Amigo Airsho makes long-awaited return to big crowd

UPDATE: Organizers with the Amigo Airsho said they will be allowing spectators to bring their own water into the event on Sunday, Oct. 13 “in response to high demand and unseasonably warm temperatures,” they said in a news release sent over late Saturday night.

“While we celebrate the success of the Airsho’s attendance after a 12-year absence, it’s important to make sure our guests remain comfortable and hydrated throughout the afternoon,” said Alan Russell, MSSG Amigo Airsho chairman.

“We are allowing people to bring in their own water supply through the gates,” Russell said.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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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