The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team will be flying for the third time at the Barber Vintage Festival! This time we will have the full team and will fly on Saturday and Sunday! Four North American T-6 Texans boring through the sky’s over Barber Motorsports Park. The Aeroshell Team’s precision formation aerobatics demonstration will amaze you with loops, rolls, downward bomb bursts, and other dazzling maneuvers, all performed in tight formation, sometimes less than 3 feet apart!

The Aircraft

The North American Advanced Trainer AT-6 "Texan" nicknamed "The Pilot Maker", the North American AT-6 Texan first appeared in 1938. Originally designed as a basic trainer for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), the Texan was the primary training platform for all U.S. airmen in World War II that went on to fly fighter aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang, F4U Corsair, P4O Warhawk and others.

The Skydive Team

Sandy Carruth, a native of Washington, D.C., has been skydiving since 1978 and will have just under 2000 jumps after she lands today. Sandy is a commercial pilot with over 2500 hours and owns the jump airplane being used today. She owns Alabama Skydiving Inc., and has been teaching skydiving since 1988. Sandy is also a parachute rigger. After retiring with 39 years from AT&T, she went back to school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She will graduate in December with a degree in marketing.

Sandy will carry the Barber Motor Sports flag to celebrate this wonderful facility and exciting event.

Jack London is piloting the airplane and her husband, Kevin Carruth, is working as ground crew.

Jamie Lynn has had a profound love and respect for the American Flag for as long as he can remember. He is an Eagle Scout, a father, and a grandfather. His weekly occupation is a heavy equipment mechanic for a construction company. He currently lives in Myrtle Beach, SC with his wife Sandy. Sandy is also his ground person. Jamie is a FAA Senior Parachute Rigger. In 2002 he started jumping with The Green Beret Parachute Team, now known as The Special Forces Association Parachute Team, as an honorary member.

Jamie started skydiving in April 1992 with their son. He currently has over 1025 jumps. He started jumping with a flag in 1995. The first flag he jumped was their 3’ x 5’ flag that was hanging off of their front porch, and they started growing from there. He made his first test jump with this flag on December 2, 2000, as his way of saying THANK YOU to ALL of the men and women that have gave their all for the freedoms that we have today. At present he has 279+ jumps with this flag. His flag is 33’ X 65’ and made out of F111 parachute material. There is a 35 lb. lead weight hanging from the flag to keep it flying straight. It took over 3 years to build this flag, and it is one of the largest American Flags being flown under canopy. Please understand that due to the size of the flag and the speed of the 35 lb. weight coming down; it would be extremely dangerous for the catchers and the jumper if anyone should try to catch it. Therefore it must touch the ground briefly. Jamie assures you that they will gather it up as quickly as possible. He does not mean any disrespect to the flag. Jamie’s message is: THANK YOU to those that are fighting, have fought, and will fight for my freedom and right to fly our beautiful flag. The flag is also flying to show my patriotism to our country by sharing with you The SYMBOL of Our Freedom In Flight!!!