Thousands Turn Out for Indianapolis Air Show
MOUNT COMFORT, IN — September 6, 2007 — Aviation buffs, planes and helicopters all made for a successful 2007 Indianapolis Air Show. The spectacle on the ground and in the sky ended Sunday.
If the concept of flight itself is difficult to understand, acrobatic moves are almost incomprehensible.
“This is a great show. I drove from West Virginia to come here,” said Jerry Delph. “I was here yesterday (Saturday) and had to come back today (Sunday).”
Mother nature cooperated giving spectators the perfect backdrop – low wind, a cloudless sky and mild temperatures.
“Couldn’t have been better, could not have been better,” said Dick Alberti.
And it’s not just what people can do with aircraft, but what they do on them.
“It really is kinda painful. I’m banged up bruised but black and blue from bruises on the wires.”
“I think she must be awful comfortable with an airplane or she’s crazy, one of the other,” said Louis Knox.
Ashley Battles claims to be perfectly sane. This commercial airplane pilot enjoys wing walking as a hobby.
“This is absolutely the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done and not so much the adrenalin rush that comes from wing-walking while the airplane is doing aerobatics but just the fact that also my huge passion in life is aviation in general,” said Battles.
The aircraft are not just interesting to look at, all of the branches of the military use these air shows as prime opportunities for recruiting.
The Blue Angels may be best known – the Navy’s pride in the air. The Air Force Reserve Rocket Car raises eyebrows on the ground and the Army Sky Soldiers use volunteer veteran pilots to spread the word that the military is a great career path.
“We really can tell our story about how good the opportunities have been and all the chances we’ve been given to lead and do the things that we can,” said LTC J.R. Lam, U.S. Army (retired).
Two days of magic in the air is over. Who knows what new stunts will be dreamed up for next year. Plans for next year’s air show are already underway. It runs August 23-24, 2008.
Media Contact:
Jeremy Brilliant
E-mail: jbrilliant@wthr.com
