The Thunder Over Michigan Air Show is adding to its aerial display this year for the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The air show announced, “in keeping with the show’s celebration of America’s semiquincentennial” a demonstration of a combat maneuver known as “fast-roping” will be performed by the Fast-Ropes Demo Team from Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.
The Stars, Stripes and 250 Years Strong celebration will be held July 17-19 at Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti.
“More efficient than traditional rappelling, fast-roping is a technique used by elite military servicemen to quickly deploy from a hovering helicopter into dangerous terrain when a landing is deemed unsafe or impossible,” according to a press release Monday.
The team will drop from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s UH-60 Blackhawk using a thick rope without harnesses or attached devices.
“Fast-roping allows for entire squads to be inserted into a dangerous situation in a matter of seconds,” the release said.
The show will feature military performers and displays, and will be headlined by the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team. The show will include demonstrations by the Marine’s MV-22 Osprey Demo Team, the USMC CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter and performances from the P-51 Jack Aces Demo Team, a three-ship formation aerobatic team, according to the jackacesmustangteam on Instagram.
Ticket for the show are available at https://thunderovermichigan.org/tickets/ Thousands flock to see Thunder Over Michigan every year, an annual fundraiser for the Yankee Air Museum.
Historic warbirds and civilian aerobatics also will be on display. The Royal Air Force Red Arrows will make a rare appearance as “ambassadors” from the United Kingdom “to wish America a happy birthday.”
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Thunder Over Michigan air show adds Fast-Ropes Demo Team
Reporting by The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
