However it was still one of the world's best warbirds shows of the year, with a number of interesting formations courtesy of the pilots of the P-51 Mustangs joining up with this A-26 Invader, a B-17 Flying Fortress, and failing all else, each other.

The main American fighters of the European theater were well represented, with two P-38 Lightnings, two P-40 Warhawks, a P-47G Thunderbolt and no fewer than seven P-51 Mustangs in the air at one time.

The show featured aircraft from newly every period of operation, from the modern USAF all the way back to aircraft used by the US Army Air Corps, like this replica S.E.5a used in the first world war.

The "Tora, Tora, Tora" display team flew a large array of replica Zero fighters, Kate torpedo bombers and Val dive bombers, but there was an authentic Zero at the show, together with original American naval types like the F4F Wildcat, F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat, a pair of TBM Avengers and the rare SBD Dauntless and SB2C Helldiver.

The peak year for the show must have been 2005, when they were able to bring together eight of America's nine airworthy B-17 Flying Fortresses.   This year it was the turn of the B-25 Mitchell, with no fewer than fifteen of these bombers in the air at one time, the most since filming of the movie "Catch 22".

The most notable change involved moving the entire crowd area onto the huge grassed area in the middle of the airfield, which provided far more space for ordinary showgoers than the previous arrangement.   Another major departure was to invite the navy's Blue Angels display team, guaranteeing a far larger attendance than usual which provided a welcome shot in the arm to the effort to replace the museum's buildings which burned down a few years ago.

Even this F-117 Nighthawk "stealth fighter", in its last year of regular airshow demonstrations, showed that it could suck moisture from the sky.

The departures this year were particularly rich in helicopters, none more interesting than this piston-engined H-21 Shawnee, known to many as "the flying banana" because of its unusual shape.

The show was certainly thinner than previous years, with fewer aircraft flying and long gaps between displays, however it was still very worthwhile, providing excellent opportunities to see displays by aircraft like the F-117 Nighthawk, which will soon be retired.

Since this is headquarters for the entire organization, aircraft fly in from all over the United States.   The Pearl Harbor commemoration team "Tora, Tora, Tora" displays all around the USA, but the show at Midland is easily the biggest, with large numbers of replica Japanese Zero fighters, Kate torpedo bombers and Val dive bombers.   A huge pyrotechnics team adds to the action with the largest pyrotechnics spread anywhere.

For the Vietnam era demonstration, Bob Grondzik brought his A-1 Skyraider and T-28 Fennec, and the MiG-17 also performed.   A MiG-21 "Fishbed" fighter jet was at the show but hydraulic problems prevented it from flying during the weekend

Other highlights of the show are the helicopters which make a brief appearance, this year a pair of Ka-27 "Helix-A" helicopters which flew once to open the show, and a pair of Mi-8 "Hip" helicopters, one dropping parachutists and the other just coincidentally passing through.

Although it ended up that the Russian air force Swifts and their MiG-29s weren't able to attend, the Polish air force "red and white sparks" flew a four ship of TS-11 Iskra trainers, and the Swedish air force "Team 60" showed off six of their Saab 105s.

They highlights of this year's show were several unique restored aircraft, including this pre-war P-26 Peashooter and a Seversky AT-12 Guardsman trainer.   Unbelievably the museum at Chino also had an XP-59 Airacomet on static display which they plan on restoring to flying condition over the next few years.   This was America's first jet aircraft, developed as a fighter during world war two.

It was a real thrill to see the Raptor finally do something at an air show other than high, flat passes like the F-117 and B-2.   It seems that someone up there mercifully decided to let this ultra-maneuverable airplane do low takeoff passes, banked passes and steep afterburner climbs, a great portent of things to come.

As well as this beautiful British-designed Sea Fury naval fighter, there were many other favorite world war two aircraft on display, including a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, a P-51D Mustang fighter and a C-47 Skytrain ("Dakota") transport.

However the show's crowning glory was a genuine F-4D Phantom II fighter jet, the only one in civilian ownership anywhere in the world.  It put on an excellent show of speed, noise and power to cap off the show.   You can also see some air-to-air photos I took of this same aircraft after the show.

As well as the usual complement of P-51 Mustangs, a P-40 Warhawk and a B-25 Mitchell, there were rarities like this FJ-4B Fury, a Grumman Duck floatplane, a MiG-17 "Fresco" and a Dornier Alpha jet.

In keeping with the theme, there was an excellent selection of Vietnam era aircraft on display, including this A-1 Skyraider and OH-6 Cayuse (better known as the Loach), as well as an A-37 Dragonfly, AC-47 "Spooky" gunship, F-4D Phantom II, F-104 Starfighter and a MiG-17 "Fresco".

There were also demonstrations by an F-16 Fighting Falcon and a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.

The El Centro airshow is always the first display of the year for the team and in 2005 they put on an excellent display, with even tighter formation flying than last year.

This year's show included a look at Robosaurus, America's latest weapon in the War Against Boredom, as he roared, tore cars to pieces and incinerated them.

This was my first American air show, and I got to see the Blue Angels display team...

What's a loadmaster?   It's one of these guys in the photo at the right, pushing stuff out the open ramp of a Hercules.