All eyes will be in the sky for the Mexico AirFest Salute to Veterans Air Show this weekend.
The Mexico Area Community Foundation, the City of Mexico and several concerned citizens have put their efforts together to bring the air show to town. The event – which will benefit the Missouri Veterans’ Home-Mexico and honor U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond for his years of service to his hometown and native state – will be held Saturday at Hagan Brothers Field at the Mexico Memorial Airport. Admission is free and gates open at 9 a.m.
Airfest activities will begin at 11 a.m. Parking will be available on the airport grounds and donations will be accepted. Seating will not be provided. Blankets and lawn chairs are recommended. Vendors, displays of U.S. military airplanes and helicopters, in addition to recruiters from various military branches will also be onsite. Music will be provided by the "Hot Pursuit" band.
Organizers expect approximately 10,000 people from Mexico and surrounding areas to attend and say there will be something for the entire family to enjoy.
"Air shows are exciting. They attract children, which brings parents, and aviation enthusiasts," MACF President Steve Hagan told The Ledger in a recent interview. The idea for the show, he said, came from the collaborated efforts of MACF, the city of Mexico and several area supporters. By networking together, the group came up with the one-day airshow that will act as a fundraiser for the veterans and an opportunity to recognize Sen. Bond, along with local World War II WASP veteran Rose Penny Ross.
"A year ago, the Mexico Area Community Foundation, along with the city of Mexico and 10 other concerned citizens wanted to help the veterans and needed to do a fundraiser. We also wanted to show some recognition to Kit Bond for his years of great service," Hagan explained. "We wanted to come up with something unique and special, so we decided we would put the two functions together. And since Kit has been so instrumental in getting improvements to the local airport, we thought it would be a great venue."
Bond has served the people of Missouri since 1969 when he was appointed as the state assistant attorney general, and he has spent his political career serving as governor and U.S. Senator. Hagan said Bond's support of and for veterans has made him an "invaluable asset to the state and an untiring ally of all his constituents."
Since 1985 the Missouri Veterans' Home has been taking care of Missouri veterans, with a mission of providing timely benefit assistance, skilled nursing care, and a final resting place with honor. To continue their work, the home needs to upgrade their facilities and services. The benefit air show, Hagan said, will help raise funds for these essential improvements.
The portion of the event honoring Ross will highlight the time she served with the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP). According to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, more than 25,000 women applied for the pilot training, of which 1,830 were accepted and fewer than 1,200 graduated. Ross was one of the select few graduates and served two years. She currently resides at the Missouri Veterans' Home and last summer President Barack Obama honored her and other WASP with a Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service. Ross is one of the 150 veterans residing at the Missouri Veterans' Home-Mexico.
The ceremony honoring Bond and Ross will begin at 11 a.m., and the air show will follow at 12:30 p.m. with an opening demonstration by the U.S. Army Black Daggers Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team and USAF A-10 Warthog show team.
The air show will run from 12:30-4 p.m. and highlight many military and civilian aviation demonstration teams including Vlado Lenoch's famous WWII P-51 fighter, Eric Downing's AD-5 Skyraider, Clyde Zellers' T-6 Texan Trainer, among other aircraft and demonstration teams. The Airfest will be presented by Dave Dacy Airshows, Inc.
Air Force Capt. Joe Shetterly, a pilot of the A-10 demonstration, told The Ledger doing these shows is his way of paying homage to those who have served before him.
"The reason I do these shows is the same reason I serve in the Air Force – for the men and women who paid such a high price to give us the freedom we have," Shetterly said. "And the folks that we are honoring are definitely my motivation for doing the shows. We're hoping everyone will come out and see what we do, and what we're doing with their tax dollars."
The A-10 demonstration, Shetterly said, will include an airbag demonstration, a ground launch with ground crews, aerobatics and simulated tactical maneuvers.
In previous years, the local Elks Club has sponsored similar air shows. This is the first year MACF has spearheaded the event. Though it's not intended to become an annual event, Hagan said it's still an important one, because of the veterans.
The event also has the potential to benefit local businesses, according to Chamber of Commerce Director Dana Keller.
"Anytime we can get that number of people in town, it's always a big deal and an economic boost, because they will be eating and shopping and getting a better taste of what our community has to offer," Keller noted. "Plus it welcomes the opportunity for them to come back."
