This weekend’s Sound of Speed Airshow includes the sound of music

Sound of Speed Airshow practice, May 4, 2012. Photo courtesy 139th Airlift Wing/By Senior Airman Sheldon Thompson/Missouri Air National Guard — Photo courtesy 139th Airlift Wing/By Senior Airman Sheldon Thompson/Missouri Air National Guard

The 2016 Sound of Speed Airshow also includes the sound of music this weekend at Rosecrans Memorial Airport.

Lt. Col. Byron Newell with the Air National Guard 139th Airlift Wing said this year’s event features not only the airshow but a military open house and a concert.

“It’s just a fantastic day of family entertainment,” Newell said. “You’re going to see amazing demonstrations of aerobatics in the air, the different aircraft both military and civilian.”

Rosecrans Memorial Airport Manager Abe Forney said, this year, Season Seven American Idol winner David Cook will be performing Saturday night.

“You don’t just get cars and airplanes out at the airshow, we wanted it to appeal to everybody, so we thought we’d add a concert piece to it,” Forney said. “We got the idea (that) maybe we could have somebody that’s somewhat local. David Cook is from Blue Springs area, we said maybe we could get him. He’s done a USO tour with the military so we thought he might want to come out and do the airshow and, lo and behold, he did.”

Also performing as the opening act will be country artist Danika Portz from Remsen, Iowa.

There will be many things to see during the airshow including an F-16 demonstration, the Shock Wave Jet Truck and the U.S. Navy Seal Parachute Team, “The Leap Frogs.” There will also be an open house with a variety of ground equipment to explore. Newell said the C-130 which was trapped in the hangar during the 1993 flood will be on display.

“We called it the “Flood Bird,’ but you can see the mark on the inside where they marked where the water got up to,” Newell said. “Through the efforts of the maintenance folks here in St. Joe and support of the community that airplane was restored to full flying status.”

There will also be food vendors at the airshow. All proceeds from the show benefit the local United Way Charities.

Gates open for the Sound of Speed Airshow at 11 a.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. on Sunday at the Rosecrans Memorial Airport. The concerts begins at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information or for concert tickets, click here.