Oakland Airshow to Show Extreme Airplane Maneuvers

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PONTIAC — Attendees at the annual Airport Open House and Airshow on Aug. 25 can watch Jim ‘Fang’ Maroney perform a lomcevak in his DeHavilland Super Chipmunk aerobatic plane. He will be one of three aerobatic pilots thrilling the crowd at the Oakland County International Airport in Waterford.

“What’s a lomcevak?” said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.

“It’s a family of extreme aerobatic maneuvers where the aircraft, with almost no forward speed, rotates on chosen axes due to the gyroscopic precession and torque of the rotating propeller,” according to Wikipedia.

“That’s what I thought it was,” joked Patterson.

Despite the unusual word, Patterson said this year’s airport open house and airshow promises to be a great event. “There is fun for the entire family. It’s a must-see for aviation enthusiasts.”

Joining Maroney for the edge-of-the-seat air show will be Susan Dacy, one of only a few females performing airshows in a biplane, and the only woman flying exhibition in a Super Stearman which she calls “Big Red.” Doug Dodge will also fly with his experimental aircraft “Machaira,” which means two-edged sword in Greek, and the act will include a parachute jump with an American flag and the National Anthem. The pilots will perform from 2-3 p.m.

Individuals will be able to explore 50 aircraft on the ground at the open house, which runs 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. There will be helicopter rides for $35 and airplane rides for $25.

There is fun for the entire family, including a kids’ play area equipped with bounce houses. Bill Crell, “The NASA Guy,” will be on site to show off his latest experiments and demonstrations. Plus, there will be a health and safety fair from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. including the Michigan Child ID Program, which informs families about abduction prevention and provides fingerprinting for children.

The OCIA Open House and Airshow committee continues its annual tradition of hosting a pancake breakfast from 8-11 a.m. The cost for the breakfast is $7 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under.

General admission to the event is free but parking is $5 per vehicle.

For more information, go to www.OCIAOpenHouse.org