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All eyes will be in the sky for the Mexico AirFest Salute to Veterans Air Show this weekend.
The Mexico Area Community Foundation, the City of Mexico and several concerned citizens have put their efforts together to bring the air show to town. The event – which will benefit the Missouri Veterans’ Home-Mexico and honor U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond for his years of service to his hometown and native state – will be held Saturday at Hagan Brothers Field at the Mexico Memorial Airport. Admission is free and gates open at 9 a.m.
Airfest activities will begin at 11 a.m. Parking will be available on the airport grounds and donations will be accepted. Seating will not be provided. Blankets and lawn chairs are recommended. Vendors, displays of U.S. military airplanes and helicopters, in addition to recruiters from various military branches will also be onsite. Music will be provided by the "Hot Pursuit" band.
Organizers expect approximately 10,000 people from Mexico and surrounding areas to attend and say there will be something for the entire family to enjoy.
"Air shows are exciting. They attract children, which brings parents, and aviation enthusiasts," MACF President Steve Hagan told The Ledger in a recent interview. The idea for the show, he said, came from the collaborated efforts of MACF, the city of Mexico and several area supporters. By networking together, the group came up with the one-day airshow that will act as a fundraiser for the veterans and an opportunity to recognize Sen. Bond, along with local World War II WASP veteran Rose Penny Ross.
"A year ago, the Mexico Area Community Foundation, along with the city of Mexico and 10 other concerned citizens wanted to help the veterans and needed to do a fundraiser. We also wanted to show some recognition to Kit Bond for his years of great service," Hagan explained. "We wanted to come up with something unique and special, so we decided we would put the two functions together. And since Kit has been so instrumental in getting improvements to the local airport, we thought it would be a great venue."
Bond has served the people of Missouri since 1969 when he was appointed as the state assistant attorney general, and he has spent his political career serving as governor and U.S. Senator. Hagan said Bond's support of and for veterans has made him an "invaluable asset to the state and an untiring ally of all his constituents."
Since 1985 the Missouri Veterans' Home has been taking care of Missouri veterans, with a mission of providing timely benefit assistance, skilled nursing care, and a final resting place with honor. To continue their work, the home needs to upgrade their facilities and services. The benefit air show, Hagan said, will help raise funds for these essential improvements.
The portion of the event honoring Ross will highlight the time she served with the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP). According to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, more than 25,000 women applied for the pilot training, of which 1,830 were accepted and fewer than 1,200 graduated. Ross was one of the select few graduates and served two years. She currently resides at the Missouri Veterans' Home and last summer President Barack Obama honored her and other WASP with a Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service. Ross is one of the 150 veterans residing at the Missouri Veterans' Home-Mexico.
The ceremony honoring Bond and Ross will begin at 11 a.m., and the air show will follow at 12:30 p.m. with an opening demonstration by the U.S. Army Black Daggers Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team and USAF A-10 Warthog show team.
The air show will run from 12:30-4 p.m. and highlight many military and civilian aviation demonstration teams including Vlado Lenoch's famous WWII P-51 fighter, Eric Downing's AD-5 Skyraider, Clyde Zellers' T-6 Texan Trainer, among other aircraft and demonstration teams. The Airfest will be presented by Dave Dacy Airshows, Inc.
Air Force Capt. Joe Shetterly, a pilot of the A-10 demonstration, told The Ledger doing these shows is his way of paying homage to those who have served before him.
"The reason I do these shows is the same reason I serve in the Air Force – for the men and women who paid such a high price to give us the freedom we have," Shetterly said. "And the folks that we are honoring are definitely my motivation for doing the shows. We're hoping everyone will come out and see what we do, and what we're doing with their tax dollars."
The A-10 demonstration, Shetterly said, will include an airbag demonstration, a ground launch with ground crews, aerobatics and simulated tactical maneuvers.
In previous years, the local Elks Club has sponsored similar air shows. This is the first year MACF has spearheaded the event. Though it's not intended to become an annual event, Hagan said it's still an important one, because of the veterans.
The event also has the potential to benefit local businesses, according to Chamber of Commerce Director Dana Keller.
"Anytime we can get that number of people in town, it's always a big deal and an economic boost, because they will be eating and shopping and getting a better taste of what our community has to offer," Keller noted. "Plus it welcomes the opportunity for them to come back."
