Learn to Fly Canada » Brantford Charity Air Show

North American T-28 Trojan

Editor — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:29:15 +0000

T-28B and T-28C Trojan Aircraft

Danny Richer and his T-28B Trojan
LearnToFly.ca Editor, Geoff McKay receives the VIP tour from T-28B Trojan owner Danny Richer.

Danny Richer was at the Brantford Charity Air Show in Brantford, Ontario. Danny is the proud owner pilot of a North American Aviation (NAA) T-28B Trojan Aircraft. Danny’s vintage T-28B Trojan is an absolutely incredible aircraft!

Military Trainer
The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston engine military trainer aircraft. The NAA T-28 Trojan was used by both the United States Air Force (USAF) and also the United States Navy beginning in the 1950s. The T-28 Trojan was used as a Primary Trainer by the USAF, US Navy, and US Marine Corps through the 1950′s and 1960′s. The primary function of the T-28 was for the purpose of training student naval aviators.

Two Seat Tandem
The T-28 Trojan is a Two-Seat, Tandem Aircraft. Danny’s Trojan was built in 1956 and it was used by the Navy as a Trainer.

Very Solid Aircraft
Danny comments that “the T-28B was built as a very solid aircraft, and therefore will last a very long time”. The aircraft weight is about 8,500 pounds with two on board and fuel. It will cruise on average at about 200 knots, and it has a VNE of about 347 mph. The aircraft consumes fuel at the rate of 50 – 75 gallons per hour. The aircraft is rated for Plus 6 G’s and Minus 4 G’s.

Aerobatics
Danny Richer is an experienced Aerobatic pilot, and he will pull positive 4 G’s in his T-28B Trojan during loops and other aerobatic manoeuvres such as Cuban Eights.

Huge Flaps
Danny Richer and Geoff McKay stand in front of the huge, solid, T-28B Trojan. You can see the Huge Flaps in the background, and the wing height is incredible. Climbing into the cockpit of the T-28 requires several retractable “foot holds” or “steps” built into the fuselage to assist the pilot in mounting the wing and finally climbing into the cockpit. Once you are nestled into the cockpit, you really begin to sense the massive size of this trainer that is capable of aerobatic manoeuvres.

Paint Scheme
Behind Danny’s head, you can see the dark coloured stripe travelling from the engine exhaust and towards the back of the airplane across the top of the wing. This dark stripe is common on the T-28 Trojans to help camouflage the greasy residue that spews from the huge 1,425 hp (1,063 kW) Wright R-1820-9 Radial Engine that cranks the large 3-blade propeller.

Well into the 1980′s
The North American T-28B Trojan was a 1950′s military trainer that was extremely popular and reliable. The Trojan aircraft were used well into the 1980′s to train military pilots. Retired in the mid 80′s, this vintage aircraft is an impressive and awesome airplane to experience.

Interview with Danny Richer about his North American T-28B Trojan

Danny Richer with LearnToFly.ca Editor Geoff McKay at the Brantford Charity Air Show

Danny talks with Geoff about his vintage North American Aviation (NAA) T-28B Trojan Aircraft.

T-28B vs. T-28C
The North American T-28 Trojan was released with several different variants including the T-28B and T-28C models.

Geoff McKay meets up with Alfred Beam of Fort Erie, Ontario to view his North American T-28C Trojan model.

Alfred Beam and his T-28C
Alf flew his vintage T-28C at the Battle of Britain Midland Air Show in July 2010. Alf’s T-28C Trojan was a huge hit at the air show, and the crowd loved his vintage Navy Trainer.

Tail-hook
Alf explains the primary difference between the T-28B and the T-28C is the Tail-hook on the T-28C model. The Tail-hook was used for Air Craft Carrier Landings. In addition to the Tail-hook, the T-28C model also has a slightly shortened propeller blade. The T-28C became the primary trainer for the US Navy with the need to train Navy Pilots for Carrier landings.

