By Bill Stansbeary
Julie Clark has performed at air shows for 25 years, winning many awards and honors in her 1956 Beechcraft T-34 “Free Spirit” marked in her creative version of “Air Force One.”
The International Council of Air Shows held their annual convention in Las Vegas, N.V., on December 6-9.
This was the time and place for everyone in the air show business to get together and plan ahead for the year 2005 events. Designed to help organize safe, secure and spectacular air shows in the United States and Canada, this exciting three-day convention featured exhibitors, workshops, roundtable discussions, education sessions and awards banquet.
Who goes to air shows? A recent ICAS survey shows this to be a very large number of both civilian and military personnel, male and female, of all ethnic origins, of all ages, household income, education and occupation.
The ICAS delegate list included most of the companies and individuals who are in the air show business today in North America. For more information on the air show authority, ICAS, check [http://www.airshows.org/].
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- Randy Brooks, director of operations, Red Baron Pizza Squadron, represented the air show team that flies open cockpit WWII vintage Stearman biplanes before millions of fans each year.
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- United States Navy Blue Angels Jim Paino, events; Lt. Shaun Swartz, events coordinator; Lt. Ted Steelman, naval aviator; and Lt. John Allison, naval aviator, narrator.
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- Carol Pilon, Third Strike Wingwalking, performs her daredevil woman show with solo, dual and formation walks while climbing all over an aircraft in flight.
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- Teddy Rux and Captain Angela Johnson, USAF Thunderbirds, public affairs officer, presented the Thunderbirds 2005 schedule.
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- Bob Carlton, Silent Wings Airshows, now is using two very small jet engines to power his sailplane during his air-show performance.
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- Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie (USAF, ret), and Caroline Lindgren, B-17 and B-24 pilot, visit with Dave Waldrop and Rick Svetkoff, who fly F-104s in their Starfighters air show.