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Performers

From jets to barnstorming, the 2019 Toledo Air show will thrill spectators of all ages.
Check back often as new performers are added.

*All performers, aircraft, and displays are subject to change without notice.
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Tora, Tora, Tora!

"Tora, Tora, Tora" is the Commemorative Air Force's recreation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that signaled the beginning of the American involvement in World War II. Designed as a living history lesson, "Tora, Tora, Tora" is intended as a memorial to all the soldiers on both sides who gave their lives for their countries.

Tora, Tora, Tora began in 1972, when six replica Japanese aircraft used in the movie of the same name were donated to the CAF. The Gulf Coast Wing requested assignment of the aircraft and began developing an act for presentation at air shows. The act debuted at the Galveston Air Show on June 25, 1972. By 1977, Tora had gained national exposure. By 1978, Tora began to make international appearances in Canada and Mexico.

In 1991 Tora participated extensively in the 50th anniversary year commemorations of Pearl Harbor and in 1992, Tora tackled the challenge of sending two replica Zeros to Alaska to participate in the 50th anniversary commemoration of the raid on Dutch Harbor. Throughout the 90s, Tora has been in demand at air shows throughout the country and as recently as the Spring of 2000, Tora aircraft and pilots participated in the filming of a new movie on the Pearl Harbor attack being filmed for release by Disney. As of the 2005 air show season, the men and women of Tora have been performing as a professional air show act for 33 years.

The motto of the Commemorative Air Force and the "Tora" act is "Lest We Forget." "Tora, Tora, Tora", as other Commemorative Air Force flying history recreations, is not intended to promote nationalism or glorify war. The intent of the Tora group is to help generations of individuals throughout the world born after World War II understand that war does not discriminate in the pain it causes and that courageous individuals on both sides lose their lives. In furtherance of this mission, the Tora group has participated in the making of numerous documentaries produced by Japanese filmmakers and Japanese historians.

The pilots and crew of "Tora, Tora, Tora" are proud of the reputation they have developed with veterans of the Japanese military as an accurate lesson on the history of the time and as a tribute to themselves and their comrades. Over the years, "Tora, Tora, Tora" has brought both American and Japanese veterans together to celebrate the spirit of cooperation our two nations have enjoyed for more than 50 years. At air shows throughout the country, Japanese veterans living, working, and visiting in this country have had an opportunity to meet with the Tora gang and join with American veterans in a sprit of brotherhood and friendship that only former servicemen can experience.

During the average year, Tora participates in 12 to 16 air shows with 8 to 10 Tora aircraft participating in each show. In addition, each performance includes approximately 61 pyrotechnic effects. The average Tora show requires the coordinated effort of a minimum of 20 to 26 individuals both in the air and on the ground. As one air show industry publication noted, âFlying and working with a keen sense of spirit and camaraderie, the men and women of Tora set themselves apart from other air show acts by exhibiting a professionalism that over the years has earned them the distinction as one of the best acts in the industry." This excellence was recognized formally in December 2001 when Tora was presented with the Art Scholl Award for Showmanship. This award is one of the two highest distinctions awarded by ICAS, the premiere air show industry trade association.

This level of achievement is truly extraordinary when one considers that Tora is comprised entirely of volunteers. Every single person associated with Tora has volunteered his/her time, skills and financial resources to accomplish one simple featâ¦the telling of a true story, a piece of history. In this respect, Tora is more than just another air show act. Tora is a team of volunteers dedicated to an air show act that can best be described as a living history museum.

For over 35 years, 12 to 16 shows each year, the men and women of Tora have been performing essentially the same act for crowds throughout the western hemisphere. The story never changes, yet every show is as fresh and exciting as the first. Every performance is presented with the same spirited presentation, sense of emotion, and commitment to safety as those first performances in 1972.

As the pilots taxi for takeoff, Tora ground crew and Tora Bomb Squad members can frequently be seen saluting the pilots in the traditional Japanese fashion of a bow. From that moment in the air show until the final notes of Kate Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" are heard as the smoke and fires from Tora finally fade away, the men and women of Tora are dedicated to one simple, yet powerful task... the telling of the story... "lest we forget".

Dedication...Selflessness...Commitment... these terms are synonymous with the men and women of Tora, Tora, Tora.

