The airport will hold its first airshow in 16 years Aug. 24 and 25.
The Sands Lehigh Valley Air Show is set to take off next weekend after about a year of planning.
It is the first such show since the 1990s at Lehigh Valley International Airport and an event officials hope will showcase an airport that's struggled to grow its passenger traffic numbers.
LVIA Executive Director Charles Everett said about 200 volunteers will be making sure everything runs smoothly during the two-day show, the first the Hanover Township, Lehigh County hub has held in 16 years. He said he knew Lehigh Valley could put on a safe show, because they did it before in 1997.
“We used to do them annually where I used to be,” Everett added. “We thought it would be a pretty good fit (here).”
People can expect a carnival-like atmosphere based around aviation during the show next weekend on LVIA grounds.
Although federal sequestration has grounded many military aviation groups, such as the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds and the U.S Navy's Blue Angels, Everett said the plans never called for relying on the military.
Six groups are set to perform including three propeller-plane groups, one team of jet fighters, an all-women’s skydiving team and a helicopter depicting the features of a clown.
Some of the groups, like the T-28 Warbirds Aerobatic Formation Demonstration Team and the Black Diamond Jet Team, won’t have all their members with them at the show, but they say they're still set to give a performance the crowd will enjoy.
'It's raw power'
The Black Diamond Jet Team, based in Florida, will perform a show similar to the military-style groups, using four planes instead of the normal five to seven they use, said Jarrod Isaacman, the team's right wing pilot.
“Jets are just given flair of their own,” Isaacman said. “Its raw power, and multiple planes inches apart from one another.”
The group flies L-39 “Albatross” aircraft, which are the most widely used, high-performance jet trainers in the world. They serve in more than 30 air forces worldwide.
T-28 Warbirds member Dough Hulse said his team will offer performances for those interested in older military planes. The T-28s are 1950s military trainers that were used in Korea and Vietnam for air support, Hulse said.
“They have a good military history,” he said. “They are a pretty cool airplane and people will enjoy seeing them.”
The Iron Eagles, a group based out of New York offering a two-plane formation air show, will add another layer of excitement, said William Gordon, the lead pilot of the Iron Eagles.
The planes, single-seat Super Christen Eagle I biplanes, will take off head on, perform tight formations and finish up with a mirror performance, lasting about 18 minutes, Gordon said.
Gordon said the head-on take off scares people a bit.
“But we’ve had pretty good success over the last 24 years,” he said.
Role models for girls
The Misty Blues, the all-women skydiving team, will open up their performance by displaying a 30-by-60-foot American flag as they descend, team leader Cindy Irish said. They will use other banners and end with stacking formations.
The team, which performs nationally and internationally, focuses on letting young girls know that they can do anything they set their minds to doing, Irish said.
Otto the Helicopter will be at the show as well, said Roger Buis, the pilot of Otto. The helicopter displays a clown face, Buis said, and usually attracts a lot of kids.
“It adds variety to air shows,” Buis said of the helicopter.
Also performing will be the 4CE Formation Aerobatic Team, a 4-plane civilian demonstration team.
During planning, Everett said the only reliance the show had on the military was to supply static aircraft, such as the B-27 cargo plane and fighter jets. When the sequestration began, Everett said he found out those items would not be available for the show.
There will be commercial and general aviation aircraft on display, he said.
Performing to a home crowd
Some of those performing at the show will be doing it before their hometown crowd.
Isaacman, CEO of Harbortouch, a national supplier of point-of-sale systems and credit card processing equipment also in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, said he expects friends, family and coworkers to come out to see him.
“We’ve preformed all over the world … it’s been an excellent time,” said Warbird pilot Hulse, who lives in New Jersey and also expects family and friends to attend. “The Black Diamond has been waving their banner, and now we can bring it home.”
Aleth Matrone, of the Misty Blues and a resident of Allentown, will also perform that weekend, Irish said.
The cancellation of air shows around the country because of the federal issues with sequestration has become a small benefit for the Lehigh Valley Air Show, Everett said. Performers have been coming to them asking to participate in the show, he said.
But for many of the groups, military shows are a big part of what they do each year. Some of the groups have had shows cut from their yearly count while others have been able to book a few extra.
Buis said he went from 15 shows with his helicopter to only about nine shows this year.
“You don’t realize how much military support goes into it,” Buis said of the shows.
Gordon said his show count was cut as well, losing five shows this year.
“We’ll hope for a better year next year,” he said.
30,000 expected to turn out
Everett said the estimated turnout of the show is expected to be about 30,000 people for the two days, which is twice the original estimate. Though ticket sales will pick up within the coming days, Everett said sales thus far have been strong.
The show is a chance for the public to visit and learn more about the airport and get a taste of aviation, Everett said.
The airport is mindful of the competition it has in the area from larger hubs such as Philadelphia International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport.
“We are located in a hyper-competitive area,” Everett said. “We need passengers and we are certainly looking into air services and developments.”
Everett hopes the conveniences of the airport will outweigh other factors. For example, he said, processing and going through security checks usually takes about 10 minutes at LVIA while it can take anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes at the larger airports.
“It’s user friendly,” he said of the airport. “It might not always be the cheapest, but it is convenient.”
Isaacman said it’s been far too long since LVIA has held an air show. He's hopeful people will take advantage of the opportunity.
“Air shows are an awesome time, and it’s long overdue in the Lehigh Valley,” he said.
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The Lehigh Valley Air Show will take place Aug. 24 and 25, with gates opening at 9 a.m. Planes take to the air at noon until about 4 p.m.
General admission tickets are $12 in advance; $15 at the gate; $12 with a military ID at the gates; $8 for children 4-11; and free for children 4 and under.
Ticket purchase information can be found at lehighvalleyairshow.com.
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There will be two land versus air races as part of the air show.
Matt Chapman, team leader of the 4CE Formation Team, will race against Steve Fox, chief instructor and general manager of the Pocono Stockcar Racing Experience, according to a news release from the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority.
Also, Billy Segalla from the Iron Eagles will race against an all-electric Brammo Empulse R motorcycle, according to the release.