WEATHER UPDATES: Despite the rainy weather, the Central Texas Airshow will go on Friday night -- with some schedule tweaks. The Marine Harrier aircraft will not be flying at its scheduled time of 6:35 p.m. but was expected to perform about an hour later. And, due to weather, it was not immediately clear if the Tora Tora Pearl Harbor team would be coming Friday or instead on Saturday. The fireworks were canceled for Friday night.
Original Story:
TEMPLE, Texas -- The Central Texas Airshow is returning to Temple this spring for the 31st time.
Central Texas Airshow Coordinator Beth Jenkins said they are hoping for sunny skies and are expecting 30,000 people to come out and watch the show unfold. The Central Texas Airshow is back after being on hiatus in 2017.
"We're excited being back. So, let's hope for good weather and we can have a good show," said Jenkins.
She said it is more than just about an entertaining display in the sky for the airshow runner. It's about a history lesson for the kids, too, with reenactments of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle Raid and a scene from the Vietnam War. The event will also feature “powerful vibrations” from the engines of World War II primary training “Devil Dog” B-25 Mitchell as they roar past.
"Some of these kids don't know what our fathers and forefathers did for the freedom we have today and that's what's important, instilling in them the freedoms we have," Jenkins said.
She has been running the event for three decades and said visitors can expect some new acts, too.
"We've got the Harrier, which is the Marine demonstration, first time we've had a demonstration since the sequester since 2011 so we're real pleased with that. We've got Dan Buchanan, who is paralyzed and he flies a hang glider and he does a really nice act," she explained.
Buchanan was setting up his day glider and night glider on Friday afternoon.
"The night show, I'm loaded with pyrotechnics and things going boom and burning way too close to me. It's pretty intense when you're watching it," said Buchanan.
Buchanan is the world's only hang glider air show act. He has performed in nearly 1600 shows worldwide.
"It's more complicated, it's not recreation, it's not fun. It's a serious commitment to make everything work right so the presentation is correct," he explained.
Paula Fiala is 80-years-old and he has been flying for 65 years. He got his pilots license before he even had a drivers license. He is a self-proclaimed "ham" for the crowd, as he flies a biplane mystique.
"I'll be doing loops, rolls, snaps rolls, spins, inverted fly-bys, so I think you'll enjoy it. So what I might lack in expertise, the airplane makes up for in just the way it looks," said Paul Fiala, aerobatic pilot.
He said it's an incredible experience to be flying upside with just a harness and an open canopy.
Active, Retired Military and Dependents with ID are allowed into the show for free.
Spectators will be able to view aircraft from the past, present, and future.
The event will also feature Kyle Franklin’s Comedy Act.
Central Texas Air Show
Time
|
Friday, May 4, 2018 |
4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Static Display |
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Aerobatic Display
Sat. & Sun, May 5 & 6
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Static Display
1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Aerobatic Display
Where
Temple Airport
Featuring
Tora, Tora, Tora
Kyle Franklin comedy act
Dan Buchanan Airshow
Devil Dog B-25
REMAX Skydivers