Dozens of aircraft on display, perform at Pikes Peak Regional Airshow in Colorado Springs
Twenty-two performer aircraft, 17 exhibitor aircraft and eight vehicles.
Pikes Peak Regional Airshow, the state’s largest airshow, returns with an assortment of rare warbirds, airshow performers, static aircraft displays and the popular interactive kids zone.
The event, hosted by the National Museum of WWII Aviation and the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, is Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the U.S. Army’s A/DACG facility, 7330 Embraer Heights. Tickets are $55.41-$86.26; $44.39 for ages 4-12; $49.90 with a military ID; and $165.60 for the sunrise photo experience; pprairshow.org.
team will perform at 11:10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Pikes Peak Regional Airshow. Courtesy Colorado Springs Sports Corporation
“Flight is still fascinating,” said event organizer John Henry. “You look at some of these rare warbirds and it takes you back. You realize what they needed to accomplish during WWII. I marvel at the equipment and how advanced they were for their day, and how aviation today has grown by such an immense amount since WWII. It puts you back in touch with a key piece of history.”
What not to miss:
• WPP Legacy Warbirds, a historic aircraft collection and preservation group based in Brenham, Texas: The group is making its first appearance at the airshow and bringing the P-51 Mustang, FG-1D Corsair, FM-2
Wildcat, and HU-16 Albatross.
Warbirds are a significant draw, as the aircraft are rare to see.
“The P-51 Mustang is people’s favorite fighter aircraft out of WWII,” Henry said, “because it was so remarkably effective at its job and an extremely good-looking aircraft.”
• The U.S. Air Force Academy’s Wings of Blue parachute
team, 11:10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday: Instead of jumping from their usual AFA UV-18B Twin Otter, a vintage Douglas C-47 Skytrain from the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team of Frederick, Okla., will carry the team.
“It’s going to be such a sight to see,” Henry said.
• Exhibitor aircraft: More than a dozen aircraft will be available for up-close perusal, including a Grumman HU-16 Albatross, a twin-engine
amphibious aircraft designed to operate from both land
and water; a CH-47 Chinook, a twin-engine, tandem-rotor helicopter
designed to carry troops, equipment and heavy cargo into
rugged environments; and a UH-60 Black Hawk, a twin-engine utility helicopter built to transport troops, equipment and supplies across
challenging environments.