Lima Lima will perform in Wings Over Whiteman Published Aug. 12, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Torey Griffith 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- The Wings Over Whiteman open house and air show, Sept. 18 - 19, is scheduled to present spectators with a wide variety of civilian and military aviation entertainment from static displays on the ground to aerobatic acts in the sky. One such group of amiable aviators performing will be Lima Lima, from Naperville, Ill., demonstrating the full range of the T-34 performance envelope. The Lima Lima Flight Team demonstration includes six airplanes featuring several formation configurations. "Lima Lima will provide an exciting and patriotic aerial demonstration and is the original civilian six-airplane aerobatic formation team," said Lt. Col. Michael Wittrock, air show director. "In planning WOW, we focused on having a variety of performers and with the USAF Thunderbirds and US Army Golden Knights, it was only fitting that we added a formation with a U.S. Navy paint scheme to round out the integration of all services present here at Whiteman." According to the Lima Lima website, the team stresses precision formation flying, and while keeping the team in front of an air show crowd during all of its maneuvers, from take-off to landing. Lima Lima has performed in air shows from coast to coast and border to border, thrilling more than 100 million spectators with the beauty and grace of their precision performances. "The thing I enjoy most about flying with Lima Lima is the people we meet at the air shows," said John 'Ripper' Rippinter, a Lima Lima pilot. "They love flying, as we do, and we get to share that passion with them." The group was established in 1975, and flies T-34 aircraft painted in Navy training colors with a black tail band, which has become their signature marking. For more information, visit the WOW website at www.wingsoverwhiteman.com, or become a friend on Facebook.