Alfred Beam at the Controls
Alf is at the controls of his beautiful T-28C Trojan as he prepares to take-off before the crowd of spectators in Midland. There were no Air Craft Carriers nearby, but Alf’s meticulously restored aircraft has the necessary Tail-hook (C-Model) just in case!

50 Hours
Since acquiring his T-28C, Alf has accumulated about 50 hours of flight time as Pilot in Command (PIC) of this aircraft. His air show performance was really fantastic, and it was a very, very, windy day. Many of the pilots had difficulty with the strong cross-wind, but Alfred Beam executed a text-book take-off and landing as he perfectly corrected for the excessively windy conditions.

Navy Blue
The Navy Blue colour scheme of Alfred Beam’s T-28C Trojan is ideal for this Navy Trainer. With the C-Model being the US Navy’s preferred model of choice, the Navy colours suit the aircraft perfectly.

Intimidating Size
When you are up close to a North American T-28 Trojan, you are immediately impressed with the sheer size of this trainer aircraft. You can see how large, solid and rugged the huge T-28 really is.

Air Show Match Up
The next time you are at an Air Show, look for the North American Aviation (NAA) T-28 Trojan. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to see both Danny Richer with his T-28B and Alfred Beam with his T-28C at the same air show event.

Canadian Pilots
Danny Richer and Alfred Beam are both Canadian pilots, and they own and fly magnificent aircraft representing important parts of Aviation history.

Watch for these Canadian owned Aircraft and their talented pilots.

Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin Jet Trainer

Editor — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:06:48 +0000

Martin Mattes of Bandit Airshows

L-29 Delfin Jet
What an incredible Jet!

This spectacular Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin Jet is owned by Retired Captain Martin “Bandit” Mattes of Bandit Airshows.

LearnToFly.ca Editors, Greg McKay and Geoff McKay, met up with Martin Mattes at the Brantford Air Show 2010.

Great Guy!
Martin is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He’s an experienced Aerobatic Pilot with an incredible passion for aviation, fast aircraft, and advanced aerobatics. Having met Martin before, at the Midland Air Show, I had already heard about Martin’s incredible L-29 Delfin Jet. And, I was looking forward to seeing his L-29 Jet up close!

Only 3 in Canada!
There are only three Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin Jets flying in Canada. I had already met with Jeff “Biscuit” Lewis and Richard “COOP” Cooper of Viper North to see their L-29 up close and personal. But, this was my first time seeing Martin Mattes’ L-29 Delfin Jet.

Personal Tour
Martin took us to his Hangar in Brantford, and pulled out the L-29 to give us a personal tour and to demonstrate his advanced fighter aircraft.

LearnToFly.ca Editor Geoff McKay takes to the cockpit of this high performance Russian Fighter Jet.

Primary Jet Trainer
The L-29 Delfin is a Czechoslovakian built aircraft used by Russia as their primary Jet Trainer. The L-29 became the standard trainer in all Eastern-bloc counties except Poland, and it’s still being flown in a number of third world countries as a ground attack strike aircraft today.

Two Seat Fighter Aircraft
The L-29 is a two seat fighter jet aircraft. The Soviet Air Force utilized over 2,000 of these aircraft in their military. The Czech Air Force maintained an additional 400 more L-29 Jet fighters. L-29 Jets were also supplied to Bulgaria, East Germany, Hungary and Romania. The L-29 Delfin was a straightforward, rugged and easy to fly, jet aircraft. This made it ideal as both a primary jet trainer and also as an advanced combat/weapons trainer.

L-29 Delfin Cockpit
Surprisingly, the cockpit gauges and instrumentation of the L-29 Delfin seemed somewhat utilitarian rather than fancy. For such a high-performance jet, you might expect a more advanced looking cockpit. For the vintage of the aircraft, the cockpit was extremely advanced and modern in it’s day. However, with today’s “Glass Cockpits” becoming the norm, it was quite incredible to see this “old school” cockpit in this high performance jet.

