Hi Jetmech,
Thanks for the nice post. I am just a volunteer and would welcome you to the Planes of Fame anytime. Our airshow is usually in the middle week of May, but we moved it up a week this year because March Air Force Base decided to have their airshow that very weekend. Anyway, we have a very good airshow voted number two in the world last year according to our data.
I love the European airshows and think we do a good job in comparison, not necessarily better, but would not care to vote. I'd much rather see them all and not decide a "winner." Any day at the airport is a good one for me. Any day at an airshow is better.
In Europe we see many European aircraft as well as American aircraft involved in airshows. Over here we see mostly American aircraft, not due to any prejudice, but more due to availability of parts.
At the Planes of Fame airshow this year, we have three Japanese Zeros, a static Yokosuka D4Y Judy, two Spitfires, a a Fairey Firefly, and Fw 190F Fluegwerk aircraft, And a large number of American aircraft.
Speaking with the pilots and owners, I find they choose their mounts more by availability of parts than by nationality. The parts are more important than the country. If we had a lot of Zero parts, we'd fly a lot of Zeros. Thats why we fly a lot of Mustangs ... we HAVE more parts. There are few Spitfire parts in the U.S.A. and even fewer Hurricane parts. We've never seen a part for a Blenheim as far as I know ... or we'd flying one or more.
Personally I'd love to restore a Bouton-Paul Defiant, but I've never seen one live and in person. Maybe a Beaufighter? We need parts!
We HAVE a Meteor ... but no engines. Anybody have two Derwent 5's?