Performers
U.S. Navy Blue Angels
We are excited to welcome the U.S. Navy Blue Angels to Indianapolis to headline the 2023 Crossroads Air Show. The pinnacle of aviation from the U.S. Navy is the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron was formed in 1946 and is the second oldest aerobatic team in the world.
P-51 C Red Tail Mustang "Tuskegee Airmen"
The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Red Tail Squadron will fly for the Crossroads Air Show in October of 2023. CAF's mission is to educate audiences across the country about the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen - America's first black military pilots. This historic segment of our air show is one you won't want to miss.
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Show from 1954-1971 and the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the "Century Series" of USAF jet fighters was the FIRST fighter capable of supersonic speed in level flight.
United States Special Operations Command Parachute Team
"The Para-Commandos"
The Para-Commandos are the US Special Operations Command's premier aerial parachute demonstration team. They perform at high visibility events across the nation, including the 2023 Crossroads Air Show! The Para-Commandos are comprised of active duty Special Operators, such as Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, Air Force Combat Controllers and Marine Raiders. The Para-Commandos may jump flags, smoke, sparklers, or a combination of each into the event. The Para-Commandos are proficient in both free fall and canopy formations; and specialize in landing on time and on target in front of the crowd!
Rob Holland
Rob Holland is one of the premier airshow performers and freestyle aerobatic competition pilots in the world. Holland has won many achievements for his high flying and daring maneuvers including being a ten-time, consecutive, U.S. National Aerobatic Champion, five-time, consecutive, World 4-minute Freestyle Champion, eleven-time, U.S. 4-minute Freestyle Champion and many more. Rob's performance will be an exciting aerobatic performance you won't want to miss.
"Spanish Lady" T-6G Texan
The Spanish Lady is a 1949 North American T-6G Texan. She was originally manufactured by North American Aviation in 1944 and was used to train allied pilots during World War II. Following WWII, The Spanish Lady served as a trainer for the US Air Force in Hondo, Texas until the early 50's and then was transferred to Spain. She served in the Spanish Air Force until the mid-80's. After 4 remarkable decades in military service, the Spanish Lady was retired and returned to the United States, where she lives in Terre Haute full time, making appearances at air shows often, as she will at the Crossroads Air Show.
Redline Team
Ken Rieder and Adam Baker are an aerobatic team based out of Cincinnati. Ken flies the RV-8s, and Adam flies an Extra 330. Ken was inspired at an early age to pursue aviation after seeing the U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly at the Dayton Air Show. He is an aerobatic and multi-engine flight instructor and serves as flight lead for the Redline Team. Adam’s competition background and progressive freestyle flying match his one-of-a-kind plane scheme. Adam has dedicated his entire professional career to flying and holds almost every possible rating. From jets to helicopters to the nimblest of aerobatic aircraft, he loves to fly them all.
Kent Pietsch
While most aerobatic performers have one basic program, Kent executes three storied acts that leave spectators mesmerized. These include a dead-stick (turning the engine off) routine from 6,000 feet and a rooftop landing on a moving RV! However, Kent is best known for a comedy act that features a detached aileron (wing flap) and a mesmerizing wingtip-scraping pass down the runway that you must see to believe. When Kent is at the controls of his plane, it is impossible not to watch him perform. Kent loves to fly, but the audience is always his number-one priority. “If you can’t entertain, you have no business being out there,” he said. “The gratification is in knowing that people are enjoying themselves.” Kent’s humble nature and willingness to interact with fans make him a crowd favorite wherever he performs. He flies an 800-pound Interstate Cadet with a 37-foot wingspan. The plane’s horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine can generate 90 horsepower and a G-force ranging from -3 to +5.
Racers Jet Team
Racers Jet Team started in a true American tradition. Suppose you've ever tinkered with or modified your car, truck, motorcycle, or bicycle to squeeze out as much performance as possible. In that case, you understand the beginnings and focus of our team's pilots individually! The Racers Jet Team was formed to recognize the special performance abilities of these racing jets and the unique talents of our air race and air show pilots, Scott Farnsworth and Jerry "Jive" Kerby! These L-39s may look like other L-39s, but looks are only skin-deep! These jets' bones, muscles, and souls are 100 percent focused on being the fastest jets on the race course and at your air show!
F-16 Viper Demo Team
The Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., performs precision aerial maneuvers to demonstrate the unique capabilities of one of the Air Force's premier multi-role fighters — the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The team also works with the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation to create a unique demonstration of the U.S. Air Force's past and present, exhibiting the professional qualities the Air Force develops in the people who fly, maintain and support these aircraft. The team's F-16CM Fighting Falcon, affectionately known as the "Viper," is a single-seat, multi-role fighter with the ability to switch between an air-to-ground and an air-to-air role at the touch of a button. With its lightweight frame and powerful General Electric engine generating 31,000 pounds of thrust, the F-16 can fly at speeds in excess of Mach 2.
Static Displays
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is a fighter and bomber plane used by the US Air Force in WWII and the Korean War. The original design of the Mustang used the Allison V-1710 Engine that was manufactured in Indianapolis from 1930 to the 1950s. In subsequent editions of the Mustang, due to altitude restrictions of the Allison engine, Rolls-Royce Merlin engines that were made in Great Britain replaced the Allison V-1710.
F-8 Bearcat
The Grumman F8F Bearcat is a fighter plane that began flight in the late part of World War II. While initially intended for air assault, this warbird became popular with air racers, winning air races beginning in 1964. The Bearcats had an impressive reign, winning many air races for decades and maintaining speed records through 1989.
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is also commonly referred to as the "T-Bird". This jet was designed in 1943 and had its first flight in 1944. The T-33 was used as an advanced trainer for the US Army Air Forces, as well as fulfilling the needs as drone director and target towing.
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain was a large, military transport carrier used by the Allies in World War II. The C-47 Skytrain was developed off the Douglas DC-3 commercial airliner.
B-25
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an iconic World War II bomber that was made for war. It was first introduced in 1941 and served well beyond WWII, remaining in military service across four decades. A B-25 served in every theater of World War II with over 10,000 B-25 bombers built.
TBM Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger is a World War II torpedo bomber that was developed for the US Navy and Marine Corps. The bomber first saw use at the Battle of the Midway and was in military action until the 1960s. A variant of the TBF Avenger, a TBM, will fly at the Crossroads Air Show.
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