My big knock against american warbird shows is that, from my experience, most of the planes fly by one at a time, there is no unusual grouping of mixed types unless it’s the finale and the ‘missing man’ formation, where we get one pass (and one of the planes ups and heads west)…maybe I’m attending the wrong shows, but I don’t think so. I reckon the big knock against mixing all the planes is that there are different performance factors on each type, one cruises faster than the other, one isn’t as maneuverable as the other…it could get complicated as far as trying to get them all together in one big formatin (or even a four ship)….now, I’m not saying it DOES’NT happen over here, but not for an extended stretch of time like happens with the Breitling routine. The last warbird display team using fighters I recall stateside was the 4 Horsemen, 4 pilots back east flying Mustangs at airshows doing aerobatics and passes, and again these were 4 planes of the same type, not a mixed bag. I never got to see them, either.
The closest we have come here in recent years to a big mixed formation ala the Duxford Balbo is the grand finale at Chino last spring when they did almost the same thing….
As for your assertion that americans are interested in American aircraft, such is not the case in my opinion, which is why myself and a friend have made the semi-annual trek to Britain to see some planes that are ‘different’, and a whole bevy of my airshow pals, mostly photographers, have also made an annual or semi-annual pilgrimage to DX or Wanaka or wherever the planes are different and the sights are unusual…granted, we’re not the average, layman airshow observers, so I can’t answer that question for you, but I think Americans like variety and things unusual, yes. I know I do.
Mark
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