This year’s Air Fiesta will feature modern military aircraft for the first time in six years.
That’s according to Air Fiesta Chairman David Hughston, who said two A-10 “Warthogs” are scheduled to appear at Air Fiesta 2017, Feb. 11-12. Modern military aircraft are very popular with the public, he said, though all branches of the military stopped sending aircraft to air shows around the country as a result of budget cuts triggered by federal sequestration.
The A-10, officially called the “Thunderbolt II,” was designed for close-in support of ground troops, close air support, and providing quick-action support for troops against helicopters and ground forces.
Hughston said Air Fiesta may also have a line on a pair of Harrier Jump Jets, which can take off and land vertically, and hopes to bring in a C-17 Globemaster cargo plane.
“It looks like we’re going to have good modern military, at least for static display if they don’t all fly,” he said. “We’re kind of excited about that. It’s been a long time.”
This year’s headliners include a Soviet-era MiG-17F flown by Randy Ball.
“It’s a big crowd pleaser,” Hughston said. “He comes across the field at just under (the speed of sound).”
BY STEVE CLARK | STAFF WRITER
