The skies over Patuxent River NAS in Southern Maryland and the surrounding area were filled with planes of all sizes, colors and shapes that were flown by experts who left the viewers in awe of the maneuvers performed. Thousands of people watched from a variety of vantage points including boaters on the waters of the Patuxent River.
 

 

The show opened with the Golden Knights Parachute Team (Army) jumping in while carrying the American flag and then the flag of Maryland.
 

 

Otto the helicopter made a delightful debut and entertained the audience with its antics. Preceding Otto were the Blue Angels, which were more than just a little impressive with their precision in every aspect from beginning to end; especially when they flew with wings but a few inches from the neighboring jet’s canopy all the while maneuvering in formation.
 

 

The airshow included the USAF F-16 Viper demo team, which rattled the teeth of the audience as it zoomed overhead. There was the amazing Patty Wagstaff who maneuvers her aircraft better than most car drivers can drive, the Red Eagle aerobatic team in their stunning Talon Eagle bi-planes, the B-25 Panchito piloted by Larry Kelley, the Yak team in their Soviet Trainers and Fat Albert, which took to the sky at a 45-degree angle and roared into the sky.
 

 

Not to be out-done by the aircraft demonstrations, the Jet Bus piloted by The Indy Boys challenged Patty Wagstaff to a race as they both roared off, the bus with a fiery tail from the F-4 Phantom fighter jet engines that propels it to speeds of well over 200 mph.  Also seen on the runway was a Port-O-Jeta Outhouse driven by Paul Stender that reached speeds of 70 mph racing ahead as Otto tried dousing the flames from the outhouse’s jet engine.
 

 

Besides the flight demonstrations, there were many aircraft of all kinds on static display for the attendees to walk around and marvel over.

Air Expo 2009 is a marvelous start to the summer in which we will celebrate the 375th birthday of the state of Maryland.