Back To Batavia
After 25 years, an airshow returned to the Genesee County Airport in Batavia, NY over Labor Day Weekend, 2023. At the heart of the decision to return was Doreen Hillard-Zeliff, who, like her late husband Charlie Hillard, is revered in the airshow community. Given the show had the backing of Doreen Hillard-Zeliff and her husband and Batavia-native Pete Zeliff, as well as show Chairperson Dennis Dunbar, the lineup at the airshow featured a roster of the best and brightest pilots in airshows: Rob Holland, Bill Stein, Kevin Coleman, Michael Goulian, Nathan K. Hammond, Lee Lauderback, Matt Younkin, Jim Pietz, David Martin, and Luke Aikins, as well as Airythmia, the Mustang aerobatic team of “Mad Max” and “Little Witch,” the A-10 Demo Team and the Heritage flight with the A-10, the F-22, and Jim Beasley, Jr. in his P-51 “Bald Eagle.” The show also followed the “day-to-night” format, starting in the evening and finishing after dark, capped by Nathan Hammonds’ spectacular aerobatic and fireworks show. High winds threatened the Saturday show, but with a field of such experienced and skilled performers, the show went on as usual. Spectacular sunsets provided gorgeous light each evening. The show itself was well-organized and well-presented, with everyone on the ground matching the skill and professionalism of the performers in the air. Here’s hoping Wings Over Batavia becomes a new future on the airshow calendar.
Images below were taken during the practice show on Friday evening, the Saturday show, and during two photo-flights staged out of Genesee County Airport on Friday and Saturday mornings. I used a Nikon Z9, a Nikkor Z 24-120mm f4 S, and a Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f5.6 VR ED. Special thanks to Alex Jamieson, Stephen Fiegel, Rob Holland, Nathan and Kelley Hammond, and everyone on the Wings Over Batavia team.
