I don’t know what your plans are this weekend, but if you’re near Smyrna, TN you should get to The Great Tennessee Air Show. The air show gates open at 8 a.m. this Saturday and Sunday at the Smyrna Airport. There are still tickets are still available for $20 at the gate or $10 for kids under 12 and kids under 4 are free. The good news is that parking is free. For more information, check out the Great Tennessee Air Show website.
As for the acts you can expect at the show, you won’t be disappointed. With a more than 40 year history and having attracted more than 40,000 attendees last time, the Great Tennessee Air Show isn’t a small backyard affair. In fact, the show is big enough that the headline act is the USAF Thunderbirds. Additional military acts include demonstrations by an F-15 Strike Eagle, an F/A 18 Hornet and a C-5 Galaxy on static display (this big ‘un came through TYS). Unfortunately, due to the immense size of the C-5, no other aircraft can be accommodated…just kidding, watch this promo and read on.
Other performances include air show legend Gene Soucy’s wing walking act featuring Teresa Stokes, Mike Goulian in his Extra 330SC, Jason Newburg in the Viper Pitts S2S, Kendal “Aeronut” Simpson flying his Pitts Model 12 and Rob Holland flying an MX2. As if that wasn’t enough, Dave Folk will be showing off an F4U Corsair and will be performing a Heritage Flight with the F/A18 in celebration of the Centennial of Naval Aviation. As for static displays, in addition to the C-5 Galaxy, there will be a host of other aircraft including FedEx’s display of one of their 757s (which I can assure you look quite large out the back of a Cessna 172).
In all it looks like a really good show. I won’t be able to make it, since somehow it fell on Derby weekend, but if you’re not doing anything be sure to check it out. I probably don’t know your mom, but make her Mother’s Day and take her to the show on Sunday. Nothing says, “I love you Mom,” like precision aerobatics.