Flybys & Aerial Displays
Numerous aircraft will be conducting aerobatics, photo passes flyovers during the event many of which will be on display. Get up close and personal with these planes and their pilot in between demos.
F-16 Viper Demo Team
U.S. Air Force
The F-16 Viper Demo Team will showcase the raw power and agility of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Based at Shaw Air Force Base, the team flies a specially painted F-16 in a thrilling aerial routine packed with high-G turns, vertical climbs, lightning-fast rolls, and heart-pounding afterburner passes. Each performance is carefully choreographed to demonstrate the Viper’s precision, thrust, and combat-ready capabilities while energizing and inspiring airshow audiences.
P-51 Mustang Heritage Flight
Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation
Watch in awe as the WWII era P-51 and modern F-16 fly in formation in a dramatic display of our nation’s air power history. These formations serve as a living memorial to the men and women who have served – or are currently serving – in the U.S. Air Force.
Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association
Canadian Harvard
The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association regularly thrills spectators with their beautifully restored WWII trainers in dynamic airshow performances. During an exciting aerobatic demonstration, their pilots perform graceful loops, rolls, formation passes, and precise maneuvers that showcase both skill and the aircraft’s classic wartime heritage. The deep radial engine roar and tight formation flying create a nostalgic yet heart-pounding display.
Rick Volker
Siai Marchetti SF.260
Rick is an unlimited category International Aerobatic Club pilot and has competed in aerobatic competitions for many years in high performance aircraft such as the Pitts and Sukhoi. Rick has won numerous regional aerobatic events. He is a former competitive swimmer, speed skater, bicycle racer, cross-country skier, and body builder. Such is the type of conditioning required to fly at this level, as Rick alternates between plus 11 and minus 6 Gs, often in the same maneuver.
Rick is a retired dentist in Niagara Falls, New York and currently teaches advanced aerobatics to pilots in their own aircraft.
Trevor Rafferty
Pitts Model 12
Unfortunately, Trevor had an engine failure after an air show in Michigan and had to cancel his appearance at Props and Pistons Festival in 2025. This year he'll be back in a new aircraft...details coming soon.
Michael Hunter
Flight for Diabetes
Michael inspires audiences by combining high-energy aerobatics with a powerful message about living boldly with diabetes. Flying a sleek Laser-type aerobatic aircraft, he performs crisp snap rolls, towering vertical climbs, and tumbling maneuvers that electrify the crowd. Each performance blends precision, speed, and passion, using the excitement of flight to raise awareness and encourage others to pursue their dreams without limits.
Patrick McAlee
Pitts S1S
An exceptional powerhouse in the air. This fully customized biplane is designed for extreme aerobatics, featuring a remarkable weight of 800 lbs and delivering 210 horsepower. Capable of reaching a maximum speed of 235 mph, it performs breathtaking maneuvers that challenge limits with precision and expertise.
The Goodyear Blimp
Celebrating 100 Years of Flight!
The Goodyear Blimp is one of the most iconic aircraft in the world, known for its massive size, gentle cruising speed, and distinctive presence in the skies. Operated by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, the blimp serves as an aerial ambassador for the brand, providing coverage of major sporting events and public appearances.
Though often called a "blimp," the current fleet actually consists of semi-rigid airships known as the Zeppelin NT, based out of Goodyear’s base in Akron, Ohio. With over 100 years of history, the Goodyear Blimp is a true symbol of aviation heritage and innovation.
T-34 Association
T-34 Mentor
The T-34 Association will thrill the crowd as their classic T-34 Mentor aircraft roar overhead in a tight, disciplined formation. Flying wingtip to wingtip, the pilots will demonstrate precise coordination and maneuvers that will showcase the aircraft’s military training heritage. Against the clear blue sky, the graceful passes will highlight both the skill of the aviators and the timeless beauty of the vintage trainers.
Robert Preston
Boeing Stearman
Enjoy the sound of the radial engine as the biplane makes low, flybys along the crowd line, giving spectators perfect opportunities for photos. The vintage WWII trainer will showcase the timeless charm and bold spirit of early military aviation.
1948-1958
Did you know Akron was a Navy base?
The Akron-Fulton Airport, opened in 1929 and for awhile was designated a U.S. military base where military airships and Corsair aircraft where common sights. During the last few years of World War II Goodyear Aircraft constructed more than 4,000 Corsairs, with some of Corsairs serving the Navy in Akron until the late 1950's.
The Airport Terminal building is on the National Register of Historical places and has several Historical Markers in it's parking lot detailing the vast history of this airport.
In the 1950's through the 1960s the airport was often used as a drag strip, and is home to the now closed Rubber Bowl, Soap Box Derby, a BMX track, and the legendary Airdock.
Built in 1929, the huge Goodyear Airdock, was created as a space where blimps, airships, and dirigibles could be constructed. The hanger stands over 200 feet tall and well over 1,000 feet long, all without any interior supports like pillars or struts. At the time of its completion, the building was the largest of its kind in the world. The building holds over a million cubic meters of space in which to create massive lighter-than-air ships. To get the ships out of the airdock once they were completed, both of the rounded ends of the building actually slid apart like rounded wedge doors. Each of the doors weighed 600 tons, powered by their own separate power plants. Of course, construction on this grand scale created some surprising issues. For one, the huge building was expected to expand and contract as the temperature changed, so much of the structure was placed on rollers so that it could do so without doing any structural damage. In addition, the temperature inside and outside the building would often be drastically different, creating a sort of indoor weather system. To combat this, rows of massive windows were installed on either side of the hanger which open up to equalize the temperatures. However, despite this, during certain conditions, condensation can accumulate in the upper air of the hanger and begin to "rain" on the builders below.