Narration, Pyrotechnics, And Pilots Are All Components Of The Show

By Maria Morrison

On December 8th, 1941, President Roosevelt announced that the United States of America was going to war with Japan. The day before, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, destroying half of the American naval forces. The Japanese used Zeros, Kates, and Vals in the attack. Now, 74 years later, the flying group Tora! Tora! Tora! is reenacting the attack at airshow across the country.

The show has three main components: the visual, the flying, and the narration. There are pyrotechnics during the whole show. They are timed with the low passes of various aircraft for the effect of bombs being dropped.

The flying is done by eight aircraft and their respective pilots. There are a total of ten aircraft and 14 pilots so they can rotate shows. There are five Zeros, three Kates, and two Vals. When pilots attend training in April, they are checked out in one of the aircraft and that is what they fly in shows. Each of the three types of aircraft fly different patterns in the show to avoid collisions. The Zeros fly in an oval, the Kates fly a dog bone shape, and the Vals go up and down in a U shape.

The narration of the 14 minute show is done by Ray Norman. He has been announcing for Tora! Tora! Tora! since the 1970s. He has cards to read off of, but he ad libs when necessary. His narration documents the 45 minute attack on Pearl Harbor, and concludes with Roosevelt's speech and "God Bless America".

The show also incorporates a B-17 and two P-40s. During the attack, 16 B-17s tried to land. Only eight made it. Two P-40 pilots witnessed the attack and jumped in their planes and shot down six Japanese aircraft.

"We try to mix historical fact with fun and patriotism," says Norman. "We believe that this was a time in our history that must be remembered. It was a time that our nation was strong and unified and determined to bring peace to the world."

(Image from Tora! Tora! Tora! website)

FMI: www.toratoratora.com