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180th Fighter Wing

Today’s 180th FW was formed in October 1995, but its origins stretch back to Aug. 18, 1917 when the 112th Aero Squadron was organized as a supply unit at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. Ten years later in 1927, the 112th moved to the Cleveland Hopkins Airport, Ohio where they became known as the 112th Observation Squadron flying a wide range of aircraft throughout the late 1920’s and 1930’s including the PT-1, BT-1, the O-2 and the O-11. In 1940, the unit was regrouped as the 112th Liaison Squadron.

Over the years, members of the 180FW and the 112FS have answered the call to duty by supporting several real-world contingencies to including Operation Just Cause in 1989 and Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield in 1991. In 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 unit members volunteered to enforce the No-Fly-Zones over Iraq in support of Operation Provide Comfort, Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch. Following the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001, unit members have volunteered to support both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in 2005 and Operation Iraqi Freedom again in 2007 and 2008. Most recently, in 2013, the wing deployed for the first time to Djbouti, Africa, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

While deployed to Africa, the wing received an unscheduled tasking to forward deploy to Azraq, Jordan. The men and women of the 180FW accepted and flawlessly executed this short-notice challenge and moved 221 personnel, eight F-16 Fighting Falcons and 250 tons of support equipment to stand up a bare base in less than 72 hours. Before returning home, 180FW Airmen assisted in yet another relocation, from Jordan to Afghanistan, moving personnel, aircraft and support equipment to Kandahar.

Always striving to better the wing, and the Air National Guard, the 180FW continually seeks out new missions. In 2006, the 180FW began the development of a 10 acre solar renewable energy site. The site is an operational 1.6 megawatt photovoltaic field which is slated for expansion to approximately 1.9 Megawatts peak electrical capacity. Currently, the system produces approximately 33 percent of the unit’s annual electrical requirements, in turn saving the taxpayers an estimated $230,000 each year while reducing the wing’s dependence on coal by almost 623 tons annually. Most recently, the wing added 10 Dual Access Tracking Arrays.

From 2007 to 2015, the 180th Fighter Wing Medical Group joined Ohio’s Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear or High-Yield Explosives Homeland Response Force Package, or HRF. This joint package was designed by the National Guard Bureau and is comprised of civilian emergency agencies and Army National Guard components.

Ohio’s HRF team serves the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s region five, supporting Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The team’s mission is to provide immediate response to the Governor in searching disaster sites, rescuing casualties, decontaminating them, performing medical triage and initial treatment to stabilize them for transport to nearby medical facilities.

The 180FW Propulsion Element was selected in 2008 as the first Pratt and Whitney - 229/220 Repair Network Integration team to have provided War Ready Engines for the F-15 and F-16 communities by rebuilding and testing 81 engines from 2009 to date in support of the Air Force and Air National Guard. These engines have been sent to coalition partners as well as U.S. Air Force installations.

Activated in October 2008, the Air Sovereignty Alert mission became the newest mission at the 180FW. Today, the mission is known as Aerospace Control Alert, after the mission underwent an official name change in July, 2011, to more accurately depict the mission. Directly supporting Operation Noble Eagle, the 180FW aids in the protection of the Continental United States and Canada under the direction of the North American Air Defense Command, or NORAD. Since the activation of the mission at the 180FW, ACA has responded to 135 real-world events, totaling 380 flying hours in support of ONE. The ACA team continues to excel at the nation’s number one priority, our 24/7/365 mission, year after year, earning the highest possible “Mission Ready” NORAD Command inspection ratings and “Best Seen to Date” comments for both Alert Forces Evaluations and Alert Forces Operational Assessments in 2009, 2012 and 2014. The 180FW ACA was the first unit to ever win the 1st Air Force ACA Unit of the Year title, two consecutive years in a row in 2010 and 2011.

Our ACA team has produced several 1st Air Force-level individual award winners as well over the years to include Pilot of the Year in 2011, Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year in 2009, Noncommissioned Officer of the Year in 2009 and 2011, Maintainer of the Year for 2010 and Command Post Controller of the Year in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Most recently a 180FW Airman was selected as the 1st Air Force First Sergeant of the Year for 2014. In 2015, a 180FW Airman was selected as the 2015 Security Forces Aerospace Control Alert Airman of the Year.

