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Thunderbirds will roar at Scott’s airshow

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jake Eckhardt
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  With less than 60 days left until Scott AFB opens its gates to the public for its 2012 Airpower Over the Midwest airshow featuring the Air Force Thunderbirds, organizers are busy finalizing details.

The airshow is Sept. 15-16 and gates will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free event also features performances by the U.S. Special Operation Para-Commandos and will feature aircraft displays, historical reenactments and plane simulators.

"We enjoy hosting the airshow and opening our doors to the public because we want to show everyone what we're doing for our country," said Maj. Thomas Knaust, 2012 Airshow Director. "We've tried to cover an entire spectrum of entertainment by having an array of planes in the air and on the ground along with all these other features we are incorporating."

The last airshow that took place at Scott was in 2010 with the Navy Blue Angels, and it had the highest attendance so far with 180,000 people. Knaust said he hopes to aim for 200,000 visitors this year.

To ease traffic flow, both Belleville and Shiloh gates will be open as well as the Patriots Landing gate. Exit 19A off of Interstate 64 is the exit that should be used to get to the Shiloh and Patriots Landing gates. Exit 23 off of Interstate 64 should be used to get to the Belleville gate. Volunteers will then guide the visitors to the next available parking spot.

The MetroLink is another option for visitors. There will be MetroLink shuttle busses from the Shiloh-Scott station there to take visitors to the flightline where the airshow is being held. All Metro buses are handicapped accessible. A roundtrip ticket on the MetroLink is $2 per person.

Knaust said he fondly remembers coming to Scott AFB to see the airshow here.

"As a kid in the '80s, my parents brought me to Scott for the airshow. As I look back, Scott was the Air Force to me. Those airshows planted the seed for me. There was something bigger than me going on here, and I was inspired by that."

Now as a major, he gets the put together the same event that inspired him as a child.

"I have come full-circle now," he said. "I was inspired by these airshows when I was little and now I have been given the responsibility to put the whole thing together and give back to the community. It's a great opportunity."

For more details on the event or for a complete listing of performers and displays, visit www.scott.af.mil.