Dayton air show takes off with a roar
Air Force Thunderbirds, Breitling Jet Team take to the sky.
— The Vectren Dayton DAYTON Air Show thundered into the sky on Saturday after the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill grounded planes on the tarmac for hours.
Air show legend Sean D. Tucker was the first performer to take to the air about twoand-a-half hours after opening ceremonies at Dayton International Airport.
The Air Force Thunderbirds and the Breitling Jet Team roared into the sky, too, one of five aerial performers that performed. Three sky-borne acts, such as the Army Golden Knights parachute team, had to cancel because of the soggy, wet weather. The air show continues today, rain or shine, organizers say.
Wayne and Dawn Hensley of Enon trekked to the Dayton Air Show for the first time Saturday. The married couple left when the rain got too intense, but came back when the downpour ceased and the ear-splitting sound of jet afterburners roiled the show grounds.
Dawn Hensley, 49, pointed to her husband when asked why they came back. Wayne Hensley pointed to the Thunderbirds.
“We’re hitting the bucket list now,” said the 52-year-old, who professed a “fascination” with airplanes. “We’ve never done it, so we’ve got to start doing it.”
Crowds were light and many spectators carried umbrellas until about mid-afternoon. The air show will not release attendance numbers until Monday.
Sitting under a Blue Angels umbrella, diehard John E. Valentine has attended the Dayton Air Show for 30 years and wasn’t about to miss this one, rain or not.
“They’ll fly today,” the Sidney man said confidently as the sky poured. He quickly remembered a time several years ago when a storm blew through and the planes took to the air afterward. “We’ve had wind, we’ve had rain, but we always come prepared,” he added.
His son, Mark E. Valentine, has been with his father for every air show and didn’t miss Saturday, either.
“Hanging out with my dad, it’s like a tradition,” the younger Valentine said, one day before Father’s Day.
Air show organizers say the show would continue rain or shine. But they were waiting to see what weather conditions were at the time of scheduled performances before announcing if individual acts would fly, be delayed or canceled.
News Center 7 meteorologist McCall Vrydaghs’ forecast called for partly sunny, breezy and warm conditions with highs in the mid- to upper 80s on Sunday.
“Some storms develop into the afternoon as a cold front approaches the area,” she said. “These storms could be strong to severe with damaging winds, hail and heavy rain.”
With the rain falling Saturday, visitors roamed around and in planes on display on the ground. The weather reduced the number of aircraft expected to be on display, organizers have said.
Robert and Vickky Dunn took refuge inside the cavernous belly of a C-17 Globemaster III with their 4-year-old son, Liam.
“My son loves planes,” Vickky Dunn said. “We thought it would be cool.”
Undeterred by the forecast, the family drove from Indianapolis to the show.
“We’re crossing our fingers,” Robert Dunn said.
Down the tarmac, the World War II B-25 Mitchell bomber nicknamed “Panchito” had a tarp covering the outside of the old plane while visitors with umbrellas peered at the flying artifact.
Matt Sager, 35, of Newark, Del., is the maintenance director tasked with keeping the warbird based in Georgetown, Del., flying. “It’s definitely a challenge,” he said. The bomber represented the Disabled American Veterans organization at the air show.
People clamor to fly in the plane to connect with a family member who may have served in the war, or with history, Sager said.
Flying in the plane isn’t comfortable, though.
“It’s loud,” Sager said. “It’s not a comfortable interior ... I like to call it a sensory-rich experience. There’s the sound, the smell. ... For a lot of people it’s an emotional experience.”