Climbing inside the cockpit felt almost surreal. This was an actual Russian Jet, flown by a Russian Military pilot during the days of the cold war.

Performance!
When asking Martin about the performance of his L-29, he calmly and casually explains the jet is a “Dream to Fly”, with a top speed of .7 Mach or 700 kilometres per hour. (Remember, an aircraft is flying at Mach 1 if its speed is equal to the speed of sound.)

Martin goes on to explain the L-29 can handle G-Force loads of Plus 8 G’s and Minus 5 G’s, although he modestly emphasizes he has only had it up to Plus 6 G’s.

Interview with Martin Mattes and his L-29 Delfin

Captain Martin “Bandit” Mattes with LearnToFly.ca Editor Geoff McKay

Martin talks with Geoff to explain the performance characteristics of the Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin Jet Trainer. Martin’s refreshingly quiet and calm demeanour is an incredible contrast to the jet he flies.

L-29 Delfin Jet Takeoff!
Here you see Martin’s Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin Jet takeoff from the Brantford Airport. The L-29 leaps into the air above the Harvard Aircraft you see in the foreground.

Martin’s L-29 was a huge hit at the Brantford Charity Air Show 2010. The crowd loved the roar of the jet engines, and the impressive performance of this Russian Fighter Jet. Considering there are only three flying in Canada, it was a very special treat for the entire crowd at the Air Show.

Natalia Gynku
Amazingly, the actual L-29 Delfin Jet owned by Martin Mattes was previously flown by Russian Pilot and Female Model Natalia Gynku.

Look closely at these L-29 pictures, and painted on the side of the L-29 fuselage, just above and in front of the large 77 number, you will see “Natalia Gynku”.

Natalia Gynku is a well known Russian fashion model who works photo shoots for fashion, glamour and beauty magazines. (www.gynku.ru)

Natalia Gynku is the only female Russian Model who is also a jet Pilot having flown advanced military jets including the L-29 Delfin, (the actual same aircraft now registered to Martin Mattes), and also the popular Russian Yak-52. Incredibly, Martin Mattes of Bandit Airshows also owns his very own Yak-52 Soviet Trainer Aircraft!

L-29 Delfin Landing
Pictured here, we see Martin’s Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin Jet landing at the Brantford Airport.

Yes, this Soviet Fighter Jet was previously flown by Russian Female Model and Pilot Natalia Gynku. However, we now find it in the capable hands of Captain (Retired) Martin “Bandit” Mattes of Bandit Airshows of Brantford, Ontario, Canada.

For more details, visit Martin’s website:
www.BanditAirShows.com

Martin is a great guy, and an incredible pilot who owns some amazing aircraft! Watch for Bandit Airshows at your next Air Show event.

Brantford Air Show 2010

Editor — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:19:00 +0000

Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show

Wednesday September 1, 2010
The Snowbirds come to Brantford!

Don’t miss the Brantford Charity Air Show 2010 on Wednesday September 1.

LearnToFly.ca Editors Greg and Geoff McKay spent the day with the pilots, and were given a preview of this year’s charity air show. From the preview we saw, this show is going to be a spectacular air show. You and your entire family will have a great day at this fantastic event.

Canadian Forces Snowbirds
Snowbird 10 Pilot, Captain Dan Rossi of the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron spends a few minutes with Geoff before taking to the air. Captain Dan explains the Snowbird Team’s planned air show routine and the types of manoeuvres and formation flying they will be performing for the crowds at the Brantford Charity Air Show on Wednesday September 1, 2010.

Canadian Forces CT-114 Tutor
Geoff joins Captain Dan in the cockpit of this CT-114 Tutor Jet, and Captain Dan explains some of the handling characteristics and instrumentation of this remarkable training jet.

The Snowbirds are the highlight of the air show, and it’s great to have them out for this Brantford charity event. The crowds will love the Snowbirds’ performance as they demonstrate the skill, professionalism, and teamwork of the Canadian Forces personnel.

