Huey hops, B-17 bomber rides headline Cullman Veterans Day air show

Sep. 3—No one can predict the weather this far ahead of Veterans Day, but that likely won't deter local history buffs and thrill seekers from ponying up for a ride aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber this November when tickets go on sale today.

The B-17 is just one of dozens of fully-functioning U.S. military museum pieces that'll glide onto the tarmac at Cullman Regional Airport on Saturday, Nov. 5, when the Cullman Veterans Day celebration returns to the airport. This year's air show marks the first since 2020, after the heavily-attended event took a break last year due to tarmac resurfacing.

Sponsored by the Cullman Elks Lodge, local governments, the Cullman VFW Post 2214 and a host of local businesses, the air show draws area guests out to honor the county's 7,000 military veterans (in addition to the nation's 17.4 million living vets) in a way that's equally entertaining and informative. The "Texas Raiders" B-17, arriving from the Lone Star state as a flying piece of history maintained by the nationwide nonprofit Commemorative Air Force, might be the main attraction for many — but it's not the only way Veterans Day guests can see Cullman from above.

Beginning Friday, Nov. 4, the Georgia-based chapter of the Commemorative Air Force will jump-start Saturday's events by taking guests on 15-minute aerial excursions aboard a Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter, the iconic "Huey" aircraft that served as the workhorse of the nation's prolonged campaign in Vietnam. From 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Friday, as well as all day Saturday, guests can hop aboard the Huey for a relative bargain ($75 per person, with children under 5 requiring an attending adult).

That's a relative steal for those who can't swing the pricer B-17 flight: Nabbing the lone available seat wrapped inside the bomber's panoramic-view nose cone costs a cool $800, though longtime Cullman veteran and event promoter Ken Brown notes tickets for the unique opportunity are always in demand.

It's been four years since local guests have had the chance to board the bomber, but this year's air show should look familiar in other ways for previous attendees. On the ground, a host of military vehicles that've campaigned through both land and sky will be free to peruse, both inside and out, firsthand. Local car dealer Eckenrod Ford is staging a "Mustang-Mustang" Saturday car show, featuring dozens of well-maintained vintage vehicles that bear the vaunted name alongside a WWII-era P-51 Mustang fighter plane.

All the day's thrills and martial eye candy are there to entice the crowds, but Cullman's air show — commonly held the Saturday before Veterans Day so guests can attend the holiday's many out-of-town celebrations — is really all about honoring those who've served. Local Elks will be on hand to offer more than 1,000 free meals to area veterans and their spouses, while veteran volunteers who know their stuff will be on hand to share insights and knowledge with guests as they examine the machinery that's helped protect the nation.

Mingling with veterans and hearing their stories is a big part of the occasion, too. Linda Hurst Morgan, widow of famed WWII "Memphis Belle" B-17 pilot Bob Morgan, will greet guests inside the nearby hangar, while dozens more former and active veterans from every fighting era in living memory will be stationed across the grounds to share their experiences and answer questions about the gear that helped guide them home.

Though there's a cost to take a ride (or two) in the sky, admission to the air show is completely free, and packs in plenty more things to see and do on the ground. Skydive Alabama will do a jump-in parachuting demonstration, the Redstone Arsenal U.S. Army Band will perform a free 11 a.m. concert, and tons more aircraft — including a gigantic Douglas C-47 transport plane — will stay parked on the tarmac (complete with accompanying films highlighting their histories) before taking to the air in a spectacular Saturday fly-out timed around their 2 p.m. departure.

To learn more about this year's Veterans Day celebration at Cullman Regional Airport (including how to score B-17 tickets), visit cullmanveteransday.com. The show kicks off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5 and runs throughout the day until 3 p.m.