2005 Edwards AFB Open House Airshow
October 22
Page 1

(Download a higher resolution picture by clicking on any picture below.)

The Edwards Air Force Base Open House was held the weekend of October 22-23. During the two-day event, visitors saw new and unique aircraft in the Air Force inventory, and some of the best aerial demonstration pilots performing today. The various demonstrations included Air Force aircraft such as the F/A-22, F-117, F-16, KC-135, C-17, B-1, B-2, several NASA aircraft including the NF-15B, F/A-18A, T-34C and ER-2. This was an opportunity for taxpayers to see the kind of equipment they buy for the Air Force and NASA, and the abilities of the people who test, fly and maintain this equipment.

General Chuck Yeager, the first man to pilot a plane faster than the speed of sound, flies North American P-51D Mustang, NL334FS Red Dog XII past the audience during the opening of the airshow.

The U. S. Army Golden Knights parachute team.

Fokker C-31A Troopship, 85-1608 of the U. S. Army Golden Knights parachute team.

Water vapor condenses below the engine inlets of Lockheed-Martin F-22A Engineering, Manufacture Development (EMD) Raptor, 91-4009 of the 412th Test Wing during a high-speed pass.

F-22A EMD Raptor, 91-4009 shows off its payload bays.

F-22A EMD Raptor, 91-4009 makes a high-alpha (angle of attack) pass.

F-22A EMD Raptor, 91-4009 climbs away on the power of its afterburning F119-PW-100 engines.

F-22A EMD Raptor, 91-4009 breaks away from formation with General Dynamics F-16D Block 40A Fighting Falcon, 87-0392 of the 412th Test Wing.

General Chuck Yeager taxis North American P-51D Mustang, NL334FS Red Dog XII.

Boeing-McDonnell-Douglas C-17A Globemaster III, 03-3121 of the 412th Test Wing takes off from Runway 04 as F-22A EMD Raptor, 91-4009 and F-16D Block 40A Fighting Falcon, 87-0392 taxi along taxiway Bravo.

X-15 pilot and Space Shuttle astronaut Colonel Joe Engle waves from the rear seat of F-16D Block 50A Fighting Falcon, 90-0385 as it taxis in after its supersonic pass over the airfield.

Link to the NASA Biography of Colonel Joe Engle.

F-16D Block 50A Fighting Falcon, 90-0385.

F-22A EMD Raptor, 91-4009.

C-17A Globemaster III, 03-3121 trails a drogue chute after dropping a massive pallet with multiple large cargo parachutes.

C-17A Globemaster III, 03-3121 releases a second palletized payload. The drogue chutes that pulled the payloads from the payload by descend separately.

C-17A Globemaster III, 03-3121.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, NX87CN.

North American F-86F Sabre, N186AM.

Captain Gert Jan, "Goofy" Vooren of the Royal Netherlands Air Force Solo Display makes a dynamic, turning and burning performance in General Dynamics F-16A Block 15 Fighting Falcon, 80-0564 of the 412th Test Wing. Smoke streams from smoke generators on its wing tips. Ed de Bruijn, Head of the RNLAF Air Display Office stated, "The Royal Netherlands Air Force Solo Display was very honnoured to receive an invitation for the Edwards Air Show. It was pretty expensive to bring the, awesome painted, RNLAF F16 to Edwards, thats is why we used an Edwards based USAF MLU F16. The RNLAF F16 Solo Display displayed at 30 major European Airshows in 2005."

F-16A Block 15A Fighting Falcon, 80-0584.

The Collings Foundation McDonnell-Douglas F-4D Phantom II, NX749CF Triple Nickel taxis out for its performance.

Nanchang CJ-6A, NX269AG.

Collings Foundation F-4D Phantom II, NX749CF was delivered to the Air Force as 65-0749. It is restored as 66-7463 Triple Nickel in which Richard “Steve” Ritchie made his fifth kill over Viet Nam.

Collings Foundation F-4D Phantom II, NX749CF Triple Nickel.

The drag chute of Collings Foundation F-4D Phantom II, NX749CF Triple Nickel.

NASA Lockheed ER-2, N809NA

McDonnell-Douglas NF-15B Eagle, NASA 837 is equipped with close-coupled canards made from F/A-18 horizontal stabilizers. It is the Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) flight research project testbed aircraft.

NASA McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18A-8 Hornet, N850NA originally served the U.S. Navy as BuNo 161703.

NASA F/A-18A-8 Hornet, N850NA

McDonnell-Douglas NF-15B Eagle, NASA 837 was the first F-15B. It carries Air Force serial number 71-0290.

The Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engines of the NF-15B Eagle, NASA 837 are equipped with 360-degree thrust vectoring nozzles.

