After the precipitous disasters of the 2008 season, I began to wonder when St Cloud may be large enough to consider having an air show. My answer came on December 7th 2009, with the release of the jet team schedules.
The main attraction was of course the Blue Angels, but the real star of the show was the F-22, not only because of its fifth generation advancements, and its unprecedented maneuverability. More important is its rarity, with only 18 global appearances this year (up from roughly 12 last year ). This marked the first Raptor trip to Minnesota, for any F-22. Military statics were sparse, 2 EA-6Bs, NASA's F-18A and an MV-22, along with a last minute surprise of a VFC-111 F-5E.
During my five day adventure, I was able to complete my checklist, viewing all the arrivals and practices, getting close to the Raptor (briefly) and meeting the legendary, yet elusive Zeke. The only glitch, besides the weather making photography problematic, was missing part of the Raptor practice, as I was coming back fom lunch, but I did get the experience of having my car buzzed by Zeke.
Thanks to the Great Minnesota Air Show team for making that a possibility, let's hope for a continued tradition in the future. Also, thanks to Zeke, Gap, Gabe, Zeke's family and the rest of the Raptor team.
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