Lake Cumberland Air Show takes off Saturday

Carla Slavey, Commonwealth Journal, Somerset, Ky.
·3 min read

Sep. 16—It's almost go time for the Lake Cumberland Air Show.

Slated for this Saturday, the second installment of the air show will take place at the Lake Cumberland Regional Airport, located on Kit Cowan Road in Somerset.

The gates of the airport will open at 10 a.m. Activities, food and displays will be available all day, with the airshow beginning around noon.

David Morris, president of Lake Cumberland Air Show Inc., reminded the public that there is a ticket price for this year's show — $10 in advance or $15 at the gate.

Advance tickets can be bought at the event's webpage, https://www.lakecumberlandairshow.com/.

While the acrobats and stunts will largely be up in the air, so to speak, Morris said the best way to see the show will be on the airport's grounds.

"To fully appreciate this year's performers, you must be at the airport," Morris said, meaning that the best part of the performances may not be in the sky.

It's also the only way to participate in the extras. "Helicopter and airplane rides will be available all day," Morris said.

There will also be inflatables for the kids, food and beverage vendors (no outside food or drink will be allowed), and several static plane displays for everyone to look at.

Those include the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office's helicopter, air ambulances from Air Methods and PHI, a Douglas D-C3, a Super Decathlon acrobatic plane and several other aircraft.

The show itself will see the return of renowned air show announcer Luke Carrico as well as the return of one of last year's favorites, Dave Modder's Dragon's Fyre Jet Truck.

While the truck isn't going to take off and fly, it can blast its way along the ground almost as fast as an aircraft, thanks to the flaming jet engine strapped to it.

Land aircraft will play into other aspects of the show, as one of the expected highlights, according to Morris, will be the Alabama Boys landing a plane on the back of a moving truck.

The show will also feature Alabama Boys' leader Greg Koontz perform with his Super Decathlon, as well as a P-40 Warhawk, a MiG-17 flyover and other aerial acrobatic acts.

There will also be a car vs. plane race, courtesy of the Don Franklin Family of Dealerships.

The show is expected to last until 3 p.m., and the gates will close at 4 p.m.

After the airshow, a 1937 Douglas DC-3 known as the "Flagship Detroit" will be on hand for folks who want to purchase a flight. Those rides will take place from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., according to the website. Tickets for the DC-3 will be $100 per person, whereas helicopter rides will be offered all day for $50 per person and Piper Warrior rides will be offered all day for $30 per person.

Excellent news for the organizers of the show: The weather is expected to be near perfect, according to Morris.

Temperatures are expected to run from around 60 degrees to 85 degrees throughout the day, so attendees might want to consider dressing in layers or preparing for the temperature to change in the afternoon.

Saturday is also expected to be clear and sunny, so it wouldn't hurt to keep a bit of sunscreen nearby as well.

Parking will be available within several business and fields surrounding the air show, with free shuttles to be running to and from all parking areas.

Guests will be allowed to bring fully collapsible chairs with them on the shuttles, and guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs for the show.

The parking at the airport itself is being reserved for handicap spaces and VIP.

Carla Slavey can be reached at cslavey@somerset-kentucky.com