JBLM Airshow & Warrior Expo 2016 – Static Displays

There was quite a variety of static aircraft on display at the Joint Base Lewis McChord – JBLM Airshow & Warrior Expo 2016 (August 27th-28th, 2016 – I went on the Saturday). Non flying aircraft and helicopters were present from the USAF, US Army (more on them in my next post), Royal Canadian Air Force and Civil Air Patrol including combat aircraft, trainers, transports and aerial refuelling tankers. There was something for everyone but as per usual with modern budgetary constraints there could always have been more fighters and bombers!

USAF Rockwell B-1B Lancer from the 34th Bomb Squadron, 28th Bomb Wing out of Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota

The interior cockpit space of such a big aircraft is very small in the B-1B (especially for the WSO’s who sit in a small section behind where I took this from – not really possible to get a worthy photo on the day)!

The old and the new – a current USAF Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and a retired Lockheed C-130E Hercules (part of the McChord Air Museum collection). The old camo scheme looks great!

USAF 62nd Airlift Wing Boeing C-17 Globemaster III – Lewis McChord is their home base so plenty of C-17’s were on hand!

USAF B-1B Lancer, Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182’s with a USAF C-17, USAF C-17 and C-130J

USAF 62nd Airlift Wing Boeing C-17 Globemaster III open for inspection

USAF 142nd Fighter Wing, Oregon Air National Guard McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle. It was a popular static display – unfortunately it didn’t fly at the show!

The venerable USAF Northrop T-38 Talon jet trainer

USAF Beechcraft T-6A Texan II & TC-12 Huron training aircraft

JBLM control tower and statics

The USAF Thunderbirds General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons await their turn to fly

A tail or two! USAF Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender and Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

Royal Canadian Air Force Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King

There were plenty of base C-17’s about and a huge Lockheed C-5 Galaxy transport

More USAF 62nd Airlift Wing Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transports!

USAF McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aerial refueling tanker

The business end of a USAF McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aerial refueling tanker

The huge USAF Lockheed C-5 Galaxy transport. Its like a Great White sharks mouth has opened up!

USAF Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

Down the line

USAF Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker out of Fairchild AFB near Spokane, WA

USAF KC-135R “Spokane Sun-God II”

USAF KC-135R CFM-56 engines and refueling probe

There were also various warbirds and historic aircraft at the other end of the airfield. Technically they were not static displays as a number of them flew during the day and were separated from the crowd by a security fence but you could still get a reasonable look at them!

Warbirds

All in all and enjoyable day wandering around exploring all of these aircraft up close. In my next post I will share some photos of the US Army helicopters, vehicles and equipment that was part of the Warrior Expo.