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Show ftrkRecoird PARK CITY, UTAH i i 1 1 I! I U 'iri, Ji I It Saturday july 3, 200t Events Calendar C2, Crossword: C4, Scene & Heard: C7. TV l istings: CIO. Classifieds: C14 X'y-i ) ff . oj TO---- " " ' -V' v vTOl By CASEY R. BASDEN Of the Record staff Friday, July 9, people will gather at the Heber Valley Aero Museum to wait anxiously anx-iously for the drone of two vintage airplanes: the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 I ,iberalor. The two planes will be featured at the Heber Valley Air Show and Fly-In which kicks-off with the planes' arrival, and continues into the evening with a MOs-style dance. Saturday, the air show takes place at noon. The B-17 Flying Fortress was originally built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in I ,ong Beach, Calif. Once the craft was ready for flight, it was too late for combat. As a result, the B-1 7 served as part of the AirSea 1 st Rescue Squadron and eventually even-tually the Military Air Transport Service. Seven years after its construction, the craft had been subjected to tliree nuclear explosions and was out of commission for 13 years. After being sold for scrap, aircraft Specialties Company began restoring the World War II plane. Once the extensive process was complete, the B-17 served as a fire bomber until it was sold in Jan., 1986 to the Collings Foundation, a non-profit educational organization that still owns the craft today. Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft became responsible for restoring the plane back to its original wartime configuration. While performing at an air show in western Pennsylvania, tlie plane crashed causing severe damage. Another restoration project began. The nacelles, an enclosure used to shelter crew or cargo or house the engine, from "Shoo Shoo Baby" another B-17, was used on the Flying Fortress and the craft was soon up-and-running, flying in air shows throughout the country. The story of the B-24 Fly Liberator is no less interesting. It is the only fully restored flying Consolidated B-24 Liberator in the skies today. The plane was used in Furope and the Pacific during WWII for various bombing missions. The B-24 was built was built in Aug. 1944 by the Consolidated Aircraft SdfJ Company in Fort Worth, Tex. The craft eventually was transferred to the Royal Air Force, and, by the end of the war, was abandoned. After belonging to several different owners, the plane was sold to Dr. Robert F. Collings in 1984 and he was persuaded to restore the B-24 Liberator to flying condition. con-dition. Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft, the same company that restored the B-17 Flying Fortress, was in charge of working on the airframe and powerplant while volunteers restored turrets, armament, radios, oxygen system and cosmetic detail. According to Jackson Wells, a volunteer for tlie I leber Valley Aero Museum and a WWII veteran who flew a B-17 Flying Fortress, says, "There are various generations genera-tions represented at the airport, but WWII is getting a lot of attention because veterans vet-erans are rapidly disappearing." Wells recalls there were 50 airfields in Hngkind where he was stationed. He relates that each airfield housed 36 B-17s and people would wait for the sound of the planes to return. Would all 36 make it home salely? The same kind of feeling can be expected when the two planes arrive at 3 p.m. July 9. "There will be silence. F.veryone will be searching for these two bombers," says Wells. "For anyone who knows anything about history, tliat will be a moment for them." After the planes arrive, tours of the crafts will be ollered for an S8 donation. A $400 donation to the Collings Foundation will earn donors a 30-minute ride on either the B-17 or the B-24. For a $20 donation, three individuals will be selected for a bomber ride while one will fly an escort mission in Russ McDonald's P-5 1. McDonald is the man for which the Heber Valley-Russ McDonald Airport is named. The evening's dance will begin at 6 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. Guests are encouraged to dress in '4()s-style attire for a night of boogying to the music of Wasatch High School's jazz band. According to Wells, "It's reminiscent of tlie days when Glen Miller's All-Star Band entertained air crews in Europe." Prizes will be given for best-costume, dance competitions will be held and vari- PHOTOS COURTESY OP THE COLLINGS POUNDATION ous dance troupes will showcase tlieir swing dancing talents. Saturday, activities continue with the highly-anticipated air show. The event will begin with the Wasatch Modelers radio-controlled model flying demonstration followed fol-lowed by a parachute jump flag ceremony. President Nadim AbuIIaidar and Vice-President Greg Peterson of OK3 AIR, a full-service fixed-base operator offering services ranging from aircraft maintenance to flight training, will demonstrate their dual aerobatics skills. Iliere will be a Warbird Inhibition featuring the P-5 1 , Stearman PT-1 7, MIG-1 5, P-28 and the T-6, just to name a few. Bob Beausoleil will take part in the SD.-59 Acrobatic Glider Performance, Bambi Knight will be featured in a Sky Diving exhibition, exhi-bition, Greg Poe will fly the Edge 540, an aerobatic aircraft, in a special showcase, and, finally, there will be a Black Pearl Dragster spectacle for people who love fast cars. In addition to the air show, several WWII veterans will be on hand for "Hangar Talks" throughout the day. Malcolm McGregor, a former prisoner of war and pilot of the B-24; Burnis Watts, a glider pilot; Ray Brim, a B-17 Pathfinder pilot; Ike Isaacs, also a B-17 pilot; Harry Moyer, a P-40 pilot along with Wells will speak about tlieir flight experiences during the war. According to Wells, "One thing that impresses me is how intergenerational it is. People have a fascination with flight and the history of flight. It's a labor of love and it continues to surprise." The B-l 7 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Lilvmtor will fly in to the Heber Valley Airport Friday, July 9 at 3 p.m. Tlie '40s Swing dance will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the Russ McDonald Field. Admission is $5. Tlie Helvr Valley Air Show and Fly-In will be held Saturday, July 10. Giles open at 10:30 a.m. with the air show beginning at noon. Tickets ate $5 or $10 per family, fami-ly, free for children 12 and under. For more information, call (800) 388-4445 or visit www.ok3air.com. JStf Dinner featuring::. ; - JreakfBeet Salad '"V. ,fSbyBackSparerlb. , Citrus MaHwrlJdnwri-Com MaHwrlJdnwri-Com on the Cob&BBQ Baked Beam Red, white and Blue Cheesecake Warm Peach Cobbler With Ice Cream "Riverhorse'' Strawberry Shortcake , Musical Performance by htettrefr' I J, 1 Spectacular Fireworks il j LIMITED TO THE TOtf ADULTS: f CHILDREN: 5-12 FOR RExKVAIi. I J) fJ lHj (EC JjHK? fV ' ( W " 0i' ! RIVERHOn "IflAIN STREET Performing in L.... jium V 4 :turday 3rd CI LOVE 7 I v: ' r xr Sunday 4th TERESA 36. |