Aviation will be showcased this weekend at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Open House and Fun Day on Saturday.

The event will begin with a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. at Sandy's Place restaurant, with the open-house activities beginning after breakfast and continuing until 4 p.m. The open house is free and open to the public. The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport is off Interstate 55.

"We want to give people a taste of aviation," airport director Bruce Loy said. "We want to showcase the airport."

The event will include demonstrations, activities and informational displays. According to Loy, many forms of aviation will be showcased. Airplane and helicopter flights will be available and visitors can use a flight simulator used for training. Some of the other demonstrations will include sky diving, crop dusting, a flour drop from an airplane and radio controlled model aircraft flights by the Southeast Missouri Modelers Association. Aside from aviation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol will give a K-9 demonstration. Police and fire departments are scheduled to perform a simulated auto accident extraction with a patient being airlifted by helicopter. Pilots, mechanics and flight schools will be available to answer questions regarding careers in aviation.

Airplanes, fire trucks, military jeeps and other automobiles will be on display. Discovery Playhouse KidZone will have aviation activities for children along with a bounce house.

According to Loy, the airport board got the idea for the open house because "we wanted to do something to show the airport and invite the people to come

out."

Loy said, "We hope people come away with a feeling of what the airport does to benefit the community and give people a better feel for the economic benefits of the airport to the region."

Most of all, Loy said, he wants people to have fun.

"Aviation is fun," said Loy. "We want people to enjoy this fun experience."

The open house is sponsored by the city of Cape Girardeau and the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. For more information, contact the airport at 334-6230 or kamos@cityofcapegirardeau.org

apicar@semissourian.com

388-3648

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, Cape Girardeau, MO