'HEROES AND LEGENDS' AIR SHOW PLANNED FOR JULY 8-9

When the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport began operating in 1942, it served as a training field for U.S. Air Force pilots. Perhaps some of the same planes used in World wars I and II will return to Cape Girardeau July 8-9 for the "Heroes and Legends" air festival.

The third-annual show includes war plane displays and Vietnam rescue re-enactments, an Army parachute team performance, a Stealth and high-speed racing plane competitions during the two-day show.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children. Gates open at 10 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday and aerobatic demonstrations begin at 2 p.m.

Events begin with a hangar dance from 7-10 p.m. July 7. Kittie Moller and Fanfare will perform.

The show will emphasize a century of U.S. air dominance.

New aircraft technology can be accredited to wars, which served as the impetus for building better and faster planes, said Bruce Loy, airport manager.

Many war planes on display, like the World War II Avenger, "have a real history in the war and have seen some battles," said Loy.

It's a rarity for an air show to find a plane with that sort of history, he said. "Most of the planes you see at shows were used for training or in standby," Loy said.

He fully expects veterans to flock to the airport and tell stories about the planes they flew during the war.

Several area veterans have been invited to the show. About 15 people from the Missouri Veterans Home have received invitations. "We always invite them out," he said.

Loy also expects to see Vietnam veterans come and inspect the planes from that era. The 69th Battalion Special Operation Group, made up of former combat pilots and Vietnam vets, will re-enact a Vietnam rescue mission, including the use of exploding pyrotechnics. A second act will use an A-37 tactical jet and was active during Operation Desert Storm. It is flown by the U.S. and Mohawk.

But combat planes and fighters aren't the only attraction at the upcoming air show.

Formula One racing planes will fly at speeds of 300 mph in an attempt to circle a three-mile oval track. Laps are completed in as little as 45 seconds. A judge stands under the planes "to keep them honest," Loy said, and make sure they don't cut around the track. The race usually takes eight laps to complete.

Other events and demonstrations:

* A Dawn Patrol flight of European Neuport replicas to show how U.S. pilots fought dropping bombs in their attacks on the enemy.

* The U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute and skydiving team.

* Jimmy Franklin and his wing-walking act.

* Dodge Ram Jet and a jet-propelled motorcycle.

There will be helicopter rides and tethered rides in hot-air balloons and concessions.

More information is available by calling Loy at 334-6230 or at the city's Web site:

www.showme.net/capecity/depts/airport/festival.htm