GEORGE ANDRE'S FLYING MACHINE

George Andre learned to fly at the U.S. Air Force base in Malden in 1955. Missions in the Vietnam War followed, and a career as a Lockheed test pilot who pushed the envelope on the F-104 Starfighter and the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane.

With a top speed of Mach 3 -- 2,000 mph --- the latter is still the world's fastest plane.

The 61-year-old Andre, who retired a year and a half ago from his job as director of safety and engineering for TWA, has slowed down to about 250 mph now. But he still finds a way to get his G's.

Andre and his Freebird 300 aerobatic plane will be featured at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the air show at the Balloons & Arts Festival '96.

The festival beings today with a media flight and continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

Admission to the festival grounds is $2 for ages 7 and up. Parking is free.

Andre built his Freebird 300, a 310-horsepower single-seater made of a carbon fiber composite. "It's considerably stronger than a 747," he says.

It needs to be because in Andre's 30 maneuvers he'll pull 9 positive and 6 negative G's. Negative G's occur when a pilot is flying upside down. "They require that you have a good seatbelt," Andre says.

Andre, who flew in aerobatic competitions for 15 years before switching to airshows, is part of a flying family. His son is a TWA pilot and instructor, his wife has her private pilot's license and his daughter has taken flight training and has soloed.

"I take special delight in performing for kids and showing aviation in a positive light to young people," he said. "Especially impressionable teen-agers."

Andre will perform an 11-12 minute routine of about 30 maneuvers, including one in which he flies straight up and then slides the airplane on its tail. And another in which the airplane tumbles end over end.

Don't try these at home.

"Most of these maneuvers would destroy a regular airplane," he said. "It takes an airplane built for that."

The retired Air Force lieutenant colonel performed at last year's festival in a different plane and ran into a fuel contamination problem that forced him to cut his show short.

"I'm very happy to have been invited to perform at this show," he said. "I want to make up for that."

Another highlight of the festival will be a demonstration at 5 p.m. Friday of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the Air Force's so-called "tank killer." The black jet made it's reputation during the Gulf War in providing close air support for ground forces.

The jet has a maximum air speed of 517 and will demonstrate high- and low-speed maneuvering, rapid rolls, climbs and descents and simulated weapons employment.

The Ninth Air Force A-10 Demonstration team led by Capt. Christopher E. Plamp will answer afterward.

BALLOONS & ARTS FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Friday

5 p.m. Gates open, A-10 ThunderboltII demonstration flight

6 p.m. Competitive Balloon flight

8 and 10 p.m. "Tonight's the night," a tribut to Rod Sewart by Rob Caudill

Saturday

6 a.m. Competitive Balloon Flight

7:30 a.m. Crash truck demonstrations

7:45 a.m. Extrication demonstration by Cape Ambulance and Air Evac and Fire department

1 p.m. George Andre Air Acrobatics

1:30 p.m. A-10 Thunderbolt II demonstration and display

2:30 p.m. Top Gun competition for private aircraft

3 to 5 p.m. Around the World basketball shooting competition

4:30 p.m. George Andre Air Acrobatics

6:30 p.m. Crash truck demonstration

6:45 p.m. Extrication demonstration

7 to 11 p.m. Austin Ellis Band

7:30 to 9 p.m. Balloon tethered rides and Balloon Glow, airport launch field

Sunday

6 a.m. Competitive balloon flight

10 a.m. Awards ceremony, Drury Lodge

Also on Saturday

8 a.m. top 11 a.m.

*Arts and Crafts

*Airplane and helicopter rides

*Antique fire truck display

*Highway Patrol crash simulator

*Basketball demonstrations

*Experimental aircraft

*Parachutist demonstration

Noon to 3 p.m.

*Children's arts and crafts

Noon to 7 p.m.

*Tom Bonham Puppets

*Richard Renner's Vodvill

*River City Ramblers Dixieland Band