Planners excited about McChord Air Expo 2008

  • Published
  • By Tyler Hemstreet
  • Staff writer
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  The group of dedicated Airmen behind Air Expo 2008 did more than just leaf through a contingency plan from the air show held here three years ago and make some phone calls.

The group poured its heart and soul into the planning, according to Maj. Doug Edwards, Air Expo 2008 director.

That included touring other air shows across the nation and gathering notes on what audiences really enjoyed and what kind of effect dead time and gaps during aerial performances had on the show.

"Since we haven't had an air show here in three years, we wanted to put on a show like the public has never experienced before because it has been so long," Major Edwards said.

To make that happen, the Air Expo 2008 committee has arranged for more than 100 static and performing aircraft to be present at the show, he said.

The live demonstrations include four official active duty demo teams: the Thunderbirds, Wings of Blue and official F-15 Eagle and F/A-18 Hornet demonstrations.

"We want to give people non-stop action for four and a half to five hours," Major Edwards said.

The great thing about the aerial displays, he said, is that because they are official active duty pilots flying the aircraft, the choreographed demonstrations will show the full capabilities of each aircraft.

"With the aerial lineup we've created, we even have air show industry folks excited about what we are offering," Major Edwards said.

When it came to arranging static displays, the group got together and pooled its personal experiences with aircraft over each member's career and decided to bring some rare and somewhat obscure aircraft to the show, said Capt. Doug Rottier, air operations director.

"There are a lot of events in the show that came from some outside-the-box thinking on our part," Captain Rottier said. "We wanted to take some of our personal flair and incorporate it into the show."

And that enthusiasm and hard work the committee has put into the Air Expo 2008 has not gone unnoticed by people in the community, Major Edwards said.

The director has received several phone calls and e-mails from people in the community who have either read about the show in the newspaper or visited the Web site (www.mcchordairexpo.com).

"All the responses are people expressing their support and appreciation for bringing the show back," he said. "I didn't expect to get that (feedback). People are already dialed in."