The weather was perfect, the people were great, the performers were all outstanding. The 2003 Wings Over Houston Airshow was a roaring success, but the enthusiasm was tempered by the tragic loss of a pilot and his aircraft after Saturday's performances.

The numbers aren't in yet, but all indications are that attendance was at near record levels. And we definitely had plenty of aircraft on display. Modern military included a C-5 Galaxy, F-14's, F-15's, F-16's, F-18's and CF-18's, Harriers, T-6 Texan II's, an A-10, an AH-64, a C-17, three variations of the workhorse C-130 (MC-130 Special Ops, WC-130 "Hurricane Hunter", and the awesome AC-130 Gunship), AWACS and Hawkeye command and control aircraft, a B-52, a KC-10, a KC-135, several Coast Guard aircraft and several NASA aircraft, plus probably some others which I've forgotten. WWII and post-WWII aircraft included several AT-6/SNJ/Harvards (including the Aeroshell North American AT-6 team), a BT-13 (West Houston Squadron's), PT-17 Stearmans, Bob Dunn's PT-19, a deHaviland Chipmunk, T-34's, T-28's, a Yak/Nanching trainer, two beautiful Beech 18/C-45's, an L-6, two J-3 Cubs, four O-2's, an AD-4 Skyraider, an A-26 Invader, a B-25 and a PBJ, a Ju-52, a B-17, two FM-2 Wildcats, P-51's, a P-63, two SBDs, the world's only flying SB2C, a great fleet from the Tora gang, a full set of planes from the Collings Foundation, and again probably some I've forgotten. The airshow ramp stretched over a mile from the warbirds through the modern military and vendor displays and spectator area and finally the Eagle Squadron area.

The West Houston PX also had a great weekend, selling almost everything except the trailer (and they probably would have let that go, too, for the right price). Hats off to the PX crew - it's more work than most people realize, and they don't get enough credit for their contributions.