Aircraft, cars take center stage Saturday at foundation air show

Published 3:15 pm Thursday, October 21, 2021

Vintage warbirds will fill the skies over Mound, La., and share the tarmac at the Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport with classic cars and hotrods Saturday as the Southern Heritage Air Foundation holds its second Warbirds, Wings, and Wheels Saturday at the airport from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 12-6 and ages 5 and under are free. The show is preceded Friday by a twilight air show starting at 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults with children 12 and under free. There will be a performance by the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team and live music will be provided by Recall.

Eighty percent of the money raised during the two-day event will go to Purple Heart Homes, a non-profit organization that provides housing for service-related disabled and elderly veterans, with 10 percent going to the Warrior Bonfire Program and 10 percent to the Southern Heritage Air Museum, Mekus said.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

The Warbirds, Wings, and Wheels Show Saturday will feature planes participating in a formation flying clinic that began Wednesday, aerial acts, military and warbird displays and a car show sponsored by the Vicksburg Cruisers featuring classic cars and hot rods.

There will also be a kid zone, health screenings and the opportunity to purchase plane rides in the museum’s Waco biplane.

“There is an Honor Tower raffle and a silent auction that anybody can participate in,” Mekus said. “It’s on our website and on our Facebook page. The silent auction is on Friday night and the raffle is until Saturday at 2.”

Mekus said the raffle tickets are available online. The winners do not have to be present to win.

The first Warbirds, Wings, and Wheels was held in Oct. 2020 after COVID-19-related concerns forced foundation officials to find an alternative to the biannual “Best Little Air Show in the World,” which drew thousands of spectators.

This year’s event kicked off Oct. 17 when Scott Burns, a disabled Marine Corps veteran, climbed the ladder of a Vicksburg Fire Department truck to an Honor Tower to begin a seven-day stay to call attention to disabled veterans and raise money for Purple Heart Homes.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

email author More by John