Vanceboro man wins air show contest

Paul Ringheiser knows something about the history of Marine Corps aviation. After all, his grandfather was a nosegunner in a PBJ bomber squadron at Cherry Point during World War II.

The Vanceboro resident who works as a firefighter and EMT at Cherry Point came up with three words to describe that history to win a contest to pick the theme for this year’s Cherry Point Air Show.

“I think it’s a really neat honor to participate in such a thing. I’m really looking forward to the air show,” said Ringheiser, who is also in the Air Force Reserves.

Ringheiser’s theme, “Celebrate the Heritage,” will be used in promotions and advertisements of the air show, which is scheduled for May 4 to 6. The show will mark the 100th anniversary of Marine Corps aviation as well as the 70th anniversary of Cherry Point.

Col. Philip J. Zimmerman, Cherry Point’s commanding officer, presented a plaque to Ringheiser on Wednesday for winning the contest, which featured 153 entries.

Meanwhile, planning for the air show is well under way.

“We’ve got a lot of new things this year. It’s going to be a great show,” said 2nd Lt. Christina Peters of the Public Affairs Office at Cherry Point. “This is the only one in North Carolina this year, and there is just so much going on at this air show. This is the place to go if they want to go to an air show in North Carolina this year.”

Headlining the event will be performances of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team flying six F/A-18 Hornets.

“The Blue Angels are always a great draw,” Peters said. “Their performance is just amazing. For anyone who hasn’t seen them, they are in for a big treat.”

In contrast to the jet-setting Blue Angels, the Aeroshell aerobatic team will be on hand flying four slightly slower North American AT-6 Texans. The Texans are monoplanes first introduced in 1938 as a basic trainer for World War II airmen flying the P-51 Mustang.

And their will be a P-51 Mustang at the air show too, but a very special one in commemoration of the Tuskegee Airmen, America’s first African-American military pilots.

The plane will be in the air during the show but also on the ground in a static display in conjunction with this year’s multi-cultural exhibit, the Commemorative Air Force Red Tail Squadron and its “Rise Above” traveling exhibit. The exhibit features a customized trailer and the original movie “Rise Above” projected on a 180-degree screen to give viewers a sense of what it is like to fly in one of the historic airplanes.

From the same World War II era will be a Marine F-4U Corsair just like those that were originally stationed at Cherry Point. Pilot Chris Avery will be taking that old bird up for demonstration flights during the show.

Another World War II plane with Cherry Point connections that will be at the show is the B-25 “Panchito.” Marine bomber crews from Cherry Point used the Mitchell PBJ-1, which is a sister version to the B-25.

The Trojan Horsemen will be returning to Cherry Point with six T-28s in formation flying. The North End Raiders will be performing formation demos in the Yakovlev 52 and Nanchang CJ6. And, Bill Leff and Jim Tobul return to the air show this year for T-6 solo acts.

Dan Buchanan returns for a pyrotechnic hang glider show at night along with the Shockwave Jet Truck that hits ground speeds of 300 mph as part of the May 4 Night Show.

Military teams take the air field when the Black Daggers Army Jump Team drops in and Cherry Point’s Pedro helicopter gives a demonstration.

The Marine Air Ground Task Force demonstration will show off air assets including the F/A-18 Hornet, the AV-8B Harrier, the CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter, the V-22 Osprey and the KC-130 in coordination with and support of ground forces.

Lighting up the end of the MAGTF demo will be the Wall of Fire, when about 1,000 feet of explosives are ignited in a flash.

“The Wall of Fire that we have is just spectacular,” Peters said. “You can just feel the heat.”

As part of the show, there will be a celebration of the nation’s diversity with a “Multi-Cultural Heritage Walk.

“We’re going to have a bunch of performers from different ethnic groups performing songs and dances, and a lot of different booths,” Peters said. “We’re hoping to fill up a hangar with those.”

In between aerobatic performances, attendees can view the many static displays of military aircraft and military equipment that will fill the flight line.

A special addition to this year’s show will be a concert on the flight line with performers including country stars Bill Gentry, Darryl Worley and David Kroll.