Fargo AirSho is back

Culture | July 22nd, 2015

By Amber Schmidt

Be prepared to see the Blue Angels, along with a variety of other aircrafts and performers taking to the Fargo skies this coming weekend. After a four-year absence, the 2015 Fargo AirSho is back. This year the event will be held July 25 and 26 at the Hector International Airport. The semi-annual AirSho has been a mainstay in the Fargo-Moorhead area since 1989.

This year’s show will also be held in memory of Jim “Fang” Maroney. Maroney, a North Dakota native, died March 2014 in a crash while travelling to another air show taking place in Florida.

The show will also coincide with Fargo Navy Week. Events will take place during the week that help the public gain an understanding of what the Navy does and how important it is to our country’s security.

Fargo Airsho spokesman Bryan Shinn noted that the Blue Angels only do around 36 shows a year, so having them included is a special treat.

“It wasn’t that long ago that we were voted the number one air show for the Blue Angels,” Shinn told HPR. “And we’re competing against Chicago, San Diego, we’re competing against huge cities all over the country, and the Blue Angels love the way we treat them up here. The way we take care of them, the hospitality and the organization that we have, we run this thing like a finely oiled machine. And they love it, and it shows that when we see the acts and some of the great acts that we have put together.”

Shinn said not only are the Blue Angels a great show to watch, but many of the other performers are must-sees as well. Kyle Franklin’s Flying Circus features a biplane known as “Dracula,” a 500 horsepower aircraft that does barrel rolls and dives.

Other performers include Paul Stender’s “Speed for Hire.” Stender has multiple vehicles on display, including a jet-powered school bus that tops 367 miles per hour along with a 70 mile-per-hour outhouse. Members of the Leap Frogs will also be making an appearance, along with Skydive Fargo. Attendees can expect to see a variety of acts and aircraft, both in the sky as well as on the ground.

“If you are standing outside the gates, you miss that,” Shinn noted. “I know people like going out to the lakes and what not, but this show starts at 11 o’clock in the morning and it’s done by 4. So you could still get out there and you can take in your day at the Fargo Airsho and still get out to the lakes and have fun, you know?”

There will be food and beverages available, along with merchandise such as t-shirts and other assorted items. Games Galore will also be on-hand, so if kids have a little extra energy to burn, several bouncy-houses will be on site.

All proceeds from the non-profit show are donated and go directly to many different organizations within the Fargo-Moorhead area. Ticket prices after July 22 will be $30 for adults 18 and over, and $15 for children ages 11 to 17. Any children 10 or under will get in for free.

“It’s an action packed day,” Shinn said. “It’s going to be a phenomenal air show.”