Dayton, Ohio – The Vectren Dayton Air Show Presented by Kroger announced July 7, 2011 the amazing B-1 and B-2 heavy bombers will appear at this year’s 37th annual on July 23rd and 24th. Dubbed the Killer B’s by air show officials these large, powerful aircraft are a rare combination at any air show. The US Air Force bombers have all played prominent roles in our nation’s defense and promise to be a major hit with spectators at the 2011 Air Show. While both aircraft are scheduled as fly-over’s, the B-2 will only appear on Saturday, July 23rd.
“The addition of the Killer B’s is an awesome development,” stated Michael Emoff, Chairman of the USATS Board of Trustees, producers of the annual air show. “They enhance an already impressive show lineup and will provide spectators some dramatic fly-bys,” he added.
The Boeing B-1B Lancer will appear both on static display as well as fly-over on each day of the Air Show. The B-1B will travel to Dayton from the 7th Bomb Wing, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas. The 9th Bomb Squadron is the oldest active bomb squadron in the United States Air Force. Initially produced in 1974 as the B-1A, the Lancer was primarily designed to launch nuclear weapons. However, after the Cold War, the B-1B was developed to carry conventional munitions. The B-1B was first used in combat in 1998 during Operation Desert Fox in Iraq and was also used in Kosovo, Afghanistan and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dubbed the US Air Force’s “Most Valuable Player”, currently the B-1B is used almost every day in operations over Iraq and Afghanistan. The aircraft has a distinctive variable-geometric wing. This together with its four afterburning GE engines, which produce 120,000 pounds of thrust, make it capable of supersonic speeds up to Mach 1.2.
The amazing flying wing, the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, will fly over air show skies on Saturday, July 23rd. With only 20 aircraft in existence, a B-2 flyover puts Dayton in an elite group. Based with the 509th Bomb Squadron at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, the B-2 Spirit is capable of flying 6,000 nautical miles while carrying 40,000 pounds of weapons. Its low observable or “stealth” characteristics give it the unique ability to penetrate an enemy’s most sophisticated defenses. Known for its ominous appearance, the B-2 has a maximum takeoff weight of 336,500 pounds and a crew of only two pilots. This compares to the B-1B crew of four and the B-52 crew of five. First used in 1999 during the Kosovo War, the B-2 has seen continued use during wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and was recently used during the 2011 Libyan uprising.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will have top billing at the Vectren Dayton Air Show along with first time appearances by the Red Bull Helicopter flown by Chuck Aaron along with an industry first, an all-women wing walking routine called Tombstone Riders. Rounding out the line-up will be crowd favorite, Tora Tora Tora, an eight-plane emotional reenactment of the bombing of Pearl Harbor complete with pyrotechnics; the all-American US Army Golden Knight Parachute Team; air show legendary pilot Sean D. Tucker; School Time the jet-powered school bus and single-ship military jet fighter demonstrations by the USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II and the US Navy F-18 Super Hornet.
Specialty seating options are selling quickly. A variety of those ticket packages are on sale through the show’s web site, www.daytonairshow.com. Popular areas such as the Blue Sky Chalet and LaRosa’s Pavilion are sure to be sell outs. Families will also enjoy the superb value of the PNC Family 4-Pack. Visit the show’s website for further information.
On sale now at over 100 Kroger stores in the Dayton-Cincinnati region are discount advance general admission tickets good for either Saturday or Sunday admission. Patrons will enjoy a $3 savings for adult, senior citizen and child tickets purchased at Kroger. This means that advance adult tickets are available for $17 while senior citizen and child advance tickets are $12 at Kroger, the exclusive advance ticket outlet of the Vectren Dayton Air Show Presented by Kroger.
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