The 2009 Air Show was filled with lots of Roaring, Soaring, Fun featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Marine Corp AV-8B Harrier Demo. The “Harrier” performed each event day and a second “Harrier” was on static display. The Cleveland National Air Show was one of only 14 show sites to recieve the coveted 2009 “Harrier” demo.
The 2009 show included first time appearances of Skip Stewart in his high-energy gyroscopic muscle bi-plane, Pirated Skies – Franklin’s Flying Circus and duel announcers Danny Clisham/Rob Reider. The U.S. Army Golden Knights celebrated their 50th Anniversary and further military performances included the Army’s AH-46 Apache, F-15E Strike Eagle, A-10 Thunderbolt, Heritage Flight with P-51 Mustang, Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin, C-130 and KC-135 flyby. And also for the first time, the Navy’s E-6B Mercury was on static display. The E-6B Mercury enables the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense to directly contact submarines, bombers and missile silos protecting our national security through nuclear deterrence.
Due to rain and poor visibility, the Thunderbirds did not perform on Monday.