The Wellington Noon Lions Club has some very big decisions ahead! We all know we can’t rely on a handful of people to make this Aviation Festival a success this year - it has to be everyone working together. This year there will be more emphasis on personal commitments of both time and money to the air show from our club members and their businesses and the Wellington community... Oh, I hope this thing is a GO! :-)
Presented to our club were the possibilities of bringing in SEVEN different air show acts this year. That means not a 30 minute air show, not a 45 minute airshow, but a whole afternoon of watching air show performances! Everything from military demonstrations and historic, vintage aircrafts to the most famous acts in the air show circuit with the return of not only Matt Younkin and the Beech 18 but the possibility of four of the Younkin and Franklin performances. I couldn’t have been more impressed with the Beech 18 last year. I loved it’s bright colors and size — this year we could have planes twice as big as the Beech 18 out on the runway! I can’t even imagine!
The emphasis this year will be to give more festival-goers the opportunity to not just watch the skies but to experience flight. If we could bring in the C-47 Skytrain, up to 19 could ride at a time in the historic aircraft. There is talk about the possibility of getting flights in one or even two Stearman Aircraft, including one of the Red Baron bi-planes! I know there would be cost involved, but I’d sign up several members of my family in a heartbeat to give them the chance to experience either! And that’s not even all of the possibilities for this airshow!
We really have the chance to put together a simply incrediable event for this community and this whole region. I would just love to see people lined up at the gate and a full parkinglot!!! I can see it now!
So, the next action of our Club will be to vote on this airshow by silent ballot. I’m in charge of creating the ballot, so if you have any suggested questions, please send them in. I’m asking if the Club supports the financial commitments needed for the performers, hot air balloons, carnival and more. I’m asking for personal commitments on everything from donations to selling wristbands in advance to volunteering time to work as “staff” at the event. If we get a positive response and a commitment from our Club we feel like we can stand on, we will continue our efforts to bring this amazing airshow to our community. It’s a unique event because it combines aviation with hot air balloons, live entertainment and carnival rides and food... It takes a very unique group of people to take care of all aspects of a production like this. We’re lucky to have so many insiders in the air show circuit and with airport management experience, but its up to the rest of us to sell sell sell! :-)
So, here’s to a positive ballot return and a fantastic event!
Fingers crossed!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Anticipating Next Week's Meeting!
The program next week at our Lions Club meeting will be all about the air show. Lion Rick Hamlin will be presenting some of our options as far as attractions we could bring in to the air show, including video of some of the performers who could become featured acts of this event. As a club, we'll be committing to fund raising to a certain dollar amount to bring in many of these acts (although some of them would be free.) For instance, world-famous pilot Matt Younkin came last year with one performance, the Twin Beech. This year, he's willing to bring all four aircraft of the Younkin Airshows to our Sumner County Aviation Festival... We'd just have to commit to four times as much fundraising! I'm very encouraged about the way the Air Show is being organized so far this year. Instead of requiring a couple or even just one of our members to be in charge of all aspects of the festival, the event will truely be managed by the club as a whole this year. I know this will require an even bigger commitment from each of us, and from Wellington as a community, but it's something I know our club will embrace with enthusiasm. This year our Aviation Festival should absolutely be bigger and better than its ever been before! Roarrr Lions!
C-47 Skytrain
I'm not saying we will, because it's too early for that, but wouldn't is be amazing if our airshow had something like the C-47 to give rides to festival-goers? It would truely be a historic flight. You could imagine yourself a WWII parachuter getting ready for a mission...
The C-47:
Another famed aircraft of WWII, The C-47 is one of the best known transports of all time. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, termed it one of the most vital pieces of military equipment used in winning World War II. In the mid 1930’s the US military needed a new transport/cargo plane and contracted with Douglas to adapt the Douglas Commercial or DC series of aircraft. The DC series was a new design being built for the airline industry in the early to mid 1930’s. (http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com/Aircraft/C-47/Page1.html)
The C-47:
Another famed aircraft of WWII, The C-47 is one of the best known transports of all time. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, termed it one of the most vital pieces of military equipment used in winning World War II. In the mid 1930’s the US military needed a new transport/cargo plane and contracted with Douglas to adapt the Douglas Commercial or DC series of aircraft. The DC series was a new design being built for the airline industry in the early to mid 1930’s. (http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com/Aircraft/C-47/Page1.html)
Timeless
Part of the decision to move the date of this year's airshow was the promise of more military aircraft demonstrations at the Sumner County Aviation Festival. This year there is talk of the event hosting the P-51 — and I couldn't be more excited about it!
What is the P-51?
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II. The P-51 became one of the conflict's most successful and recognizable aircraft. Some have argued that it was a "war-winning" weapon. It certainly was a decisive factor in the aerial Battle of Germany. After World War Two, the Mustang continued to serve with the USAF and other Western air forces, including distinguished service in the Korean War.
As well as being economical to produce — over 15,000 P-51 Mustangs of all types were built from 1940-1945 — the Mustang was a fast, well-made and highly durable aircraft. The definitive version of the single-seat fighter was powered by the Packard V-1650-3, a two-stage two-speed supercharged 12-cylinder Packard-built version of the legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and armed with six of the aircraft version of the .50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns.
The P-51 Mustang and the men that flew them saved lives in the skies and on the ground. (http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com/Aircraft/C-47/Page1.html)
What is the P-51?
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II. The P-51 became one of the conflict's most successful and recognizable aircraft. Some have argued that it was a "war-winning" weapon. It certainly was a decisive factor in the aerial Battle of Germany. After World War Two, the Mustang continued to serve with the USAF and other Western air forces, including distinguished service in the Korean War.
As well as being economical to produce — over 15,000 P-51 Mustangs of all types were built from 1940-1945 — the Mustang was a fast, well-made and highly durable aircraft. The definitive version of the single-seat fighter was powered by the Packard V-1650-3, a two-stage two-speed supercharged 12-cylinder Packard-built version of the legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and armed with six of the aircraft version of the .50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns.
The P-51 Mustang and the men that flew them saved lives in the skies and on the ground. (http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com/Aircraft/C-47/Page1.html)
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