of the F-15C beginning to sunset, the formation was a symbolic transfer of air superiority duties from the F-15 to the F-22.

RCAF CC-150 Polaris #15001

“Can Force One” the Prime Minister’s transport, a CC-150 Polaris, “Husky1” arrived on Friday, and made a surprised the crowd by participating in the flying display each day.

Yankee Air Museum B-17 Flying Fortress and C-47 Skytrain

Warbird representation was primarily two of the aircraft from the Yankee Air Museum, the C-47 Skytrain “Hairless Joe”, B-17G Flying Fortress “Yankee Lady”.

USAF Thunderbirds

The USAF Thunderbird flight demonstration team returned to London as the headliners of the show. The RCAF Snowbirds were scheduled to perform, but had to cancel due to an accident earlier in the year. The Thunderbirds were welcomed back and were popular with the crowd since appearances in Canada are few and far between.

Arrivals and Friday Twilight Show

Friday’s twilight show is a highlight each year. This year, the Thunderbirds performed with a photo chase plane, which was very different to see. The highlight had to be the arrival of the F-15s from Oregon and Louisiana. Several other arrivals

CF-18 Hornet demo practice

F-22 Raptor Demo

Oregon ANG F-15 Eagles

F-15s from Oregon 173rd FW, 114th Fighter Squadron based at Kingsley Field arrived and beat up the field with a number of simulated approaches and burner pull outs. This was the highlight of the weekend in my opinion, with the other F-15s from Louisiana ANG not far behind. There were many people excited to see the Eagles flying and participating in the show.