Space and Aviation Heroes to Share Their Adventures with Local Kids

Caldwell Industrial Airport, ID – A veritable Who’s Who of aviation’s finest will be on hand June 24th to deliver an exciting presentation to local young people. Astronaut and Idaho Educator Barbara Morgan will headline a distinguished panel of space and aviation heroes in this, the first Idaho Mission: Aerospace event. Morgan will be joined by A-10 West demonstration pilot Joe “Rifle” Shetterly, Idaho airshow pilot Greg Poe, and members of the Idaho Division of Aeronautics.

The event is being presented by the Ryan J. Poe Foundation, and is being held in conjunction with the Celebration of Flight airshow, which takes place at the Caldwell Industrial Airport the following day.

“We hope that this will become an annual event, with other activities fostering aviation and aerospace interest coming throughout the year,” said Mark Peterson, principal organizer for the event. “We’ve assembled a panel of some of the nation’s finest aviators with some great experiences to share, and hopefully that will spark an interest in the kids that will grow into a passion like it has for us.”

The panel will be sharing their experiences and adventures in aeronautics from their various careers though dynamic video and multimedia presentations, followed by question and answer sessions with each speaker. The attendees will be able to meet the speakers and the pilots from the airshow in a special session. Another highlight of the event will be an up close tour of the aircraft performing in the airshow, including the A-10 Thunderbolt II. They with their pilots and the speakers will be available for autographs and photo opportunities. Model rocketry and other displays are also expected.

Airshow pilot Greg Poe, founder of the Ryan J. Poe Foundation, said, “This is an opportunity for the kids to come out and see how exciting aviation can be, and see how Ms. Morgan and the rest of the presenters have made our dreams into a fulfilling way of life.” Poe visits thousands of kids each year through his Elevate Your Life program, which he will be presenting at this event.

Idaho Mission: Aerospace is a cooperative effort to bring aviation and aerospace learning resources to Idaho’s school age children. The goal is to open the door to careers in these and related fields by providing inspirational and educational events that allow kids and their families to explore the wonders of flight.

The event is being held at 9:00 AM on the Caldwell Industrial Airport at the Greg Poe Aviation Hangar, 518 Dishman Pl., Caldwell, ID 83605. Persons interested in more information should call (208) 455-0700 or visit www.ryanjpoe.org.

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