NASA 837 was McDonnell-Douglas TF-15A Eagle, 71-0290 when it performed at the November 13, 1977 Open House. It was painted air superiority blue.
McDonnell-Douglas F-15B Eagle, 71-0290 appeared on static display at the March Air Force Base Airshow on September 16, 1978.
McDonnell-Douglas F-15B Eagle, 71-0290 appeared at the NAWS Pt. Mugu Airshow on October 20, 1984.
The modified McDonnell-Douglas NF-15B Short Take-Off and Landing/Manueverability Technology Demonstrator (STOL/MTD) Eagle, 71-0290 first appeared on static display at the Edwards Air Force Base Open House on October 29, 1989.

Link to the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center fact sheet about the Intelligent Flight Control System flight research project.

Link to the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Photo Gallery for McDonnell-Douglas NF-15B Eagle, NASA 837.

NASA F/A-18A-8 Hornet, N850NA

NASA Beech T-34C Mentor, N865NA.

Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 60-0050 of the 412th Test Wing.

B-52H Stratofortress, 60-0050.

B-52H pyrotechnics.

- advertisement -

Air Force and NASA Airplanes at
Edwards Air Force Base

2006 Calendar

You can buy a 2006 calendar featuring my photographs of the 2005 Edwards Air Force Base Open House.

Reduced price: $13.95!

A dozen photos of aircraft performing at the 2005 Edwards Air Force Base Open House on October 21 and 22. Aircraft pictured include:

Boeing B-52G Stratofortress 60-0050
Collings Foundation McDonnell-Douglas F-4D Phantom II NX749CF Triple Nickel
NASA Lockheed ER-2 N809NA
Raytheon T-6A Texan II 03-0681
McDonnell-Douglas NF-15B Eagle NASA 837
General Dynamics F-16A Block 15 Fighting Falcon 80-0564
Lockheed-Martin F-117A Full Scale Development Stealth Fighter 79-10782
Boeing-Rockwell B-1B Lancer 85-0075
NASA McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18A-8 Hornet N850NA
Boeing-McDonnell-Douglas C-17A Globemaster III 03-3121
Northrop-Grumman B-2A Spirit 82-1068 Spirit of New York
Lockheed-Martin F-22A Engineering, Manufacture Development Raptor 91-4006

Put a copy of the Air Force and NASA Airplanes at Edwards Air Force Base: 2006 Calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $13.95.

- advertisement -

General Dynamics F-16C Block 40H Fighting Falcon, 90-0725 of the 4th Fighter Squadron Fighting Fuujins of the 388th Fighter Wing based at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

General Chuck Yeager rides on the wing of North American P-51D Mustang, NL334FS Red Dog XII as it is towed back to its parking place.

General Chuck Yeager rides on the wing of North American P-51D Mustang, NL334FS Red Dog XII.

Link to the web site of General Chuck Yeager.

F-16C Block 40H Fighting Falcon, 90-0725.

Link to the web site of the 388th Fighter Wing.

Julie Clark taxis Beech A45 (T-34A), N134JC Free Spirit.

Link to Julie Clark's site.

Bret Willat flies a Grob 103 Acro in the Sensa Sailplane Magic show.

Link to the Sensa Sailplane Magic web site.

Boeing-Rockwell B-1B Lancer, 85-0068 of the 412th Test Wing.

B-1B Lancer, 85-0068.

B-1B pyrotechnics.

More 2005 Edwards Air Force Base Open House Displays

October 18, 2005: Preparations for the Edwards AFB Open House

On Tuesday, October 18, the Edward Air Force Base Public Affairs Office provided representatives of the media with a glimpse of some of the equipment to be displayed at this weekend's Open House. A 25-year-old Norwegion General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon undergoing European Participating Air Forces (EPAF) mid-life update will be displayed with three different short-range, infra-red seeking missiles. NASA will be showing off Lockheed ER-2, N809NA and one of the presure suits used by the ER-2 pilots.

October 21, 2005: Air Force Flight Test Center Museum

The Air Force Flight Test Center Museum boasts a collection of airplanes and helicopters that have contributed to the vast history of flight testing that has occurred at Edwards Air Force Base. The AFFTC Museum is part of the tours hosted by Edwards AFB public affairs on the first and third Fridays of each month.

October 21, 2005: Edwards AFB Airshow Rehearsal

Edwards Air Force Base hosted an Open House over the weekend of October 22-23. During the two-day event, visitors saw new and unique aircraft in the Air Force inventory, and some of the best aerial demonstration pilots performing today. The various demonstrations included Air Force aircraft such as the F/A-22, F-117, F-16, KC-135, C-17, B-1, B-2, several NASA aircraft including the NF-15B, F/A-18A, T-34C and ER-2. Airplanes scheduled to perform at the Open House rehearsed their flights on Friday, October 21.