Fort Worth (WBAP/KLIF News) – Organizers expect more than 120,000 people to attend the Bell Helicopter Fort Worth Alliance Air Show this weekend. Events started Friday with the arrival of the F-35A, the first time Lockheed has displayed one of the jets publicly.
“Lockheed Martin, they’re building the F-35. I keep with those guys,” said one man taking pictures as the plan arrived Friday. “They’re building them right down the street.”
Another man taking pictures says he wanted to attend because his father was a pilot for American, saying many North Texans have a connection to aviation.
“With DFW being a major hub and all the flights in and out of there, Alliance being a cargo hub for FedEx, we’ve got Bell Helicopter,” he says.
Friday morning, Fort Worth police officer Brandi Kamper flew with the Air Force Thunderbirds. Kamper is tactical medical officer who helped Matt Pearce when he was shot earlier this year.
“I feel the need for speed!” she joked, quoting Top Gun, as she got into the plane Friday morning. The pilot would then answer, “That’s Navy.”
“For all the police officers, fire fighters and first responders out there, this one’s for you,” Kamper said.
“This was a huge team effort. I know a lot of the spotlight’s been on me, but this was a team effort,” Pearce says. “Brandy was absolutely just in the right place at the right time.”
The Thunderbirds will put on demonstrations Saturday and Sunday along with the Navy’s Super Hornet Demo Team, Bell Helicopter 429 and the Liberty Jump Team.
(Copyright 2016 WBAP/KLIF News. All rights reserved)
