We Admit It... We Get a Lump In Our Throats Over This Stuff

There can't be a patriotic aviator anywhere in America immune to the "Lump In Your Throat" sensation created by the extraordinary sights, sounds and aura of a USAF Heritage Flight.

The USAF Heritage Flight program was established in 1997 to commemorate the Air Force's 50th anniversary. It involves today's state-of-the-art fighters flying in close formation with World War II, Korean and Vietnam era fighters such as the P-51 Mustang and the F-86 Sabre. The flight's mission is to safely and proudly display the evolution of U.S. Air Force airpower and to support the Air Force's recruiting and retention efforts.

According to the USAF, there are 21 pilots in this program. The modern Air Force fighters are piloted by the seven Air Combat Command (ACC) single-ship demonstration team pilots and the vintage warbirds are piloted by 12 civilians, including former Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine pilots, and several former astronauts. In addition, two active duty F-4 pilots and an F-22A pilot joined the program in 2005.

During the 2008 Ocean City AirShow, ANN's Jim Campbell got a chance to sit down with one of the USAF's finest... an F-15 Jock by the name of Sam Joplin, who gave us some inside info on what the Heritage Flight Program means to one of the men who flies for it.

Click Here: Aero-TV Celebrates America and The USAF With The Heritage Flight Program

FMI: www.acc.af.mil/aerialevents/