Cape Regional Air Festival: Airport prepares for 20,000 attendees

Officials are preparing for a crowd of nearly 20,000 — the biggest yet — at this year’s Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival on Saturday and Sunday, airport manager Bruce Loy said Tuesday.

The event will be at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport at 860 Limbaugh Drive.

“Because we had about 16,000 in 2010 ... you never know, but we’re certainly hopeful that’s how it winds up,” Loy said.

Loy said parking areas are finalized, with several lots available.

Parking will be available at West Park Mall at 3049 William St.; Cape Girardeau Central High School at 1000 S. Silver Springs Road; QC Corp. at 5566 Nash Road in Scott City; Midwest Agri-Chemico Inc. at 4868 Nash Road in Scott City; Rhodes 101 Stop at 3508 Nash Road in Scott City; Animal Emergency Center at 3257 E. Outer Road in Scotty City; and Lawless Harley-Davidson at 2100 E. Outer Road in Scott City, according to the air festival website.

“We think we have it worked out,” he said. “There had been some concerns for obviously the last several months about what space we would have available on the airport for VIP parking.”

Just as long as there’s not “a ton more rain,” Loy said, the location should be in pretty good shape.

Loy said preparations for this year’s air festival began in December 2017.

“We’ve been working on this for 16 months when it comes right down to it,” he said. “The most difficult part of everything with it is the weather.

As a precaution, wood chip paths are positioned throughout the airfield, Loy said.

To assist during the air festival, Loy said additional volunteers are needed. Those interested should attend the last information meeting for volunteers at 5:30 p.m. today in Sandy’s Place restaurant at the airport, he said.

“We always need volunteers, but we also need them to know what they’re doing,” he said. “They would need to make that meeting to go through all our safety procedures.”

Cape Girardeau Police Department public information officer Sgt. Joey Hann said by email Tuesday the department has hosted multiple planning meetings with regional agencies including Cape Girardeau Fire Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol to establish an incident command center and an operational plan.

“This Ops plan covers everything from personal security and traffic flow to injuries inside the festival,” Hann said. “We have a full staff of officers dedicated to security checks at the entrance gates as well as officers patrolling the festival on foot.”

Loy said he isn’t expecting “horrible conditions like we saw in 2010,” but he does recommend those apprehensive about the summerlike conditions forecast for the weekend to bring an umbrella and sunscreen.

He also recommends attendees arrive early.

Loy said airplane wings can also double as shelter from the sun.

“Our shuttles start at 8:30, the gates open at 9; there’s a lot to see between 9 and when the show starts at 11:30,” Loy said. “Try to beat the rush.”

And anytime military members are in attendance at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, aircraft security is increased accordingly, he explained.

Bags will be checked at the airport entry, he said. Liquids, guns and any similar items will be confiscated.

Coolers or refreshments purchased outside of the perimeter also will not be allowed, Loy said.

“There’s a lot to do here; there’s a lot to see,” he said.

Loy added normal day-to-day operations of the airport will not be impeded during this time. Those with an airline ticket will be let into the terminal, he said.

He said the airline, for the last week or so, has bumped up flight times so the flight will arrive at 11 a.m. and leave at 11:30 a.m., Loy said, to coordinate with the festival schedule.

“Just as soon as the airline leaves, that’s when we start the air show on Saturday,” he said.

And on Sunday, “we don’t even have that conflict, really” he said, adding, “The airline has worked with us really well and not conflicting.”

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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