AVIATION DAYS: DONATIONS STILL NEEDED FOR MAY EVENT

Cape Girardeau Airport Manager Mark Seesing said he's still trying to secure donations and loans to pay for the annual Aviation Days scheduled this year for May 9-10.

The Navy Blue Angles will perform at the show, the first time the flight demonstration squadron has performed in Cape Girardeau since 1983.

Seesing said Aviation Days, which will include an aerobatic stunt team, aircraft displays and a hot-air balloon race, will cost about $50,000.

"We're still very willing to take donations, and we're still working on getting the $50,000," Seesing said.

He said that in 1983, the air show was a money-maker for the city's Chamber of Commerce and the Pilots Club, which shared much of the bill.

"My understanding is that after expenses and everything were paid off, the Chamber of Commerce and Pilot's Club split about $25,000," Seesing said.

The airport manager said that in 1983, the two-day crowd at Aviation Days was estimated at 25,000 to 30,000.

Also included in Aviation Days this year is the Peterson-Krier All American Air Show from Ashland, Kansas. The air show will bring three different stunt aircraft to perform three shows each day.

The event will include drops throughout the day by the local skydiving club, and a new attraction, hot-air balloon races.

"We're going to have balloon races with about 25 hot-air balloons from all over the country," he said.

Seesing said there will be balloon races Friday evening, May 8, and Saturday and Sunday morning and evening, May 9-10.

"We'll also have several static displays of military aircraft," he said. "And Mooney Aircraft from Texas will bring several aircraft."

As usual, Aviation Days will include radio-controlled, model aircraft hobbyists with their planes, he said. The Cape Girardeau Jaycees will handle concessions at the event.

"It's a major ordeal and there's a lot of work to do just getting the people out here to contribute," Seesing said. "But it's definitely worth it. It's a good showcase for the area, since this is really the Blue Angels' big Midwest show this year.

"And even though the terminal building will be shut down, it will be a good opportunity for the city to show what we're doing out at the airport and what we've got going on."

Seesing said information will be available during Aviation Days to explain improvement projects at the airport. "It's a good opportunity for us to let the community know what's going on," he added.

But the main attraction will be the Blue Angels. The squadron will perform aerobatic maneuvers in their high performance, blue and gold F/A-18 Hornets.

Accompanying the Hornets, valued at $32 million each, will be "Fat Albert," the team's C-130 transport plane that carries maintenance and logistics support equipment and parts.

The last time the Blue Angels performed in Cape Girardeau, they flew smaller, less powerful A-4, single-engine jets.

The city last month received good news from the Blue Angels when the Navy announced it would waive a requirement for aircraft arresting gear at the airport.

Seesing said the arresting gear, which is a safety requirement for all Blue Angels shows, would have cost about $25,000.

"It's basically a cable stretched across the runway so that if there's an emergency, they can drop the tail hook and get stopped," Seesing said. "But the Blue Angels waived the requirement and have decided to use Lambert St. Louis Airport as their emergency site."

The Federal Aviation Administration's flight safety requirements will force the closure of three roads north and south of the airport and evacuation of some residents from their homes along one of the roads during the Blue Angels' aerial performance.

Portions of Route M and Nash Roads north and south of the airport will be closed although Interstate 55 will remain open. Also, no one will be permitted to enter or leave the airport grounds while the Blue Angel performance is under way.

Residents who live along Nash Road west of Scott City to the intersections of new Route M and Old Route M will be evacuated while the Blue Angels are performing.

But Seesing said most of the residents he's talked with are cooperative and willing to suffer the inconvenience.

"We still need to talk to a couple of residents south of the airport and a few of the businesses on the north end of the field," he said. "But I've had good support from the property owners I've talked with.

"A lot of people were talked to back in 1983, and they understand the reasoning behind it.

"But it's a little different this time. It's almost double the aircraft. They're a lot larger with another engine and a lot more thrust. It's going to be a little bit noisier."

Seesing said the evacuations will only apply during the Blue Angles air show. He said residents and traffic will be affected for three hours, May 7, and for about 45 minutes each day May 8-10.

"You're looking at a total of six hours at most during the whole event where people will be affected," he said.