Airport Open Day and Air Show on Saturday – Sheridan Media

On Saturday, August 24th, the Sheridan Pilots Association hosted an open house, fly-in and air show at the Sheridan County Airport from 9am to 1pm. The day began with a pancake breakfast and a large crowd gathered to enjoy breakfast, view the airplanes, helicopters and vintage aircraft on display and watch the planes perform various stunts.

Passports were available for the youth and they could have them stamped at the various vendors at the show, including Sheridan County Search and Rescue, 307 Pilots School and Rotor School and Flying Cowboys R/C Club.

Justin Heid, President of the Sheridan Pilots Association, spoke about this year’s event

He added information about the upcoming show and some of the sponsors who made it possible.

Safety is a big issue when running an air show. Bob Evans was the Air Boss for the event. He is with Mile High Air Boss out of Colorado, who run air shows all over the country. He explained what an “Air Boss” does at the shows.

Evans has been involved in air shows for over 25 years and has been an Air Boss for around 12 years.

Arizona native Jeff Overby announced the performances and talked about his work.

He added that being an announcer at the air show is quite fun because he can explain how the G-forces affect the body or what the pilot does to make the planes do rolls, somersaults, loops and whatever else the pilots do. He also talked about the planes used to perform the maneuvers.

The old 1943 plane was in service from 1943 to 1958 and was once sold at a military auction for $385. He added that the plane was once a World War II pilot training aircraft. Alan Cook was the pilot and, in addition to flying in air shows, flies for a major airline and sits in the left seat of a 737.

One of the planes was a red biplane designed and built by pilot Danny Sorenson and named “Unfinished Business.”

Overby talked to Sorenson about something else he brings to every air show.

The third aircraft was a lightweight yellow plane designed for extreme maneuvers. Pilot Bob Freeman flew the yellow plane, which was the first ever built, and Freeman’s interest in flying began after attending an air show similar to the one in Sheridan.

The pilots conducted an intensive exercise with the planes, performing rolls, loops and dives. The planes left behind smoke trails created by pumping biodegradable oil into an aircraft’s exhaust nozzles.

This allowed spectators to follow the flight path while the aircraft performed the various maneuvers.

The Sheridan Pilots Association thanks these sponsors.

For more information about the Sheridan Pilots Association, visit www.sheridanpilots.org.