Civilian-owned Harrier completes
first year on air show circuit

September 10, 2009 — It’s been nearly a year since Art Nalls debuted on the air show circuit flying the first- and only civilian-owned Sea Harrier F/A2. And what a year it has been. Nalls, a retired U.S. Marine Lt. Col pilot with more than 1,400 hours flying the Harrier AV8-A and B models, tries to vary the demonstration flights at each show. In Nalls Aviation’s latest show at Rockford, Illinois, they added pyrotechnics for simulated bomb drops. Nalls said he did some close air support passes called a “pop-up attack,” which is how he would have attacked a target in the Marines. In his latest update, Nalls said that part of the act took the audience by surprise and was a huge hit. “It’s another dimension to our demonstration that we hope to repeat at other air shows.” Other parts of his flight demonstration include aerobatics such as rolls, loops or Cubans, as well as doing a couple hovers, accelerating transitions, turns, backups and a “bow” to the crowd. In fact, Nalls writes that the cross-country flight home can be just as interesting as the shows. The trip to Gary, Indiana was their longest, at 565 air miles from home base in California, Maryland. “Even though I tried to minimize the delay with a phone call to let them know I’d be making a large purchase, I still had to answer the usual, ‘what’s your mother’s maiden name?’ questions. This time there were more questions. “You want the fuel for what? Why doesn’t the Marine Corps buy its own fuel? You own a WHAT?” It took 45 minutes to consume the fuel in flight — the Sea Harrier needs about 1.8 gallons per mile and can fly 1 mile in 10 seconds — and 55 minutes for Nalls’ credit card to clear. Nalls, an EAA and Warbirds of America member, acquired the Sea Harrier FA/2 from Britain’s Royal Navy in 2005 and spent three years getting it back into flying shape. The remainder of the Sea Harrier’s 2009 schedule includes demonstration flights in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on September 12-13 and at the Culpeper Regional Airport in Culpeper, Virginia, where the Sea Harrier made its air show debut in 2008, on October 10.

Art Nalls signs autographs at a recent air show in Rockford, Illinois. Photo credit: Rickie Traeger Nalls demonstrates a hover in the SHAR at the Rockford, Illinois air show. Photo credit: Rob Edgcumbe The Sea Harrier flies in Rockford. Photo credit: Rob Edgcumbe

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