A huge crowd turned out Saturday, October 14, for the Wings over Winston airshow, sometimes nicknamed “WOW.”
These talented pilots WOW’ed the crowd, including those both young and young at heart!
The air show began with the in-air antics of Stephen Covington, a pilot with 23 years of flight experience. In his modified Pitts S2S, which he calls “Raptor,” Covington carried out aerobatic tricks that got the crowd excited and ready for more. Covington teamed up with another pilot and parachutists; one of whom came in with an unfurled American flag.
The theme of American machines was carried out throughout the show, which featured military equipment both in the air and on the ground.
Pilot Frank Kimmel, who brought nearly four decades of flight experience to the show, piloted his World War II-era F-4U Corsair. This aircraft featured inverted gull wings, and the plane was called “Whistling Death” by the Japanese because of the distinctive sound it made as it made high-speed dives over the Pacific.
Another notable performance – one based on comedy – included the Alabama Boys, who dropped off would-be pilot Clem (who is actually highly experienced pilot Greg Koontz) beside a bright yellow Cessna. Clem soon took off in the plane, although the emcee doubted Clem’s ability to keep the plane afloat. Clem would zip back and forth over the airport, and when he announced he would land the plane on Grandpa Fred’s heavy duty Dodge truck, proving “an Alabama boy can put anything in a truck.”
Aerobatic performer Carol Pilon, a “wing walker,” thrilled the crowd with her presence on the Thunder Strike byplane. Pilon defied gravity as the plane went through its maneuvers, including hanging upside down in midair.
These are just a few of the notable performers at the Wings over Winston airshow, but the crowd enjoyed each and every one. There were five in total, coming from all over the United States and Canada!
This was a totally free event for the public – other than food provided by various vendors – with free admission and a free shuttle to the landing strip from the parking area. The air show is one of just a handful of air shows in the Magnolia State this year, yet it drew a large crowd and provided entertainment rivaling those held in larger venues.
