Airport Day gets 2 thumbs up

Kayne Pyatt, Herald Reporter
Posted 8/31/18

Evanston hosts annual Airport Day

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Airport Day gets 2 thumbs up

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EVANSTON — A large number of people gathered at the Evanston airport bright and early on Saturday morning, Aug. 25, to watch the annual air show for Airport Day. Following a hearty breakfast at 7 a.m. provided by Boy Scout Troop 911, folks could wander around the airport hangars, take pictures and get up close to a variety of planes.

Scoutmaster Jeff Breininger and assistant Scoutmaster Randy Barker were at the grill while Karen Breininger made coffee and helped the Scouts. Boy Scouts who helped to provide the breakfast and lunch meals were Riley Barker Wade Barker and Ethan Barker.

Members of the Bear River Modelers were flying their model airplanes near the breakfast hangar which was fun to watch while enjoying the pancakes and ham.

Static displays of planes included the University of Utah Airmed, IHC LifeFlight helicopters, the Grumman TBM–3 Avenger, and a Mormon Mustang among many others on the tarmac. 

Those people who came early got the added benefit of watching all of the planes fly in and land in front of the audience. The actual show started at 10:30 a.m. and continued until 1 p.m.

The CAF Rocky Mountain Wing Museum that brought the Avenger to the show is one of 75 national detachments of the national Commemorative Air Force nonprofit aviation association dedicated to honoring American military aviation through flight, exhibit and remembrance.

The TBM was already next to the airport building when people started arriving. A ladder was attached, and people were invited to climb up and look inside the plane. They also had memorabilia for sale and several of the members with the plane were dressed in WWII era attire.

According to a handout at the display of the Grumman TBM-3 Avenger, it is an impressive WWII fighter plane. It was designed by Bill Schwendler of Grumman Aircraft and flew for the first time on Aug. 1, 1941. Its toughness was due to its rugged airframe, good low-speed handling, large fuel capacity and the powered turret.

In addition to carrying torpedoes, the TBM could be armed with bombs and wing-mounted rockets to attack land-based targets. It has been flown by both the American and British navies. Two famous people flew on the Avenger on Sept. 2, 1944. Navy pilot Lt. George Herbert Walker Bush was flying his 50th mission and Paul Newman flew as a rear gunner.

The commemorative Air Force’s TBM-3 is documented as having served the U.S. Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy (as a sub hunter aboard the HMCS Magnificent, 1950-1960). It was one of only 12 aircraft that flew over the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The TBM at the show on Saturday has appeared in several movies and is one of less than 20 that are still flying of the almost 10,000 originally built.

Pilots flying the planes for the show were from Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. John Bagley brought the P51D Mustang WWII fighter plane from the Legacy Flight Museum of Rexburg, Idaho.

The show began with Mark W. “Rocket” Liggett of Powell, serving as announcer. Rocket has been the announcer for the Evanston show for the last three years. He has been flying himself since the age of 10 and he said his father, who helped to design the Gemini manned spacecraft, was a huge inspiration to him.

Rocket has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and began his career at General Dynamics on the Atlas and Titan Centaur launch vehicles. He is now a consultant to many aircraft and spacecraft projects, including NASA’s X-33. Rocket’s research and development work and contributions to the aero sciences have been presented and published internationally. He announces air shows across the west.

Beginning the flight show were sky divers Andrew Talbot and Jake Price, who have a combined total of 1,370 jumps. They jumped out of the plane at 3,500 feet and, as they descended, two small acrobatic planes flew in circles around them discharging smoke to make a beautiful sight for the audience below them.  

After the sky divers had reached the ground, the acrobatic mini-jet planes flown by Tom Larkin and Chuck Ditman performed. They would fly close to the tarmac in front of the audience again and again making for a thrilling show. Ditman’s dark blue and orange mini-jet was once owned by John Denver.

During the performances of the large blue MXS plane, one of the IHC LifeFlight pilots received an emergency call and the audience all turned to watch the helicopter rise and take off, an unexpected addition to the show.

It was quite an exciting day for Evanston men, women and children who took the time to come to the local airport and view the air show. And if they looked to the west in the distance at one point, an eagle was flying simultaneously with the airplanes.