2018 Aviation Celebration
Blountville, TN – Living history will be on display at Tri-Cities Airport September 4-9 during the 2018 Aviation Celebration. The event will be held at Tri-City Aviation, the general aviation terminal at Tri-Cities Airport. Event goers can view aircraft, browse through aviation displays, and learn more about aviation in the Tri-Cities area. Parking and admission to the displays are free and open to the public.
The B-25 bomber, “Maid in the Shade”, part of the Flying Legends of Victory Tour presented by the Arizona Commemorative air Force Museum, will be on display from Tuesday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 9. Ground tours of the inside of the B-25 may be purchased at the door for $10 per person or $20 for a family of four. Aviation enthusiasts can even fly in the B-25 Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The fee for rides is $325 or $625 per person. Reservations are required. Individuals may register at http://bit.ly/BristolB252018.
An A-10 Warthog, Chinook helicopter, and other aircraft of interest will be on display Sept. 7-9. Helicopter rides and rides for youth on a C-17s will be available over the weekend for a fee. Local food trucks will also be on site Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Educational booths include The Appalachian Aviatrixes of the Ninety-Nines, Civil Air Patrol, A Walk in their Boots, Northeast Tennessee Honor Flights, ETSU ROTC, Ballad Health Aviation Department and the VA Women’s Veterans Program. Most of the booths will be on site Sept. 7-9.
Money raised from this event will go to support scholarships from the Appalachian Aviatrixes, the local chapter of the International Organization of Women pilots, the Ninety-Nines (501 c3). Scholarships are awarded to local women allowing them to pursue pilot certificates and ratings.
To further introduce women to aviation, two introductory flight lessons for 16 and older are being raffled. Each lesson includes a one-hour of flight and one-hour of ground training with a flight instructor. Tickets are $1 and may be purchased at the event. Parental permission is required for anyone under 18.
Event coordinator, Meagan Harr, is a recent aviation scholarship winner. “This scholarship has made a significant impact on my aviation goals,” said Harr. “Through the Ninety-Nines scholarship, I have become a certified pilot and am now working on my advanced ratings. I want to pay it forward to the aviation community by helping other women benefit from scholarships.”
In addition to local scholarships, the Ninety-Nines offer many International scholarships, such as the “Fly Now Award”. Each year, approximately 50 women are awarded scholarships for up to $6,000 toward their private pilot certificate.
For more details about the 2018 Aviation Celebration event, visit www.triflight.com/AviationCelebration.
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*Press release courtesy of the Appalachian Aviatrixes Chamber of the International Organization of Women Pilots, the Ninety-Nines, Inc.