The Lima Lima Flight Team is a precision formation flying demonstration team based in Naperville , Illinois .
7-534: The name derives from the FAA identifier of the field where the team originated. Naper Aero Club (LL-10) is located in the western suburbs of Chicago. It is an airport community , with 100 homes connected to its two runways via taxiways behind the homes. The original flying club (Mentor Flyers, Inc.) which spawned the Lima Lima team is still based at LL-10, but the founding members who lived there have since moved on, and
14-557: The air show performances of the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds . Lima Lima has evolved in the same way. Charter members of the team were at the forefront of the civilian formation certification program instituted by the T-34 Association in 1983, and eventually adopted by all civilian warbird organizations. The skills developed in this program have been expanded to include a series of formation maneuvers which mirror those of
21-608: The jet teams. The Lima Lima Flight Team demonstration showcases the full range of the T-34 performance envelope. Though the T-34 is much slower than the jets flown by military teams, the turn rates are over double those of the F-16 and F/A-18 . The result is a performance which has no “dead time”. There is smoke and action in front of spectators for the entire 20 minute demonstration. The Lima Lima Flight Team celebrates its 19th year of professional air show performances in 2006. In that time,
28-511: The property owners and their invited guests. Most do not include commercial operations or businesses. The communities have also become a niche real estate market, with some firms dedicated solely to these developments. Ideas for airparks existed as early as 1944 and the first airpark was Sierra Sky Park in Fresno, California, established in 1946. The Living With Your Plane Association estimates that there are at least 426 residential airparks in
35-436: The residents own their privately owned airplanes which they park in their hangars , usually attached to the home or integrated into their home. A residential airpark features one or more runways with homes adjacent to the runway or taxiways . Many fly-in communities feature a variety of amenities, such as golf course , equestrian facilities and more. Residential airparks are usually privately owned and restricted to use by
42-534: The team has traveled from coast-to-coast and border-to-border and beyond, performing in Alaska , Mexico , and the Dominican Republic . The 2006 team is made up of professional airline pilots, retired military pilots, medical professionals, and successful businessmen. Airpark A residential airpark (also spelled air park ) is a "fly-in community" specifically designed around an airport where
49-542: The team is now a truly national team, with members in Illinois, Ohio, California, and Florida. The Lima Lima Flight Team flies the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor . The Lima Lima Flight Team flies a civilianized and much-improved version of the original Mentor, with modern avionics and more powerful engines. The military recognizes different levels of formation skills, from basic tactical formation flying to
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