News Search

First day of Grissom Air & Space Expo kicks off

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Benjamin Mota
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs

With the sun shining and the jets roaring, day one of the Grissom Air & Space Expo left thousands of visitors with plenty to talk about!

The air show is the first since 2003 and crowds estimated to be 30-35,000 plus bore witness to old and new military hardware from the time the gates opened at 8:30 a.m. until they closed at 5 p.m.

One of the earliest participants had a unique birds-eye view.

Col. Larry Shaw, 434th Air Refueling Wing commander, did a tandem jump with the U.S. Air Golden Knights during the early stages of the event.

“When I jumped, it was awesome to see the large crowd below, and the lines of cars still making their way onto the base,” Shaw said. “What a great turn out for day one, and I hope tomorrow mirrors today!

Day two of the Grissom Air & Space Expo begins just like the first with gates opening at 8:30 a.m., flying beginning around 11 a.m., and gates closing at 5 p.m.

Admission and parking continue to be free.

“Today was a special day,” said Douglas Hays, 434th ARW chief of public affairs. “We saw history as one of the few remaining World War II officers, administered the oath of enlistment to the next generation of Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines.”

Sunday’s lineup is scheduled to duplicate Saturdays and culminate with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

For more information about the airshow, visit grissomairshow.com and stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter for continued updates.        

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. The Citizen Airmen from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.

Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.

Public Affairs Staff

Material contained on the Official Grissom Air Reserve Base Internet Web Site is written and produced by members of the 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office. The award-winning staff includes:

Douglas Hays
Chief, public affairs

Maj. Elias Zani
Public affairs officer

Josh Weaver
Public affairs operations chief

Master Sgt. Josh Weaver
NCOIC of public affairs

Master Sgt. Rachel Barton
Staff writer

Tech. Sgt. Alexa Culbert
Staff writer

Senior Airman Alexis Morris
Staff writer

Airman 1st Class Elise Faurote
Staff writer