DENTON skies

on Smith loves watching the vintage warbirds and chatting up pilots. Ray Kinney loves the thrill of landing his Navy Corsair, one of the most powerful fighter planes from World War II, as its modern-day rival the Super Hornet roars overhead, almost breaking the sound barrier. Everybody loves it when the aerobatic aces fly straight up, hang for a second, then spin toward Earth before rolling out to safety at the last minute.

It’s hard to beat a day at an airshow for thrills, which is why the annual Denton Airshow in June is attracting record crowds these days. The show, put on by the nonprofit Denton Air Fair Inc., is the biggest annual attraction at Denton Airport, offering a mixture of aerobatic displays, vintage warbird flights and formation flying. (And when the thrills leave your throat dry, there’s always the Beer Garden to quench your thirst!) Last year, the event, coordinated by David Schultz Airshows LLC, drew a crowd of 9,000. Having staged over 300 aerial events in 15 years, David always pulls in the aviation heavyweights as well as local favorites such as Ray Kinney.

The show is not just pure thrill seeking, however. Adults and kids alike can get up close to the aircraft and learn the history behind planes such as the Navy’s Super Hornet, which replaced the F-14 Tomcat in the 1990s, and the U.S. Air Force Warthog, a Gulf War workhorse. The adventurous can even take a “discovery flight,” an experience that has turned many a newcomer on to flight lessons. “Our mission is to educate and inspire the citizens of Denton to become involved in aviation,” says the Air Fair marketing director Amanda Addington. Whether the show triggers an interest in math and science, or a career in flying, the idea is to reach the young, she says.

Not that the adults don’t get a charge out of the show too. Air Fair chairman Don Smith loves talking to the pilots as much as he loves watching the vintage military aircraft. “A lot of the guys are just as interesting as can be,” he says. Don, a biology professor at the University of North Texas (UNT), has been taking off from Denton Airport since 1967 and has been involved in the airshow since its beginning 12 years ago. “Unquestionably my favorite is the warbirds,” he says. He has even mapped area airports for the vintage aircraft. “There are 105 airports within 30 miles of Dallas and we are in a good position for them to come in. We had an F-86 one year and that was just super.” The F-86 is the Sabrejet that earned fame in the Korean War.

Many of the companies based at Denton Airport underwrite and volunteer for the annual airshow, which is run as a nonprofit event. The Denton Benefit League gave a grant to the show this year and businesses such as Business Air Center, Jet Works, US Aviation, Circuit Breaker Sales Co., Miller of Denton, and Aircraft Precision Maintenance act as underwriters. A portion of each year’s profits go to Cumberland Presbyterian Children’s Home in Denton as part of the Air Fair’s giveback to the community. “The airshow is a wonderful family event,” says Mark Nelson, Denton’s city director of transportation. “It is always refreshing to see both the young and old come out to the airport to interact with plane and pilot.” KHYI 95.3 FM The Range does the live broadcast.

In 2008, US Aviation’s vice president Jeff Soules helped with the first-ever Hangar Happy Hour silent auction to raise money for the airshow. Rick Woolfolk, airport advisory board chairman, was one of those bidding on the items, which included a football signed by Terry Bradshaw, fuel vouchers, diamond earrings and watches. Rick, who is also commander of the local Civil Air Patrol squadron, talked about his cadets as he bid on a watch. The minimum age is 12 and membership often leads to a career in aviation. “Two of my cadets have gone to the Air Force Academy,” he says proudly. (He won a watch, by the way.)

Denton Airport, though lesser known than DFW International Airport to the south, is no secret to the flying fraternity. John Wayne used to fly in and out of Denton and today, the airport’s “connections” include workaday oilmen, NASCAR drivers and recording artists. Thanks to a new terminal and a longer runway, Denton has become a transcontinental stopping point for private jets. The list of aviation companies at the airport grows yearly and attracts business from as far away as Europe and Asia.
The Italian company Piaggio, for instance, sends about 35 jets a year — all in their so-called “green” or unfinished state — to Jet Works at Denton Airport. As Piaggio’s exclusive North American completion center, Jet Works adds avionics, luxury seating, lighting, and a custom paint job that can withstand temperature and pressure changes (not to mention speeds that could peel the paint off an automobile). The finished craft sell for around $7 million each. Jet Works also repairs and refurbishes aircraft for other jet setters. The company, which is undergoing expansion, will be looking for another 30 aviation experts this year.

US Aviation Group provides flight training for the airport’s clientele. Three years ago, the company had three airplanes and five employees; today, it bustles with 50 staff and about 150 students a month. Two dozen training planes adorn the tarmac and perch in newly built hangars. Recently, US Aviation became one of the 25 companies globally to win a training contract from the Chinese government to teach students to fly. The company has also added helicopter training to its repertoire. US Aviation can train a pilot in six weeks for around $7,000. Besides aircraft rental and sales, the company also does maintenance.

The Business Air Center provides hangar space as well as gas and catering for the entire airport. (A hot Otis Spunkmeyer cookie, anyone?) The company opened in late 2001, soon after 9/11 when the aviation industry faced an uncertain future. Starting with two large hangars and several T hangars, which are like large garages, Business Air has expanded to six large hangars and a welcome center. Now it also sells aircraft, acting as a broker most of the time, and dealing with people from all over the states as well as Russia, England and Scotland.

Bill Lindsay, as supervisor of fixed base operations for Business Air, pitches in with logistical support such as hangar space for the airshow each year. He gets as awestruck as anyone. “Last year we had an F-18 Super Hornet and an A-10 Warthog. Everybody’s eyes were glued to the sky,” he says.
Aerobatic displays are always a major attraction at the airshow. Ray Kinney, a partner in Circuit Breaker Sales, is an enthusiastic aerobatic flyer who flew a Navy Corsair during an airshow display with a Super Hornet. “It’s a great privilege to fly the Navy warbirds while the history of the U.S. Navy is being explained to the crowd,” he says. He is excited at the prospect of flying at Denton again this year and, with typical aerobatic daring, wants to perform stunts in the Warthog.

While DFW remains the main hub of North Texas, Denton is an alternative takeoff for those wanting to avoid congestion at the big terminals. NASCAR drivers heading to Texas Motor Speedway often land in Denton and take the helicopter shuttle to the racetrack. Oilmen and political figures land here too. Governor Rick Perry once showed up in Denton in his State of Texas King Air 200. Music artists find it easier to come into Denton with their entourage and equipment to escape the crush of fans at larger airports. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill opted from Denton Airport, for instance, when she flew in to shoot her “Pearl Harbor” music video. You never know who will fly into Denton.

 

by sarah whyman