The team’s continued excellence has earned them the full confidence of the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region Commander when he remarked “the 180FW is the benchmark for these operations.” In the future, the 180FW and the 112FS will continue to be major contributors to the nation’s air superiority.

The 180FW remains committed to maintaining the long-standing tradition of high standards when providing combat ready Airmen for our federal, state and community missions.

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Rob Holland

Rob’s rise to the top started as a young airshow fan in his native New England. Earning his pilot’s license while still a teenager, Rob began flying aerobatics almost immediately, all while building valuable flight time and experience as a corporate pilot, commuter pilot, banner tower, flight instructor, ferry pilot, and operating his own aerobatic flight school.

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Shockwave Jet Truck

Shockwave is a custom built race truck equipped with 3 huge J34-48 Pratt & Whitney Jet Engines originally out of the USA Navy T2 Buckeye. The combined horsepower is 36,000! These 3 Jet Engines make a total of 21,000 lbs of thrust which easily propels this truck to speeds over 350 mph while racing planes at air shows all over North America! Shockwave is not only the most powerful truck in the world, it also hold the record speed for Semi Trucks at 376 mph!

As one of the most popular air show and drag racing exhibition vehicles in the world, the Shockwave performance is not something you will soon forget! This is truly an assault of all of your senses with huge flames coming out of the 3 after burning jet engines, fire shooting out of the smoke stacks, intense heat, deafening noise, and SPEED! Shockwave is owned by Darnell Racing Enterprises, Inc based in Springfield, MO and driven by Chris Darnell.

Neal Darnell
As driver/pilot of the Worlds Fastest Jet Powered Truck Neal Darnell has been performing at Airshows for 15 years.

With a long career producing various types of motorsport events Neal and wife Marilyn made the decision to turn over that business to son John in 1999. Neal then turned to Real Estate Development building a luxury subdivision in Springfield, Missouri but missing the adrenaline rush from the various types of racing he'd been involved in, it was time to jump back in.

Always interested in Jet Engines, he thought why not put a military fighter jet engine in a Chevy Pickup Truck? With a little magic, a lot of money, a little luck, and lots of hard work the Flash Fire Jet Truck was born. A Jet Truck with over 12,000 Horsepower and capable of speeds approaching 400 miles per hour.

After licensing with NHRA and a short Drag Racing stint, Neal decided it was time to start performing at Airshows and soon he was developing a reputation racing and beating some very fast airplanes, even an F-16 in 2011 at Andrews AFB in D.C.

With over 20 years in the Show Promotion Business as the Producer of over 400 major events Neal understands the importance of Showmanship in everything he does.

In 2005 Neal set an Airshow Speed Record of 375 mph at Tyndall AFB in Florida. This record still stands today making Flash Fire " the Worlds Fastest Jet Powered Truck ".

In 2011 and 2012 Neal performed with the Air National Guard Max Adrenaline Air Show Team. Neal and his son Chris share the driving duties of the Shockwave Jet Truck and the Flash Fire Jet Trucks. Check our Schedule page often for information on where we are performing.

Chris Darnell
Chris is the Driver/Pilot of the Flash Fire Jet Truck and the SHOCKWAVE Jet Truck. Chris has been involved in motorsports his entire life. He has many years of experience in the Motorsports Promotion business as well. Chris has competed in many different types of racing over the years from drag racing to circle track and beyond. He has literally done it all. Having experience on the production side of motorsport events as well as a performer/competitor in motorsports goes a long way towards making each show a success.

Chris also has a Bachelors Degree in Marketing/Advertising and Promotions from Missouri State University. Besides driving the Fastest Trucks in the world on the Drag Racing and Air Show circuit, Chris also owns a Truck Accessory Company called 4 Wheel Customs. Chris is now sharing the driving duties with his dad Neal in both the Flash Fire and SHOCKWAVE Jet Trucks.

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Class of 45

The “Class of ‘45’s” origins are really quite simple. While watching practice at the Wings Over North Georgia airshow in October of 2013, pilots Jim Tobul and Scott Yoak were discussing the USAF’s Heritage and U S Navy’s Legacy flights.

