The sound of an engine whirring and starting up filled the air as hundreds of people turned their eyes towards the blue sky unblemished by clouds. Cameras snapped as the sound got louder and closer and a voice rang out through the noise of the crowd. An A-10 Thunderbolt passed low over the tarmac as the voice described its capabilities in times of war.
A static display of an A-10 Thunderbolt sits on the tarmac at the Columbia Regional Airport during the Memorial Day weekend airshow.
The 2018 Memorial Day Weekend Salute to Veterans Corporation held its 30th annual airshow from May 26 to 28 at the Columbia Regional Airport. Planes such as the A-10 dazzled visitors to the free airshow on Saturday and Sunday while vendors like the Boy Scouts sold hot dogs and children got tours of a P-3 Orion from the pilots themselves.
Events at the airshow, while meant to provide fun for families, also honored men and women who served in the armed forces from all over the country and specifically those who had died while serving from Boone County. The aircraft themselves spanned generations and wars, many being recognizable to the veterans in attendance.
Such A-10 Thunderbolt.
Commonly known as the warthog because of its bulkiness, the A-10 is a close air support aircraft. Its slower speed and ability to fly extremely close to the ground provided cover for troops on the battlefield.
~ Get more of this story in today’s Journal ~
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