Robins AFB Air Show & Aviation Museum

We got up early this morning (6 a.m.) and left the campground at 8 a.m. to drive up to Robins AFB to attend the Air Show there. We were able to park on the base in one of the designated parking lots and then boarded a school bus (with 2 folding chairs we had brought) to be taken over to the air field.

After looking at some of the planes on exhibit we found a spot to put our chairs and waited for the air show to begin. It started with the Golden Knights parachuting in,

From Air Show, Robins AFB, GA

followed by Ed Hamill in a small bi-plane doing aerobatics, F-15 demonstration, commemorative reenactment of the Battle of Midway.

From Air Show, Robins AFB, GA

We were sitting close to some of the food vendors and did it ever smell good! Of all the food we saw people carrying, the funnel cakes looked the best. We decided to split a funnel cake and it was piping hot and very good.

Mike thought he recognized a couple of the Army pilots with the Sky Soldiers Cobra Precision Demonstration Team. Mike went down to talk with the pilots when they were standing along the fence before their act. Mike had worked with two of the pilots, CW5 (Ret) Gary Kilker was in Mike's flight with the flight training contractor in the primary division at Ft. Rucker and CW3 (Ret) Patty Meek was a Blackhawk pilot in the same reserve unit where Mike flew Blackhawks.

From Air Show, Robins AFB, GA

The Sky Soldiers was an impressive show, but then Mike is partial to helicopters. The pilots are an elite group of military veterans flying the AH-1F Cobra Attack helicopters. They perform intricate, precision tactical maneuvers. I'm including a link to their promotional video.

We didn't stay to watch the Thunderbirds since we wanted to visit the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB. We saw the new Thunderbirds and D-Day exhibits. They had exhibits for World War II (Flying Tigers, Tuskegee Airmen and air invasion of Normandy), Korean War and Vietnam War and lots of aircraft.

From Aviation Museum, Robins AFB, GA

The Victory Café is on the third floor of the museum and we got a roast beef sub and split it (the roast beef was really good). It was a nice break and there is an area on the third floor where you can look down on the aircraft on the first floor.

Before heading back to the RV, we stopped at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Warner Robins to buy some groceries. We got back home about 5 p.m. in plenty of time to watch the Kentucky Derby. What a race!

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that Mike put out our portable satellite dish a couple of days ago because the cable reception never cleared up. So we were able to watch the Kentucky Derby without any "snow".