The 21st Annual Salute to Veterans Air Show was held at Columbia, MO Regional Airport May 23-24, 2009.  I was pleased to be included in the May 22 Media Day activities, which gave me complete access to all performers and crews as they were available.  The Memorial Day Salute to Veterans Corporation should itself be saluted for continuing the traditional festivities through some recent challenging circumstances.  This event is successful in large part due to individual and corporate sponsorship of performers.  The production of this medium-sized air show event could be used as a model for other organizations who struggle to continue to offer annual air shows.       

  It was a pleasure to talk to Mr. Brad Deckert, an electrical contractor from Eureka, IL, and part owner of a Grumman TBM-3E that saw action over Okinawa.  He received his type rating instruction from Aeroshell Team member Mark Henley.  The Aeroshell Team aircraft were parked next to Deckert’s TBM, and the team members were on the ramp most of the day to talk to us.  Bryan Regan, the current leader in place of the injured Alan Henley, graciously took some time out to discuss the current show season and answer questions.  Other warbirds in attendance were Clyde Zellers’ SNJ-5 Texan, P-38 “Ruff Stuff”, C-47 from the Ozark Airlines Museum, Tim McPherson’s P-51D “Boomer”, Rod Hightower’s A75L3 Boeing (Stearman) biplane, and Beech 3N “Arctic Annie”.  World War I scale replicas from the Kansas City Dawn Patrol were also in various stages of construction in preparation for their early Saturday morning flights. 

  Modern aircraft at the show included West Coast Demo Team A-10s, a P-3C Orion, Hornets from the F/A-18C Demo Team and a CF-18 from the Canadian Air Force in its centennial of Canadian flight paint scheme.  A Missouri Air National Guard C-130 from St. Joseph provided the platform for the Canadian Skyhawks parachute team.   

  As in past years, planning for the next air show will already be in progress at the conclusion of the 2009 edition.  Mark your calendar for next Memorial Day weekend!