Meet Nathan Hammond, the pilot of the 1956 deHavilland Chipmunk that created all of the skywriting above Rochester, Buffalo and Batavia on Thursday. Hammond says he was in the air for about 5 hours at 10-12,000 feet, creating smoke art and making smiles on the ground in WNY.
“So, it’s a magic trick right, on the technical side of it, we carry smoke oil which is a high paraffin-based oil, and we inject that into the exhaust of the airplane and that’s what creates the smoke. A cubic inch of oil becomes 800 cubic inches of smoke, it expands it about 800 times. We’re flowing a lot of oil in there which makes a lot of smoke. We’re up at 10-12,000 feet and so you find your target underneath, which has been Rochester, Buffalo and Batavia, and then you just turn the smoke on, and the airplane becomes your crayon in the sky. There is some technical to it, but a lot of it is just rhythm and flow and artistic expression.”
Video of Hammond skywriting over Batavia on August 31, 2023
Nathan Hammond started skywriting 20 years ago.
“My father was a skywriter before me, he taught me how, it’s a magic trick that gets handed down from one generation to the next. Eventually I’ll find somebody else and teach them how to do it.”
Right now, there are not that many skywriters around the world. Link Airshow Performer | GhostWriter Airshows
“There are about four of us in the United States. There is a dozen worldwide that do this professionally. “Its a special treat to be able to see it.”
Hammond says this weekend’s Wings Over Batavia Airshow is a very special show.
“The caliber of pilots that are here are the best of the best of the best,” says Hammond.
Airplanes started showing up at the Genesee County Airport on Thursday to get ready for this weekend’s show. This will be the first airshow in Batavia since the late 90s.
Hammond says he will be part of the finale of the show on Saturday and Sunday.
“We’re going to strap 200lbs of explosives on the wings and shoot fireworks off the airplane while there are fireworks on the ground, it’s going to be a pyro musical extravaganza.”
The airshow starts at 5:00PM each day and runs until 9:00PM. Gates open at 2:00PM.
Link to more information on the show below:
Wings Over Batavia Air Show – An Airshow like you’ve never seen before.
Thank you…I saw your writing in Rochester, so nice to see….
Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you!