Rodeo will feature flyover

Three vintage airplanes will fly over Sisters Rodeo at the Saturday-afternoon performance on June 11. Erickson Collection in Madras is sending the airplanes, which will zoom overhead at the conclusion of the National Anthem.

At the 75th anniversary rodeo, two vintage planes swooped over as Peggy Tehan finished the last strains of the anthem in near perfection, streaking across the arena as she struck the last note on "brave."

"We briefly lost radio communication," explained John Baldwin, member of the rodeo association and a pilot himself. "The planes were over Three Creek Lake when I re-established contact, recovering airspace in the nick of time. It was pretty exciting."

The fighter planes are a P-51 Mustang, painted in Tuskeegee Airmen (Red Tails) colors, an F4U Corsair jet, and a P-47 Thunderbolt.

The P-51 flew in World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts.

"I believe these are rare airplanes to still fly," Baldwin said. "Probably only one in a hundred of the P-51 and Corsair. There are only seven airworthy P-47s. To see these fly is a significant opportunity."

Two of the vintage planes are sponsored for the second year by Laurie and Kevin Adams, The Mountain Group. Baldwin is sponsoring the P-47 in memory of two pilots who flew in World War II. He flew with both of them in their flight careers.

Captain George Cooper, USAAF, a P-47 combat veteran pilot, was credited for four air-to-air victories against the Luftwaffe in Europe. He spent most of 30 years as a NASA test pilot and then as NASA Director of Flight Research.

Lt. Commander Ralph Foltz, US Navy, flew his Corsair in the Pacific, and was credited with five air-to-air victories. He was one of the legendary ace pilots of World War II.

The vintage planes will fly in formation over the rodeo grounds, banking left, right and overhead as they swarm the skies.

The F4U Corsair was the mainstay of Marine and US Navy fighter strength in the Pacific Theater of World War II and was made famous as the aircraft of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington's Black Sheep Squadron, which racked up 203 enemy planes destroyed or damaged, produced nine fighter aces with 97 confirmed air-to-air kills, sank several troop transports and supply ships, destroyed many installations, in addition to numerous other victories.

The P-47 Thunderbolt was famous for its ability to take punishment. It was effective as a medium-range fighter escort plane for bombing missions and also in ground attack against enemy troops.

The P-51 Mustang was by most measures the best fighter aircraft of the war. With external tanks it had greater range than other planes and could escort bombers all the way from England to Germany and back. It was fast and nimble, making it an excellent dogfighting aircraft, flown by numerous American aces, including the legendary Chuck Yeager.

Sisters Rodeo will begin June 8 with Xtreme Bulls, followed by four rodeo performances June 10-12. For tickets and information, call the ticket hotline at 541-549-0121 or 1-800-827-7522, or visit the ticket office at 220 W. Cascade Ave. in Sisters. For information visit www.sistersrodeo.com.