Formation Flying
The Snowbirds are well known for their precision, formation flying, and the crowds will truly love their spectacular aerial demonstration. As the jet engines roar, and the Snowbirds take to the air, the energy and excitement will be amazing. The entire family will be thrilled to experience the Snowbirds’ incredible performance.

CT-114 Tutor Cockpit
Here’s the Instrument Panel of the CT-114 Tutor Jet. The panel uses the older, more familiar style gauges instead of the newer “glass cockpit” you see in many of the newer military fighter aircraft.

Captain Dan Rossi familiarized Geoff with the CT-114 Tutor Jet Cockpit, and then Captain Dan explained many of the acrobatic manoeuvres planned for the Snowbirds’ upcoming performance.

Geoff was also joined by Captain Marc Velasco, the Public Affairs Officer for the CF 431 Air Demonstration Squadron. Both Captain Dan and Captain Marc of the Snowbirds’ Team were extremely helpful and friendly as they talked about the history and accomplishments of this high energy team.

The Snowbirds perform over 60 Air Shows in 35 cities over a period of 6 months, and it’s a great opportunity to see their awesome and exciting precision acrobatic performance in Brantford.

Interview with Captain Dan Rossi, Snowbird 10 Pilot

Captain Dan Rossi with LearnToFly.ca Editor Geoff McKay

Captain Dan Rossi talks about the Brantford Air Show, and the CT-144 Tutor Jet. Captain Dan explains the three different types of routines possible, depending upon the weather conditions and cloud cover during the show. Captain Dan also briefs us on the performance specifications of the famous Snowbirds’ Jet. He gives us the VNE, Stall Speed, and G-Force limitations for this high performance, acrobatic jet. The performance envelope of the CT-144 Tutor Jet (Snowbird) is truly amazing.

Performers at the Air Show include:

Canadian Forces Snowbirds
Canadian Forces SkyHawks
Canadian Harvard Aerobatic Team
CF-18 Fighter Jet Static Display
Rob Holland Aerobatics
Danny Richer – T-28B Trojan
Martin Mattes – YAK 52
Martin Mattes – Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin Jet
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Lancaster Bomber
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Canso PBY
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum B-25 Bomber
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum D-C3
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Lysander
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Firefly
Rick Volker – Sukhoi SU-26M
Beechcraft King Air B-200

See you at the Brantford Charity Air Show

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Gates Open at 11:00 am
Opening Ceremony at 3:15 pm

Admission: Free!
(But Charity Donations Appreciated)

View the complete Flightline

Arrive early. Bring the entire family. Bring Sunscreen. Bring a Donation. Don’t forget your camera!

Brantford Charity Air Show

Editor — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:46:30 +0000

Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show 2010

Rotary Club of Brantford
The Brantford Charity Air Show is presented by the Rotary Club of Brantford.

FREE!
Yes, this is a FREE AIR SHOW!

Please Support Charity
The Brantford Charity Air Show is one of the few FREE Air Shows still available. Since the show started, this air show has been provided each year as a free show to the public. At the gates, they do ask for a cash donation from visitors to support charity. If you prefer, you may also bring some non-perishable food, and it will be donated to a local food bank.

Last year, this Brantford Charity Air Show raised $53,000 in funds to support the local Boys and Girls Club and the Lansdowne Children Centre. Bring your family, and enjoy a great day of fun at the Air Show, and please remember to provide a donation at the gates to help local charity. All show proceeds will be donated to the Rotary Club of Brantford, supporting the Brantford community in places it is needed most.

11 Years
2010 marks the 11th year of the Brantford Charity Air Show. And, this year’s show promises to be one of the best years ever. The Brantford Air Show is a family friendly event filled with excitement and action. The highest calibre air show performers will thrill you and your family as they dazzle the crowd with an exciting and action packed performance.

Wednesday September 1, 2010
The Air Show is a mid-week show, held on Wednesday, September 1.

Gates Open at 11:00 am
Opening Ceremony at 3:15 pm

The Show is held a the Brantford Municipal Airport, located in Brantford, Ontario.

