World-renowned aerobatic instructor and air show performer Greg Koontz remembers the moment his passion for the future of flying solidified.
“I was seven years old and my dad took me to an air show in Alabama,” said Koontz. “It was 1960. I saw them fly. One was his Bevo Howard, and his plane is hanging upside down at the Smithsonian Museum in Dulles (the international airport in Washington, DC).
“After the flight, he was standing next to the plane greeting the crowd. is.”
Now inspiring 7-year-olds and families at large, Koontz, the Xtreme Decathlon airplane, will be one of many attractions at the 2022 Cleveland National Air Show, September 3-5 at Burke Lakefront Airport. increase.
Koontz began flying air shows in 1974 and, despite having flown over 25,000 hours in 165 different aircraft, the pilot is set to make his annual Cleveland debut.
“I’ve heard a lot about the Cleveland National Air Show,” Koontz said. “I know it’s an old racetrack and a very historic place.
“Now that I’ve been invited, every performer who hears I’m going there tells me I’m going to love it. It’s the best air show and they treat you wonderfully. I eager to see all this.”
Spectators will look forward to an upfront, low solo aerobatic routine with a complete set of outside loops, vertical rolls, snaps, tumbles and inverted passes. It ends with the famous inverted ribbon cut.
Many planes participate in the show. In addition to his F-16 Fighting Falcon Tactical Demonstration for the US Air Force, Randy Ball pilots his MiG-17F for the first time in Cleveland.
Airshow attendees can also expect an emotional journey as the B-25D Mitchell bomber “Rosie’s Reply” takes flight. The B-25 has a unique shape that suppresses the rumble of the engine.
Last but not least, the stars of this year’s show are the US Navy Blue Angels, showing off their new F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Koontz said the Blue Angels balances the air show experience compared to the more pedestrian superdecathlon. But it’s his plane that seems to encourage people to reach for the sky.
“I always said the Blue Angels were the reason people came to air shows,” Koontz said. “The rest of us just warm everyone up until the Blue Angels fly. It’s okay, it’s show business. But it’s a big contrast.”
“High performance planes are a little overwhelming for most people. They say, ‘I don’t know if I want to do that, but the Decathlon is a normal plane, and it flies upside down.’ I was able to fly one of them.
Here Koontz comes full circle and points out why he feels it’s important to talk to the next generation of pilots.He speaks from his experience considering his life-changing conversation with flying legend Howard over 60 years ago
Koontz hopes to see history repeat itself in Cleveland this weekend.
“I remember thinking, ‘This is an airplane. I just saw this guy flying in the air and doing crazy things,'” Koontz said. “And he spoke to me. I remember looking at his father and saying, ‘He’s going to be an air show pilot when he grows up.’ That’s all I ever wanted to do. “
Cleveland National Air Show
when: September 3rd to 5th from 9am to 4:30pm.
Where: Burke Lakefront Airport, 1501 N. Marginal Road, Cleveland.
tickets: $45 for reserved box seats, $35 general admission adults (no gate sale), $20 general admission children (ages 6-11). Children 5 and under are free.
information: 216-781-0747 or clevelandairshow.com.
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