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Mig-17

Made famous by the Vietnam War, the MiG-17F was the primary enemy aircraft engaged in the skies over Vietnam by U.S. aircraft, such as the A-4,A-7, F-8, B-52, F-100, F-105 and its primary nemesis, the F-4 Phantom II. During that war and up until the F-16 entered service, it was the tightest-turning fighter in the world. When production started in the 1950s, its VK-1F engine made it one of the first production jet fighters in the world with an afterburner. The MiG-17F could carry bombs, rockets, or extra fuel tanks under its wings.

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Jacquie B

With over 3,500 flight hours and more than 1,000 coast-to-coast air show performances to her credit, Jacquie has proven that she has the talent, stamina, discipline and guts to reach beyond all limits.

Jacquie traces her love of flying her to her earliest days, when, as a newborn, her first outing was to the Los Angeles County Airport Air Show. Her pilotfather’s interest in airplanes and flying inspired Jacquie to want to dream of flying.

She earned her Private Pilot certificate in 1987 and shortly thereafter was introduced to the world of aerobatics. A friend offered her a ride in a Pitts Special and she jumped at the chance to do a different kind of flying. With that first flight of loops, rolls, spins and a few other very scary maneuvers, she was instantly hooked on aerobatics.

Once she discovered aerobatics, there was no question in her mind she was destined for aerobatic flying. It took 10 years longer to save enough money to take aerobatic lessons, but save she did and took her first “formal” aerobatic lesson in July 1997. She joined the International Aerobatic Club in August 2000 and for the next 4 years she flew aerobatic competition. She raced her biplane at the Reno Air Races from 2001 through 2004 to learn a whole new kind of flying.

Jacquie is now flying an Extra 300 monoplane. She made the switch from a biplane of many years to something new. Her beautiful red Extra is faster, more capable of gyroscopic maneuvers and has two seats! She can now give rides and share her love and passion of flying with others across the country. She holds a Commercial Certificate in land-based aircraft as well as a seaplane rating and holds a Level 1 ACE card which allows her to perform air shows down to the surface.

Jacquie B has earned her wings. She no longer qualifies as a newcomer flying for gas-and-a-hot-dog, as the saying goes. Her time has come. With over 3,200 flight hours and more than 1100 coast-to-coast air show performances behind her, Jacquie has proven that she has the talent, stamina, discipline and guts to reach beyond the limits placed on her by naysayers. In fact, she broke even more stringent cultural boundaries when she became the first female solo pilot to perform at the 2010 Al Ain Aerobatic Show in the United Arab Emirates. Jacquie is a powerful inspiration to the millions of fans who realize that they too can accomplish great things in life.

Jacquie spends a large part of her time as a role model by way of speaking to kids at schools, speaking to civic groups, private groups, and particularly groups of women and young girls. In March 2013, she organized a week-long program to offer airplane rides to young girls and women of all ages in a concerted effort to introduce them to the joys of flight and all things aviation. Jacquie flew 31 girls/women with the help of several other pilots during that week and made some life-long friends!

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F-100

If Dean “Cutter” Cutshall’s F-100F Super Sabre could talk, it would tell you how it went from being a United States Air Force test aircraft to a sand-filled fighter in the Turkish Air Force to resting comfortably in a Fort Wayne hangar. “I started flying early in high school,” says Cutshall. “I would ride my bike to the airport when it was called Baer Field to attend Van Stiffler’s ground school and then take flight training from Margaret Ringenberg. The summer after receiving my diploma from Hillsdale College, I joined the Navy.

After the service, I moved to Michigan as a flight and ground instructor and an aircraft salesman. Returning to Fort Wayne, I flew for a charter operation until it eventually folded. After that, I got into the banking business, but continued to fly.”

The aircraft was manufactured in 1958 at the North American Palmdale California Plant and delivered to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico by Lt. Harry Eckes. “This particular plane never saw combat while it was in the United States,” says Cutshall. “The Air Force used it as a test platform for new weapons systems. There were approximately 2,300 F-100s manufactured, of which 340 were F-100F models. Of all the F-100s manufactured, this is the only operational F-100 in existence. Many were used in Vietnam. Others are on display or have been destroyed during missile tests. Some were moved to the military boneyard, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, and some were scrapped.

Cutshall says after Holloman, the plane was put into storage in Tucson. Eventually, it was rehabbed and sold to the Turkish Air Force where it was used in combat during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. It remained in Turkey for more than a decade before being purchased by Tracor and flown to California where it was put up for sale.