Onsite Parking is available at $10 per vehicle.

Canadian Forces Snowbirds
The Snowbirds are one of the most exciting performances at any Air Show, and the Snowbirds are confirmed to be performing at the Brantford Charity Air Show. This is certainly to be one of the highlights of the Show, with this professional, dedicated team of Canadian Aviators demonstrating for their Country.

The Snowbirds’ performance will demonstrate incredible aerial precision as they fly in close formation before the thrilled crowd of spectators. In addition to the Snowbirds, the Military Parachute Team the SkyHawks are also confirmed, and they will be another exciting highlight of the show.

Incredible Attendance
Last year there was an estimated crowd of 35,000 air show visitors at the Brantford Charity Air Show. This is great for the community, and it’s an incredible opportunity for everyone to enjoy aviation up close. Be certain to come early, to get the best place on the grounds to view the show. And, don’t forget your sunscreen, sunglasses and lawn chairs. Be prepared for a great day with the family.

Arrive Early
Arrive early on show day, and bring a lawn chair. Claim your spot front-row-centre right on the tarmac. You will be in the heart of the action! With front-row location, you can watch the line up of incredible planes take off from the runway directly in front of you. As a keepsake, collect autographs as the pilots and crew meet the audience throughout the day!

Meet the Pilots
You have an incredible opportunity to meet the Pilots!

(Picture here, LearnToFly.ca Editor Geoff McKay meets Canadian Harvard Pilot Edward Peter Soye)

The Tuesday evening (August 30) before the big air show, guests have the awesome and unique opportunity to dine with the pilots and crew of the Aircraft. This is a special fundraising dinner, and you need to purchase your VIP tickets early. This is always a sell-out, and you don’t want to miss this fantastic event!

VIP Dinner with the Pilots
Date: Tuesday August 30, 2010
Time: 5:15pm
(Pre-Show begins at 5:15 with cocktails, followed by a full Dinner catered by The Sherwood Restaurant)
Cost: $80 per seat (Reserve a full Table for your guests)
Attire: Summer Cocktail Attire

Flightline
The 2010 Brantford Air Show has an exciting and thrilling line-up of Aircraft, performers and displays. There will be a showcase of Military Aircraft, as well as stunning aerobatic performances, Heritage Warbirds, and many other aviation displays.

Canadian Forces SkyHawks Parachute Team
The SkyHawks are the first parachute demonstration team of Canada. This precision parachute team was established in 1971, and this skilled precision parachute team already has more than 5,000 successful jumps.

The SkyHawks have dazzled more than 75 million spectators throughout the world, and they will be performing for you and your family at the Brantford Charity Air Show this year!

The SkyHawks team has 14 jumpers and the accompanying ground crew. You can look forward to multiple passes of parachutists exiting the aircraft from 6,000 feet above ground level. As the expert parachutists free-fall to earth, they will be using trailing smoke canisters so you can easily spot them in the air.

The jumpers will deploy their main parachutes between 5,000 and 3,000 feet above the ground. Once the jumpers are floating above you, they will perform daring canopy formations on their way to the ground. They will finish up by precisely landing at designated targets on the ground.

Air Show Performers:

Canadian Navy Marine 100 (Centennial: 1910 – 2010)
Rob Holland Ultimate Air Shows
Canadian Forces SkyHawks Parachute Team
Canada’s Air Force (DND)
Canadian Forces Snowbirds
Canadian Warplane Heritage
Rick Volker piloting the Russell Raiders Spitfire Mk IX

Brantford Charity Air Show

Show Date
Wednesday September 1, 2010

Show Times
Gates Open at 11:00 am
Opening Ceremony at 3:15 pm

Show Location
Brantford Municipal Airport

Admission
Free – but Donations to Charity welcome at the gate

For More Details, please Contact the Rotary Brantford Charity Air Show 2010:

Telephone: 519-753-4317

Website: www.BrantfordAirShow.com

See you at the Brantford Air Show!