Air show over Flathead Lake July 22

| July 17, 2013 2:23 PM

The Kalispell Chamber’s air show committee, including Air Boss Gib Bissell, have arranged for a show of vintage aircraft that will take to the skies on Monday, July 22.

The fly-by will be a highlight of the Chamber’s cruise aboard the Far West and will include vintage aircraft dating from as early as the 1920’s. Scheduled for the fly-by are:

· A Corsair and a T-6 owned by Ray Thompson. The Corsair saw service during World War II and the Korean War and was in use by some air forces through the early 1960’s in Indochina and Algeria. The T-6 was used to train military pilots for the United States, England and the British Commonwealth.

· Travelair owned by Hank Galpin. This sturdy monoplane was built in the 1920’s.

· Pitts owned by Marshall Friedman. First built in 1944, this light aerobatic biplane dominated world aerobatic competitions in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

· Stearman owned by Dick Schaus. Built in the 1930’s and 1940’s the Stearman was a biplane used to train pilots for the US Navy, US Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Flying with the pilots of these vintage aircraft will be three invited guests of the Kalispell Chamber who are accomplished pilots in their own right. They are all members of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, The Thunderbirds. They include Kalispell native Major Jason Curtis, Major Joshua Boudreaux and Major Curtis Dougherty. All three will be in the Flathead Valley on vacation.

According to Chamber President, Joe Unterreiner, today’s announcement that the U.S. Air Force Demonstration Team would resume training again gives a hopeful sign that the Air Show (with an appearance by the Thunderbirds) might indeed be a reality in 2014. “But in the meantime, we can enjoy watching some of the vintage war birds as they fly overhead next Monday evening.”

The flyby will be visible from shore, but the best vantage point will be the deck of the Far West as Chamber members cruise Flathead Lake from 7 until 9 PM. To reserve tickets for the cruise and fly-by, visit the Chamber website at www.kalispellchamber.com and click the online registration button. Or call 406-758-2803. Registration is limited to 145.