USAF Thunderbirds to headline Vectren Dayton Air Show

USAF Thunderbirds * Tora Tora Tora * Patty Wagstaff
Headline 2009 Vectren Dayton Air Show
Children’s Ticket Prices Lowered!

Las Vegas, Nevada – Vectren Dayton Air Show officials learned today that the US Air Force Thunderbirds Jet Demonstration Team will appear on July 18th and 19th at the 2009 Vectren Dayton Air Show Presented by Kroger. The announcement was made at the International Council of Air Shows’ annual convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.The 2009 Thunderbird appearance in Dayton will be an exciting homecoming as team lead, Lt. Col Greg Thomas, is
a Cincinnati native and Wright State University graduate. Joining the Thunderbirds will be world-class performances by Tora Tora Tora and Patty Wagstaff. 2009 will mark the 35th anniversary of Dayton’s premier summer event held at Dayton International Airport.

Tora Tora Tora, a dramatic recreation of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor will return to Dayton in 2009. This emotionally moving crowd favorite consists of eight replica aircraft including Zero fighters, Kate torpedo bombers and Val dive bombers along with breathtaking smoke, fire and explosions. A factually entertaining narration salutes fallen soldiers on both sides of the conflict in this vivid history lesson for air show spectators.

Three-time US National Aerobatic champion, Patty Wagstaff, will thrill Vectren Dayton Air Show fans with her aggressive low-level, high-intensity aerobatic routine. A 2004 National Aviation Hall of Fame inductee, Patty Wagstaff, sets the standard for precise and complex unlimited hard-core aerobatics. Having trained with the Russian Aerobatic Team, Patty has also flown air shows and competitions all over world including South America, Russia, Europe, Mexico and Iceland. A member of the Screen Actors Guild and Stuntwomen’s Association, Wagstaff has recently spent time giving bush pilot recurrency training in Kenya to pilots of the Kenya Wildlife
Service.

“This is a fabulous start of a blockbuster lineup,” stated Michael Emoff, Chairman of the United States Air & Trade Show Board of Trustees, the governing organization of the show. “Having the Thunderbird Boss return to his Dayton roots is also a bonus, and soon the show expects to add more stars to the program,” he added.

Another important announcement by the show today was it’s lowering children’s ticket prices. The Board of Trustees wanted to make sure the 2009 show was affordable to families. To do so, the Board decided to lower the Child/Senior Citizen General Admission ticket by one dollar and continue the popular Family Four Pack. The new Child/Senior Ticket will be $12 in advance and $15 at the gate. The Pack which includes 4 show tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 Pepsis, 1 souvenir program and free General Admission parking for only $64.95, a 40% savings off the full gate
price. All ticket packages including the popular Pavilion seating area and Blue Sky Chalet tickets are all on sale through the show web site, www.daytonairshow.com. Beginning June 8th, deep discount advance tickets will also be conveniently available exclusively at Kroger stores in the Dayton-Cincinnati region.

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Founded in 1975, the Vectren Dayton Air Show Presented by Kroger is one of America’s premier air shows. The Air Show showcases world-class aerobatic champions, military jet demonstrations and entertainment for the whole family celebrating Dayton’s aviation heritage as home of the Wright Brothers, National Museum of the US Air Force and Wright Patterson AFB. For more information visit www.daytonairshow.com