On November 15th, the August Raspet student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) held the first Sky Dawgs Airshow at George M. Bryan Field in Starkville.
“The event included scale models of real aircraft, sport aerobatic models, true turbine powered jets, propeller aircraft and helicopters.” said Event Coordinator and AIAA Vice President William Lott.
The show served as a fund-raiser to provide money for student projects and papers by AIAA members.
Radio-controlled model aircraft flew throughout the day. The pilots of the aircraft were “some of the most skilled pilots in the hobby flying some of the most spectacular planes” Lott said.
The day’s performances highlighted 3-D aerobatic aircraft capable of hovering and backward flight while flying into the wind, Patterson Lab Operator and well-known local unicyclist Jim Shrock.
Other crowd favorites included the turbine powered models, which are capable of over 200 miles per hour in level flight, and the scale models, including a twin-engined P-38 Lightning modeled after the fighter of World War II fame, which Dr. Anthony Vizzini, Aerospace Department Head stated “was very impressive.”
Pilots were required to pay a $10 fee and be Academy of Model Aeronautics members. Spectators were required to pay a $2 entry fee. Concessions were available and provided for by airshow sponsors and AIAA student members. Other sponsors provided model aircraft for the raffles held at 1p.m. and 4 p.m. Sponsors included BankPlus in Madison, Hobbytown USA Jackson, Hobbytown USA Tupelo, and Sonic Starkville.
For $3 dollars spectators could receive ten-minute radio-controlled flight lessons from AIAA student members and Aerospace Engineering students Cedric Gould, Mark Van Zwoll and Will Lott. Several spectators were surprised by the large attendance of the event. Aerospace Engineering Professor Robert King, who attended the event with two of his daughters.
“I was pleasantly surprised with the attendance.” Attendee John Gibson agreed. “It was a much larger crowd than I expected.”