“During the renovation, we emptied hundreds of pounds of sand out of the HUN – the nickname for the F-100,” says Prez. “I mean, it was sitting in a desert in Turkey for ten years. When Paul removed the ejection seats it was just a sandbox.” That was more than 20 years ago. Today, Cutshall’s F-100F Super Sabre is kept in the Premier Avionics hangar at Fort Wayne International Airport. It is meticulously maintained by Swick and Prez.

“I couldn’t ask for better crew chiefs,” says Cutshall. “Paul has nearly 60 years of experience on the F-100 and he’s done more work on that type of aircraft than any living person. Prez has 45 years of experience with the F-100 and is an expert on the J-57 engine and a master when it comes to sheet metal work. We take it to airshows throughout the year and various events like that. This year, my old friend Harry Eckes, the lieutenant who delivered the aircraft to the Air Force, will come from his home in Texas for one more flight in the HUN on his 85th birthday. Last year members of the Super Sabre Society, a group of men who flew the F-100 in Vietnam, came to Fort Wayne for a last ride in the beloved HUN. It was a great thrill for those guys and they laughed and all said the same thing after the ride…’The seat is still uncomfortable.’”

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Black Dagger

For almost three-quarters of a century, highly trained groups of Soldiers have been inserted behind enemy lines to disrupt the movement of enemy troops and supplies to the front lines. These brave Soldiers have frequently used parachutes as a means to infiltrate without being detected.

Although most of the airborne forces of the world still use round parachutes, some specialized military free-fall units use ram-air airfoils, which provide control of speed and direction, as their primary means of infiltration.

Descending from the skies at 12,500 feet, traveling nearly 120 miles per hour, free-fall parachuting is the closest humans have ever come to actually flying. For the Black Daggers, the official U.S. Army Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team, that's a typical Monday morning.

During their two-mile drop, the Black Daggers maneuver their body using their hands, arms, legs and shoulders to control their flight. At a few thousand feet, they deploy their parachutes and land with pin-point precision, whether it's in a football stadium or on their training grounds near Fort Bragg, N.C.

Their mission is to perform live aerial demonstrations in support of Army special operations community relations and recruiting. Composed of volunteers from throughout Army special operations, the Black Daggers have diverse backgrounds and are skilled in various military specialties including Special Forces, Rangers, civil affairs, psychological operations, and signal and support. With an average age of 33 and an average number of free-fall jumps at 560, the team represents the professionalism and dedication of Army special operations forces.

Although they are capable of performing both high-altitude, low-opening and high-altitude, high-opening jumps, the principle technique demonstrated by the Black Daggers is the HALO. This form of stealth insertion used to land troops and equipment behind enemy lines was first conducted in combat during the Vietnam War by the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group, a multiservice U.S. special operations unit in which Army Special Forces played a large role.

After exiting an aircraft at high altitudes, sometimes upwards of 25,000 feet, where oxygen is scarce, the jumpers fall to the earth, reaching terminal velocity before deploying their parachutes and gliding in under enemy radar.

The Black Daggers use the military variant of the ram-air parachute. These flexible-wing gliders allow a free-fall parachutist the ability to jump with more than 100 pounds of additional equipment attached to him. In addition to the extra weight, the jumper must also withstand high winds, frigid temperatures and low oxygen levels, all of which require the jumper to be highly skilled.

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Kent Pietsch

Kent Pietsch fell in love with flying when he was four years-old. Five decades later, his passion has not waned. Since 1973, Kent has performed his incredible aerobatic routines for millions of people at more than 400 shows that have taken him to quality venues throughout the United States. Kent grew up in Minot, North Dakota, where every day after school, he’d find a way to get to the airport, and do whatever it took to get into an airplane.

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B-25J Mitchell Bomber

"Georgie's Gal" started her life at a manufacturing plant in Kansas City, being accepted into service in 1945. She has been bought and sold numerous times since being decommissioned and entering civilian service, and has previously borne the names "The Devil Made Me Do It," "Man Of War," and "Martha Jean."

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Ladies for Liberty

It was a time when the spirit of patriotism was at it’s highest. World War II was just beginning and every American felt compelled to do their duty. Those who qualified joined the military to fight the enemy overseas. Women did their part by taking the factory jobs made vacant by their male counterparts. With a sense of unity, all Americans put their total effort into winning the war.

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