Great time at the airshow...

Hello, all. It's been a while since I've posted anything (and, according to the visitor stats, all zero of you that visit the blog missed me very much, I'm sure), so I thought I'd post a 'quickie'.

Near-perfect conditions for an airshow.

This past weekend (Oct 19), I had the opportunity to visit the 'Wings Over North Georgia' airshow at the Richard B. Russell airport just north of Rome, Ga. The weather was absolutely gorgeous - only a slight breeze, cool-ish temperatures (but still tons of UV radiation...much to the pain of my unprotected, English-descended skin), and only high cirrus clouds.

There were quite a few vendors set-up, most of them aviation-related (as would be expected). One of my friends wanted to see the Elio Motors booth. Oh, you've never heard of Elio? Neither had I. But he was all about seeing them. I did a bit of research the night before and was quite intrigued: a 3-wheeled, 2-passenger vehicle...84 MPG...nicely-equipped...made in America...priced at $6,800.00. Yes - six thousand, eight hundred dollars.

More spacious than one might think...and easy on the eyes.

What's the catch? Well...lots of them, in my opinion. Firstly, I don't see how they're going to be able to sell it for $6,800.00. I just don't. I have a motorcycle that cost more than that. Considering they say it'll have A/C, heat, stereo, and a 36K mile warranty (covered by PepBoys...yes, you read that correctly), I just don't see how they can hit that price point. Secondly, they've yet to make a production unit. Then there's the fact that this is not a car. Nope. It's a motorcycle. You're going to get a motorcycle license to drive it on the road. You might even need to wear a helmet. Stylish. Lastly, there's the concern about safety. Oh, they say it has a 5-star safety rating...but it's never been crash-tested.

Don't get me wrong - I think it's cool...and I'd like to have one. But I think this is going to be a classic case of over-promising and under-delivering. I hope they prove me wrong, but I don't think that'll happen. Set a reminder on your calendars to check back with me in 18 months and we'll see how this pans out.

Nice corkscrew-stall maneuver.

Where was I? Oh yes - the airshow. It started out with some incredible aerobatics...had some wonderful WWII and Vietnam-era aircraft...and concluded with the USAF Thunderbirds! Sadly, I missed the Thunderbirds - I had to get back to take a math test. Stupid math. There was an OV-1 Mohawk aircraft at the show that was quite impressive. It's not the prettiest, sleekest, or fastest plane, but it was just plain (plane?) cool.

I liked this OV-1 Mohawk

There was also a breathtaking P-51 Mustang. It's definitely one of my 'Top 10' favorite aircraft. Though it wasn't really doing much in the way of aerobatics (can you blame the pilot for not wanting to stress a 60 year-old airframe?), it was incredible to watch, nonetheless.

I love the Mustang.

I have tons more pics, and I'll post them on Flickr when I get the chance. What...you don't follow me on Flickr? Click here to take a look at my albums...and feel free to follow. Thanks again for visiting, and don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

EDIT: The photo album is now shared here.