Get ready for a high-flying good time.
The Greenwood Airshow returns next Saturday, June 4 at the Greenwood-Leflore Airport.
“We’re excited,” said Cyndi Long, who is a member of the Greenwood AirShow’s committee and works as the site manager at AerCap at the Greenwood-Leflore Airport. “A few years ago, we decided to go to every other year, and then it happened to be the second year was the start of COVID. So there’s been a lot of challenges but we’ve overcome them, and we’re back and we’re excited.”
The event, presented by Cannon Motors of Mississippi, will feature food vendors, inflatables, face painting and a variety of performers.
“It’s all about bringing aviation to the Delta,” said Long about the show.
The last Greenwood Airshow was held in 2018, and the next one was planned for 2020 before the pandemic hit.
“We’re over the moon excited about it” returning, said Kimmel Aviation’s Frank Kimmel, who is a member of the air show committee and a performer. “This is a refreshing opportunity to bring the air show back and showcase the airport. A lot of people don’t realize that we have such a vibrant aviation community out at the airport. As far as airports go, Greenwood has one of the best communities of supportive aviators. ... We’re really proud of our airport community.”
Admission is free and open to the public. There is a $10 parking fee per vehicle.
“We try to keep it low cost so everybody in the Delta can come and enjoy aviation like so many of us do,” said Long.
The gates open at 10 a.m., and the show begins at 11 a.m.
Long said there will be plenty to do before the show begins. “There’s a lot to walk around and see.”
There will be an assortment of food vendors and a jewelry vendor.
Helicopter rides will be offered for a cost of $50 per person.
While rides had been offered free of charge at past air shows, Long said the cost of liability insurance has greatly increased since the pandemic, making it no longer feasible to offer free rides.
Those attending can opt to bring a cooler of food and beverages to enjoy throughout the event.
“It’s a great day. It’s a great family day. You can pack your car, and if you don’t want to spend money on the food vendors there, you are welcome to bring your lunch,” said Long. “You can actually enjoy a very nice day for your whole family for $10 if you want to pack your own food and drinks.”
The event will include several military static displays, such as the National Guard’s C-17 from Jackson, a T-6A Texan II from the Columbus Air Force Base, the Air Force’s F-16 display, a display of Delta State University’s training aircraft, among other static displays and vendors.
The show will start with Michael Joe Cannon of Cannon Motors welcoming everyone attending.
The event then will kick off with a remote control demonstration of a model jet.
“Three of our local agriculture aircraft are going to come by and drop red, white and blue water to salute the military,” said Kimmel. “It’s going to be nice. It’s pretty cool how they do that, color the water and make a wall of red, white and blue.”
The aerobatic performers will follow.
The event will feature the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, which performs aerial maneuvers at shows all over North America. The four-man team flying T-6 Texan aircraft will perform a series of loops, rolls and bomb bursts in close formation for a classic aerobatic routine.
The show will include the All American Skydiving Team, Robbie Grice performing with a 450-horsepower stearman, and Michael Vaknin with his Extra 300 aerobatic routine.
Kimmel will perform, flying a F4U Corsair — an American fighter aircraft which saw service during World War II and the Korean War.
Dan Fordice of Vicksburg, who is the son of former Mississippi Gov. Kirk Fordice, will fly a P-51 Mustang. Stan Musick and Eric Hollingsworth will both be performing in T-6 Texan aircraft.
Greg Koontz and the Alabama Boys will perform a comedy act and aerobatic routine.
Long called the event a “hometown air show,” which has many advantages.
“If you go to a major air show, you don’t get close to the performers, and the planes are all parked out in the distance. That is absolutely not us,” she said. “The planes you can see very clearly. The pilots will interact with the crowd, so it just gives it a good hometown feeling. It’s a top production but it’s a hometown air show, and we are very proud of that.”
The Greenwood AirShow is registered with the state as a not-for-profit organization. Any proceeds from the event go to hiring performing acts.
The air show is put on by many local volunteers and an organizational committee consisting of Long, Kimmel, Allan Hammons of Hammons & Associates, Mike McCool of Provine Helicopters, local country musician and ag pilot John Byrd, and Mack McNeer of Aviation Services.
“It takes a lot of people to put this together. No one gets paid except the performers,” said Long. “We do this because we love Greenwood, and we love the Delta. All of the people locally who work so hard to put this together just do it because we love to share our love of aviation.”
One reason the organizers are so passionate about this event is that they get the opportunity to share their love of flying with the community.
“It’s easy to look at a plane up in the sky, but when you’re looking at it close up, it’s a totally different ballgame,” said Long. “There are a lot of people in the Delta who may never have an opportunity to fly. We want to make sure that opportunity is available to everyone in the Delta.”
Kimmel said the event will end at about 2 or 2:30 p.m., depending on the flow of the acts.
He said the weather so far is looking good on the day of the event. Even if it does rain, however, he recommends to come out to the airport.
“With the air show, it may cloud up and shut us down for 30 minutes or so but once the clouds clear we can get right back at it,” Kimmel said. “Or if it’s raining in town, it may not be raining at the airport. As long as it’s not raining at the airport, we’re going to be out there having a good time.”
- Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7235 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
