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Happy birthday Ava Elizabeth Jones!

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Golf tournament supports Rally for the Cure

<p>PITTSTON TWP. &#8212; By 2 p.m. the line to enter the Army KC-135 was almost as long as the plane itself.</p><p>But those waiting to explore one of the many airships on display at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show on Sunday at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport didn&#8217;t seem to mind, happily examining the exterior of the fueling plane and taking pictures in front of its giant wing painted to resemble a tiger stripe print.</p><p>The airs how closed out its final day with a bang &#8212; a sonic boom, actually &#8212; to the delight of the thousands of attendees. The event was a collaborative effort between Luzerne and Lackawanna counties as well as the airport and the show&#8217;s sponsors, said airport executive director Carl Beardsley.</p><p>Maj.Pat Pulaski, a New Jersey International Guard pilot for the KC-135 with the 141st airing fueling station, was happily showing children and their families the interior components of the plane, which is used for air refueling. He said this is the group&#8217;s first time participating in the air show, adding that the community has been incredibly enthusiastic and positive about the aircraft and event overall.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re showing them some of the interior of the plane, the boom pod where the air refueling happens and the flight deck up front,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Generally everyone&#8217;s been really excited about it. I think they&#8217;re surprised that (the plane is) 55 years old and still flying regular missions.&#8221;</p><p>While patrons lined up to get a glimpse inside a variety of modern and heritage aircraft, others were crowded around the tarmac to witness a new group of airmen take their oaths to serve and protect.</p><p>Standing in front of a number of F-22 fighter jets, roughly 15 young men and women stood tall and proud as Sgt. Brandon C. Hilsheimer introduced the group of new Air Force recruits to the crowd.</p><p>Repeating his words, the group was sworn in by taking their oath to serve and protect their nation, followed by a roar of cheers. After the ceremony, Hilsheimer and some of the recruits spoke about why the chose the Air Force and what the airshow means to them.</p><p>&#8220;The guys took an oath, a big step towards their future. They can take a lot of pride in serving their country and doing the swear-in, and they&#8217;re your next airmen,&#8221; Hilsheimer said. &#8220;It&#8217;s amazing to be able to stand in front of an F-22 to get sworn in. It&#8217;s once in a lifetime, definitely.&#8221;</p><p>One of the more jaw-dropping performances included a series of twists, turns and loops. But it was the woman standing on top of the plane as it performed the stunts that had people pulling their cameras out and dropping their jaws.</p><p>A father and daughter duo &#8212; Greg and Ashley Shelton &#8212; left spectators speechless after their aerial performance. Piloting a 450 Super Stearman with patriotic flair, Greg whooshed past the crowd as Ashley stood on top of the plane, drawing gasps as he continued to incline at a near 90-degree angle before completing a full circle, placing Ashley upside-down.</p><p>Shortly after their performance, the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute team wowed the crowd as the glided through the sky with their black-and-gold parachutes, amping up the group for the fighter jets that were still to come.</p><p><ins>Back on the ground, a WWII era aircraft was drawing a crowd of its own.</ins></p><p><ins>Standing next to a heritage blue aircraft, Col. Tom Malone was busy telling the history of the Grumman TBM Avenger as a line of patrons waited to board the plane.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;It looks pretty good for an old girl,&#8221; he said of the 1944 aircraft.</ins></p><p><ins>Malone told the group that the plane actually had a GM engine, and was in fact assembled by the General Motors Eastern Aircraft Division in New Jersey. The aircraft was named after Pearl Harbor to avenge the bombing of the base, he said, adding that it&#8217;s the largest single engine aircraft that the Navy had at the end of World War II, weighing in at over 18,000 pounds. Today, the planes are used to assist in putting out forest fires and spraying pesticides. Malone said he was thrilled to hear that Northeastern Pennsylvania would once again see an airshow.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;I love the fact that Scranton has decided after a 17 year hiatus to come back and bring up the airshow,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Not only does it give us an opportunity to show the plane, but it gives the local inhabitants the chance to touch living history. And that&#8217;s really what we&#8217;re all about.&#8221;</ins></p><p><ins>As Malone was speaking a veteran attending the airshow joined in on the conversation, saying that five of the planes were lost at sea in the Bermuda Triangle in 1945 - known as &#8220;Flight 19&#8221; - and still have yet to be found.</ins></p><p><ins>He said aid the public has enjoyed seeing the plane at the airshow, as many have come to learn about its history and get a glimpse of the interior. A special moment of the weekend was when a family stopped by with their grandfather&#8217;s patch and picture, saying that he was a squadron member of the aircraft.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;For us it&#8217;s very gratifying to touch back in the past through family members,&#8221; he said.</ins></p><p>Beardsley said he believed the event was a success with the return of the air show. While he couldn&#8217;t comment on why the show stopped coming to the airport in the first place, Beardsley said that it was the community that helped to bring it back.</p><p>&#8220;The people of the community everyplace I go have expressed interest in having an air show again. So working with the airport board, working with the community, working with the sponsors we decided this is the year to do it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;As you can see, (the community) turned out in droves to support the air show.&#8221;</p><p>He said the airport won&#8217;t have an official turnout amount until later in the week, but did hint at the possibility of future air shows by admitting small flaws from the weekend&#8217;s event and how he would fix them for next time. Overall, Beardsley said, he was happy to see families take the opportunity to come and and enjoy a weekend together.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A North American B-25 Mitchell Worldl War II twin-engine bomber, left, is pursued by a T-6/SNJ during a warbird flight at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_2.jpg</photo0><caption0>A North American B-25 Mitchell Worldl War II twin-engine bomber, left, is pursued by a T-6/SNJ during a warbird flight at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Madalynn Gregory, right, and her mom Tanya, both of Mountain Top, walk past a Douglas C-54 Skymaster four-engine transport aircraft at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Madalynn Gregory, right, and her mom Tanya, both of Mountain Top, walk past a Douglas C-54 Skymaster four-engine transport aircraft at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A Pitts SIS homebuilt biplane makes a smoke trail for the crowd at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_4.jpg</photo2><caption2>A Pitts SIS homebuilt biplane makes a smoke trail for the crowd at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jeff Beynon, of Scranton, peers inside of a Lockheed Martin EC-130J clandestine aircraft at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_5.jpg</photo3><caption3>Jeff Beynon, of Scranton, peers inside of a Lockheed Martin EC-130J clandestine aircraft at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jacquie B performs aerial acrobatics against the clouds at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_6.jpg</photo4><caption4>Jacquie B performs aerial acrobatics against the clouds at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Cousins Alice Grimes, 4, of Plymouth, left, and Parker Marsico, 8, of Old Forge, man the cockpit of a Vietnam War-era Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker military aerial refueling aircraft at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL081417airshow_1.jpg</photo5><caption5>Cousins Alice Grimes, 4, of Plymouth, left, and Parker Marsico, 8, of Old Forge, man the cockpit of a Vietnam War-era Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker military aerial refueling aircraft at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday. </caption5><photoCredit5>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Sonic boom noted as one of the highlights</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Marcella Kester</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Air show goes out with a bang — sonic boom noted as one of the highlights