May 6/7/8, 2005
Synopsis: Friday Ka-Boom, Saturday Sunny, Sunday Windy, Stormy, Wet, Dreary
What an event! …or series of events for this years Temple Air Show. Following last years great air show day with a day of tremendous storms resulting in ‘the mud pit’, this year was no different except for the days being reversed. Friday found trailered vehicles/owners including Toby C. with his MB, Danny K. with his M151A2/M416 combo, Scott S. with his M38A1 and M1-BBQ trailer, Jeff McD. with his MB, Clint D. with his M38, and John K. with his MB. John SS drove in from Austin with his massive M35A2 pulling his communications trailer and following was Rory C and his son David in Rory’s Unimog. Also floating around was Barry F. in his 101st Airborne outfit.
We located our assigned area and set-up the vehicles in a semi-circle knowing full well we would have additional vehicles present at some time. The crowds began to filter in and float past the display where we answered many questions about the vehicles, our group and what the air show was going to bring for the weekend. A small show began including radio controlled aircraft and a flyover by an F-16 which then began the abbreviated show of things to come. One of the aircraft was the acrobatic bi-plane complete with strobe lights which was a new twist to his show. He then fired up the fireworks much like roman candles and continued with a fantastic show. Then, a really nice display of things to come was done by the Blastards, or pyrotechnics guys. The show concluded with a fantastic fireworks display.
Saturday was a beautiful day for an air show. Unlike last year, this day was sunny with light and variable winds. Also joining Friday’s crew was Frank C, and newest member Madison H. Herb T. arrived with his GPW as did Glen V. with his CJ2A. In a word, the club was “Busy” on Saturday. Between answering questions about the vehicles from the spectators, hauling distinguished guests at the commencement of the show, participating in the battle re-enactment and providing food for the crew, everyone was doing something!
The air show was much like those in the past. It began with hauling distinguished guests and followed by various remote control airplane activities, dogfights etc. Next was the acrobatic displays, the home-built aircraft and an F-16 show. Then, the ToraToraTora show started with an incredible number of Japanese planes and fantastic pyrotechnic displays. The timeline followed the US activities including the trainers and liaison aircraft, then into the pursuit and attack aircraft and then by the bombers both heavy and light. Next up was the post-WWI aircraft including the O-2’s and then a missing man formation by the home-built aircraft.
As discussed at our last meeting, several club activities would also run concurrently with the air show. They included manning the ‘donations’ bomb and selling of club merchandise as ‘donations’. Just about everyone took a turn at manning the table – THANKS! Scott brought his M1-BBQ trailer again and cooked jalapeno elk sausages provided by Toby. Also available were an assortment of condiments and snacks throughout the day and we wound up feeding a lot of people from outside the club including the “dog-tag guy” Don, from the Highland Lakes Squadron of the Air Force Formerly Known as the Confederacy.
After Saturday’s events, we secured the area and several members loaded up in anticipation of the looming threat of rain on Sunday as well as Mothers Day events at home. Many retreated to Toby’s enclosed trailer for a nip of beverage to cool the pallet after an excellent day of activities.
Well, true to form for this event, the heavens opened up Sunday morning about 3am. Clint, Rory and his son David as well as John SS spent the night at the airfield. Clint, Rory, David and John were in military tents and it was later learned the winds were so fierce the dome tents were actually compressed to the ground level as the front passed. About 7am, another band passed through the area leaving about an inch of rain. In the field where all the vehicles and trailers were parked, an inch of rain turns the black farm dirt into the ‘pit’. Scott successfully pulled out his and Danny’s trailer, as did Clint with his.
Sticking around on Sunday to enjoy the beginning of the air show and lunch included Rory and his son David, John SS, Clint D, Danny K, Scott S and John K. Looking very dreary and with intermittent rain, Scott again fired up the M1-BBQ for hamburgers and cheeseburgers. About the time the grill was ready, the rain lifted and the ceiling began to rise. We began to secure our gear, move vehicles and feast on 1/3lb burgers and chips cooked by the Honorable Mess Sgt. Scott.
After lunch, everyone began to load up their remaining gear and head home with the show just beginning for those that braved the weather on Mothers Day.
Thanks are in order to Web S. and Don C. for providing us HEB meal tickets and stopping by frequently to see how we were doing. Huge thanks to Don at Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF for providing the dog-tag sets to many of our members. And finally, thanks to all the great Lonestar-MVPA club members who showed up to make this event such a success!
