AirShow – John Bell Williams Airport May 1, 2010

Mississippi Afterburner Jet Rally supports education scholarship funding. Please take a minute and read the following press release.

Mississippi Afterburner Transforms into RC/UAV Aviation Week

Raymond, MS – School tours emphasizing science and math along with unmanned robotic aircraft will highlight the 19th annual Mississippi Afterburner Jet Rally radio controlled jet fly-in April 29, 30, – May 1 at the John Bell Williams Airport. Event organizers are calling it Radio Controlled / Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (RC/UAV) Aviation Week.

Aviation Week is open to the public and admission is $5 per car. Concessions will be available and all proceeds go to the Hinds Community College Aviation Scholarship program.

For the past six years, the Mississippi Afterburner has brought pilots of radio-controlled model jet aircraft from across the country to showcase their aviation interests at John Bell Williams Airport, which is owned by Hinds Community College. This year’s event will bring pilots from England to California flying more than 150 various jet models in a variety of free flight and skills competitions.

In support of Hinds Community College’s expanding aviation curriculum, organizers have partnered with The Stealth Learning Company and Advanced Composite Manufacturing to showcase education and vocational opportunities in unmanned aerial systems (UASs) during the week’s events. The school is developing a new curriculum that will graduate trained operators of UAVs for commercial applications.

Planned events include:
·    April 29 (Thursday): The Mississippi Afterburner Jet Rally will begin. In addition to the radio-controlled model jets, displays of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Advanced Composite Manufacturing and Neany Inc and demonstrations of UAVs flight capabilities with virtual UAV rides offered to the public by event organizer Dennis Lott.
·    April 30 (Friday): The Mississippi Afterburner will continue with an interactive tent to include HCC flight simulators and the Stealth Learning Company’s ‘I Too Can Fly’ interactive stations. This tent will highlight students from the Jackson Public School system that participated in this award winning program, and other area students. A Top Gun for ‘I Too Can Fly’ Program to put on demonstration flight. UAV demonstrations during the noon hour. Virtual UAV rides. Location: John Bell Williams Airport, Raymond, MS.  Times: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
·    May 1(Saturday): The Mississippi Afterburner will continue flying jet sorties and the interactive tent will continue HCC flight simulators and I Too Can Fly interactive stations.  UAV flight demonstrations during the noon hour. Virtual UAV rides. Location: John Bell Williams Airport, Raymond, MS.  Times:  9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Go to http://www.mississippijets.com for more information.