Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

One Of Ohio's Two World-Class Air Shows Takes Off This Weekend

Karen Kasler
A member of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels F-18 performing team prepares to take off from Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland

There are only a few world-class air shows in the country, and Ohio hosts two of them. And one is in downtown Cleveland this weekend.

The sound of just one of the six US Navy Blue Angels fighter jet team performing in Cleveland this weekend is nearly deafening. Air Show executive director Kim Dell said Ohio has a lot of aviation history, and she’s grateful the Defense Department nearly always sends either the Blue Angels or the Air Force’s Thunderbirds. "People think we have a lot of control over what we get. We don’t. We fill out 25-35 forms and put those in with every other air show in North America,” Dell said.

The Blue Angels are celebrating their 70th birthday, and will fly six jets for the first time since June, when since a pilot was killed during a practice session in Tennessee – an accident that led to the cancellation of the team’s appearance at Vectren Air Show in Dayton.

Contact Karen at 614-578-6375 or at kkasler@statehousenews.org.