Stunt pilots and military veterans take to the skies Saturday in ‘Thunder Over Rexburg’

REXBURG — The skies supra Rexburg will beryllium abuzz Saturday arsenic nan Legacy Flight Museum Air Show sends vintage craft up, up and distant successful a nostalgic spectacle to grant America’s subject veterans.

“Thunder Over Rexburg” goes from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. astatine nan Rexburg Madison County Airport astatine 296 Airport Road.

The arena is free, and is simply a awesome opportunity for aviation enthusiasts of each ages to get up adjacent to nan historical craft and their distinguished pilots. The show is simply a contented successful Rexburg that draws thousands of spectators — immoderate from adjacent and immoderate who pitchy successful for nan occasion.

Air show head Kevin Lee says nan event, which has been happening for astir 20 years, takes astir a twelvemonth to plan.

“It’s an absolute gift to nan community,” Lee says. “People emotion it. It gets busier each year. It’s a mini town, but it’s a large show.”

One of nan highlights of Saturday’s aerial show will beryllium nan Vietnam War-era DeHavilland Caribou, nan oldest existing 1 successful nan world. | Lucas Spaulding, EastIdahoNews.com

One of nan highlights, Lee says, will beryllium nan ample Vietnam War-era DeHavilland Caribou (known affectionately arsenic “Boo”), which is nan oldest existing Caribou successful nan world today. It was 1 of nan original prototypes. It’s a larger subject craft meant to carrier supplies, vehicles and soldiers.

The show will besides characteristic galore subject training and combatant aircrafts, including nan Bell P-63 Kingcobra, a World War II-era craft that is 1 of only 3 remaining, and a mates P51 Mustangs, including nan “Mormon Mustang,” which is simply a replica of celebrated U.S. Air Force General Roland Wright’s combatant plane. Lee says nan Mustang is his favourite to fly.

“It is nan eventual warbird,” he says. “It’s fast, sleek, and smooth.”

The “Mormon Mustang” featured successful Saturday’s show is simply a replica of celebrated U.S. Air Force General Roland Wright’s combatant plane. | Lucas Spaulding, EastIdahoNews.com

Saturday’s aerial show will characteristic section pilots, including nan show’s laminitis John Bagley, and a fewer out-of-state performers, including Bob Freeman who hails from Colorado; Yellow Thunder, nan aerobatic squad of brothers David Watson and Drew Watson from Alberta, Canada; and Danny Sorensen, an aerobatic aviator coming from Bountiful, Utah. It will beryllium nan Watsons’ and Freeman’s first times performing astatine nan Rexburg show.

“They bring immoderate neat things that you wouldn’t usually see,” Lee says. “It’s beautiful spectacular.”

Lee says spectators should bring their ain chairs, shade, and water, and are invited to commencement mounting up astatine nan airdrome grounds astatine 8 a.m. Parking will beryllium disposable westbound of nan airdrome and connected nan westbound broadside of U.S. Highway 20. Lee says spectators will not beryllium allowed connected nan play people aliases astatine nan Rexburg Nature Park.

The Legacy Flight Museum is unique, Lee says, pinch astir of nan vintage craft housed astatine nan installation successful moving order.

“It’s a uncommon point to person that galore planes from a depository that really fly,” he says.

The depository and nan aerial show are made imaginable by donations from those who bask and judge successful nan organization’s ngo to grant American veterans.

“It’s what keeps this point alive,” he says.

Museum head Jim Dorcheus says location will beryllium aid buckets disposable successful nan museum, and, pinch a smile, he says that group are invited to “just propulsion hundreds and hundreds and 100 of dollars successful there.”

Rexburg City Clerk Deborah Lovejoy says donations tin besides beryllium made connected nan telephone aliases successful personification astatine Rexburg City Hall.

Bagley is proud of nan activity nan Legacy Flight Museum has done to sphere nan craft and grant veterans.

“It’s very different for a metropolis nan size of Rexburg to person a depository of this magnitude,” he says. “We do it for nan veterans. These planes changed World War II.”

Photographer Lucas Spaulding prepares for takeoff pinch aviator Ray Pocock successful a Cessna L-19 Bird Dog. Pocock will beryllium flying successful Saturday’s aerial show. | Emily Miller, EastIdahoNews.com

Legacy Flight Museum’s Air Show Directory Kevin Lee teaches astir nan Bell P-63 Kingcobra, a subject combatant level that could sprout a cannon from nan beforehand of nan plane. | Lucas Spaulding, EastIdahoNews.com