The Natchitoches Airport, and indeed the whole city, reverberated with the roar of aircraft engines as the 2017 Wings over Natchitoches was held Friday, October 13th and Saturday, October 14th. This year marks the second Wings over Natchitoches Airshow bringing in nationally ranked aerobatic performers and rare WWII aircraft.
The show kicked off Friday evening with a twilight air show and hangar dinner for sponsors. The crowd was treated to a superbly done dinner created by NSU’s Hospitality Management Program. The evening’s aerobatics were capped by a memorable performance by the Aeroshell team who flew with the front of their radial engines lit and flashes of fire coming from the exhaust of the powerful engines. After the last plane landed, a brief fireworks display provided a fitting coda to the show. The party continued in the hangar with NSU student musical groups keeping things lively.
The airport was packed Saturday for the main show. All of the aircraft were on display for showgoers to see up close and meet the pilots before the flying began. The show featured a U.S. Army Blackhawk from the Louisiana National Guard and a Lifeflight Helicopter on display. The show was a chance to see several rare aircraft flying with two WWII planes, a P-40 and P-51, performing. There are only a handful in the world still in flyable condition and two of them were in our city this weekend! They were joined by “Pink Floyd”, a Russian Air Force Sukhoi 9 cylinder areobatic plane in its original paint scheme.
The show is well on its way to becoming a must see tradition. It is a truly unique event that is entertaining and educational. Wings Over Natchitoches is a true community effort. NSU supplied over 100 students who were invaluable. They did everything from singing a wonderful rendition of the National Anthem to parking, cooking and serving meals. Police officers and firefighters were on hand in case of emergency as were ambulance crews. Community volunteers put in hundreds of hours to make the event happen smoothly. Wings Over Natchitoches is a wonderful showcase for our community!
It was a WONDERFUL event! I really enjoyed it!!!!