Stunt pilots Sean Tucker, in the orange plane, and Michael Goulian once again take to the skies over Narragansett Bay in this weekend's Rhode Island National Guard Airshow at Quonset State Airport in North Kingstown.   Times photo/Ernest A. Brown
 

By JON BAKER

NORTH KINGSTOWN  —  With pilots performing wild practice acrobatics in the cloudy skies overhead early Friday afternoon, Lt. Col. Denis Riel couldn’t help but tilt his head back and stare in amazement.

“Man, these guys are crazy, but it’s so much fun to watch,” said Riel, the media director for this 16th annual Rhode Island National Guard Open House & Airshow, scheduled for today and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Quonset Point base.
“It never gets old, taking in this stuff,” he added. “The real beauty for us in the National Guard is, while the planning is hectic, we love watching our friends and neighbors in Rhode Island and around southern New England enjoy themselves.
“They get to watch a variety of amazing aerial demonstrations, both military and civilian, that they otherwise might not be able to see.
“The whole intention (behind) this event is to open our doors to the public, let them in and see what we’re all about,” Riel said. “This is also our way of thanking them for the incredible level of support we’ve received from citizens in the state, Connecticut and Massachusetts. We’ve received a great deal of support since 9/11, and that includes from the public, the government and employees of our National Guardsmen.”
Riel, a Lincoln resident who also serves as the Lions’ varsity hockey co-coach, stated the Friday before the airshow is always the busiest for him. He must coordinate the participants’ practice schedules, take information from media members, welcome VIPs and other guests, etc.
“It’s been busy, but fun, too, seeing some of the friendly faces coming back,” he said. “Most of the static displays flew in (Friday).
“On the military side, we had a Canadian F-18 come in from Cove Lake in Ontario, and two F-15 E Strike Eagles come in from Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base in South Carolina,” Riel said, “not to mention an L-39 Russian training jet, which is owned by an American but will be flown by Jeff Hickman, a former U.S. Air Force pilot.”
Riel anticipates up to 60,000 fans this weekend, though those numbers could swell for a single outstanding reason: For the first time over Quonset, the National Guard will host the renowned Royal Air Force Red Arrows, a nine-aircraft team from England.
“They are the equivalent to the United States’ Thunderbirds (Air Force) and Blue Angels (Navy),” Riel stated. “This is the first time since 1993 that they’ve performed in America, and obviously the first time here.
“It’s a great story how that came to be. An organization called the International Council of Air Shows held a banquet in Las Vegas last December, and the Blue Angels gave out an award for the best air show in which it participated, and the premier host.
“We in the Rhode Island National Guard received it,” he added with a grin. “Turns out, members of the Red Arrows were present. As they were fleshing out their (2008) schedule, we approached them, and they accepted (our invitation) to come to Quonset. It was a major score for us. The Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels fly in a six-aircraft formation, and the Red Arrows perform in a nine-aircraft diamond. It should be a real thrill for anyone who attends.”
That segment of the show is slated for 3:15 on both days.
Another main attraction figures to be the “Combined Arms Demonstration (scheduled for 2:45),” Riel said.
“That’s a mock seizure of an airfield,” he explained. “It requires the Air Force to come in and strafe the field to prepare for an invasion, then the insertion of troops via helicopter, followed by a combat landing of a C-130.
“The Rich’s Incredible Pyro ‘Wall of Fire’ (with North Smithfield’s Rich Savaria a primary coordinator) takes place in the midst of it. That’s really cool. If you’re in the crowd, you can feel the heat.”
Other aerial displays will be performed by the Black Daggers, Sean and Eric Tucker, Julie Clark, Ed Hamill, John Klatt, “Shockwave” and Mike Goulian. Also, a “Heritage Flight” with a F-15E and P-51 will take place at 1:50 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
Onlookers will also have the opportunity to peek into stationary aircraft, and even take a simulated ride on an Air National Guard plane.
Shows on both days are free of charge.