Utah Sen. Jake Garn will be the co-pilot of a World War II-vintage B-24 Liberator bomber at the West Jordan Land, Sea and Air Show June 1-3 at Salt Lake Airport No. 2.
Garn, a former fighter and tanker pilot with the Utah National Guard, has been invited to fly the B-24 Friday at noon. The bomber is one of only two remaining B-24s that have been restored to their original condition and still fly, said Ron Nelson of Debron Air, the air show's sponsor.Utah's adjutant general, Maj. Gen. John L. Matthews, is also expected to participate in the air show, piloting a Korean War-vintage T-33 fighter trainer.
The air show, in its eighth year, has been held over the Labor Day weekend in September but is being held in June for the first time to better accommodate displays of boats and recreational vehicles that were added to the show in 1989.
In addition to the B-24, which is being flown to Salt Lake from its home at the Chino Air Museum in California, the air show will feature performances by other World War II-vintage aircraft, including a P-51 Mustang and T-6 trainer.
A group of the vintage aircraft will re-enact a World War II air battle. Nighttime aerobatics will also be featured at the air show for the first time. Fireworks displays are also planned along with a Saturday night hangar dance with live Glen Miller-style music provided by the Crestmark Orchestra.
The air show also has Department of Defense approval for the first time, facilitating F-16 and possibly F-4 and F-111 flybys, said Nelson, and demonstrations by the Utah Army National Guard's new Apache attack helicopters.
Other features include skydiving demonstrations and aerobatics performances by the Coors Silver Bullet jet, a flame-throwing Pitts Special, the Confederate Air Force's T-6 Squadron, an open cockpit Stearman biplane and local aerobatics pilots Jack Butler in his SX-300 and Pat Holly in her "Chipmunk."