AIRCRAFT TO BE ON DISPLAY AT AIRPORT

A number of military and civilian aircraft will be on display July 23 during the three-day hot-air Balloon Tour of America at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport.

More than 40 hot-air balloons and their pilots will compete in balloon "hound-and-hare" flights during the July 22-24 event. In addition, there will be tethered balloon rides and a post-sunset balloon glow.

The event is sponsored by the Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts.

Airport Manager Randy Holdman said the aircraft display will begin with a "fly-in" pancake breakfast from 7-11 a.m. at the airport restaurant. The breakfast is sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Breakfast Optimist Club.

"Both fly-ins and walk-ins are welcome to attend the breakfast," said Holdman. "Tickets are $5, and are on sale now from Breakfast Optimist Club members or at the door."

Holdman said the aircraft display will open at 7 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., prior to the balloon launch the night of July 23.

Holdman said aircraft scheduled to fly in for the ground display show include an Air Force C-130 air transport from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.; one or two Missouri Air National Guard helicopters, including an air ambulance helicopter and possibly a Cobra attack helicopter; an Air Force C-9 (DC-9) Nightingale air ambulance from Scott Air Force Base, Ill.; and several smaller military aircraft. An Air Force T-38 or F-16 jet fighter may be flown over, he said.

Holdman said the Painton chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association will have a number of their aircraft on display along with a World War I biplane from St. Louis.

"The St. Louis chapter of the Confederate Air Force will be sending down a PT-19 and a T-6," he said. "Both are World War II pilot-training aircraft. The Southeast Missouri Modelers Association will present two model airplane shows with their radio remote control model airplanes."

The 1140th Combat Engineer Battalion of the Missouri Army National Guard in Cape Girardeau will have military equipment on display.

Holdman said food, snacks, cold drinks, souvenirs and arts and crafts items will be on sale.