With a very successful 8th airshow season behind us, and a very promising 2016 airshow season ahead, Team SHAR wants to take just a moment to wish everyone a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2016!
We close out 2015 with many successes. We’ve qualified two new L39 pilots, two new LSO’s for the Paddles truck, performed the first civilian grass field takeoffs and landings with a Harrier, and added a very rare, two-seat Harrier to our fleet, plus tons of spares – literally. Success all around for the team!
Looking ahead, we expect to have the two-seater flying soon, and will soon thereafter qualify at least two more Harrier airshow pilots. The list is growing, by the day. We are also considering expanding the operation to the west coast, where demand is very strong for us.
While managing our engine life in the SHAR, we are expecting to complete a full season before we change out the engine. We have multiple spares. We are shooting to attempt the world record time-to-climb record for VSTOL airplanes around our last show of the 2016 season, at NAS Patuxent River, MD in late October. Several of the records are currently held by a Harrier and the Russian YAK-141. We have a very light airplane and a very strong engine, which is the ideal combination for a record attempt. We’ll certainly put a lot of thought into this and give it our best shot.
Stay tuned! There’s much more to come in 2016!
Happy New Year!