By Walter Bruce Hale
Starting Thursday and ending on Sunday, we will be hearing the roar of the jet engines, smelling the jet fuel, and tasting corn dogs and waffle cakes. The Memphis Airshow opens on Friday at 9 am. It will run through Sunday. The United States Air Force Thunderbirds will close out the show on each day. They will be doing a high flying demonstration in their red, white and blue F-16s. They will be sharing the sky over Millington with other great acts, like Mike Wiskus in the Lucas Oil stunt plane. John Klatt, flying the Air National Guard MX-S, will entertain you with his high flying maneuvers. Matt Younkin, Keith Davis, Wayne Roberts and Jerry Conley will spend some time in the air pulling G’s, doing rolls and pushing each of their aircrafts to the limit to give you a show that you won’t forget. Kent Pietsch, flying the Jelly Bean, will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, watching as he lands his plane on the rooftop of an RV as it roars down the runway. Chris Darnell will thrill you with his Shockwave Jet Truck zooming down the runway at over 300 mph. Manfred Radius will have you looking skyward as he soars on the winds in his aerobatic sailplane. His night show is as awesome display of twist and turns as he floats across the sky sending sparklers out of the edge of his wings. Skip Stewart, who trains over Millington all year long, will thrill you with stunts that will amaze you. He will go straight up and when he reaches the top of his arch, he will flip over and come straight down. At the last moment, he will pull out and scoot across the sky sideways. When he is not flying his stunt plane or flying for Federal Express, he can be seen at the Jetport teaching his students how to fly. Last week, I was out at the Jetport as he sent Jessica Rozman out for her solo flight. She did an awesome job and now able to take me up for a ride. The Airshow will be in Millington this Friday through Sunday. Parking opens at 9:00am. Gates open at 9:30 am. Gates will close at 5 p.m. Parking is free.
Tickets are $25 at the gate, children under 4 get in free, and kids 5-12 get in for $15.00. Coolers are not allowed. Take a chair or a blanket, because there is plenty of room to sit or lay down to watch the show. There will be static displays to keep you busy all days.
