EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Amigo Airsho made its long-awaited return to the Borderland skies on Saturday, October 12, after the event took a 12-year break.
“This is absolutely incredible. I can’t believe how many people came out here. What a perfect day. We appreciate everybody coming out,” said Jeff “Linedog” Linebaugh, a pilot for the P-51 Gunfighter that performed at the event.
Jeff “Linedog” Linebaugh
Thousands of people from El Paso and beyond crowded Briggs Army Airfield at Fort Bliss where the event was held, to enjoy the aviation spectacle that had delighted the Borderland for 30 years.
“Obviously, as a kid it’s an amazement watching all the aerobatics, the different aircraft. I still have that little kid feeling being here, even as an adult being here all these years later and being part of the air show,” said Daryl Hesser, an El Paso native who is now an instructor with the 434th Flying Training Squadron at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.
Daryl Hesser, 434th Flying Training Squadron
“It was years ago. I was really really young. It was the Blue Angels. I don’t remember much,” said Alfredo Banman, recalling the last time he came to the Amigo Airsho when he was a kid.
Alfredo Banman
This weekend, Banman traveled with family from Buenaventura, Chihuahua, Mexico to experience the event’s return.
“As a kid I mostly remember being able to sit in the tanks. I didn’t care much for the airplanes. Now that I’m grown up I can actually see how impressive it is and the skill it takes,” Banman said.
The event showcased an lineup of aerial performances, static displays, and activities for the whole family to enjoy, highlighting aviation heritage and technology.
Included in the lineup was the U.S. Army’s Parachute Team known as the Golden Knights; Kirby Chambliss, a two-time Red Bull Air Race world champion and one of the best aerobatic pilots in the world; and the Smoke-N-Thunder Jet Truck, a twin-jet-engine 57 Chevy pickup capable of speeds of over 350 mph.
The highlight of the event, of course, was an aerial demonstration by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, one of the finest military flight teams in the world and Canada’s finest.
Canadian Forces Snowbirds
The Amigo Airsho resumes Sunday, Oct. 13. Gates open at 9 a.m., and the air show will run from 11:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.
For more information on the Amigo Airsho, click here.
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