A pair of racing aircraft zip along the course at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport during a test run in 2019, before the pandemic forced cutbacks in the Wings Over North Georgia offerings. Races will be part of the 2022 air show Oct. 15-16.
In this Oct. 29, 2010, file photo, A-10 Capt. Haden Fulham shows the cockpit of his plane to Richard Sullivan IV and, his son Richard Sullivan V from Nashville at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport. Fulham, a native of Rising Fawn, will be back for WONG 2022 as a newly promoted major with his Thunderbolt demo team.
Groups tailgate at the modified Wings Over North Georgia air show on Oct. 31, 2021.
Planes fly in formation at the Wings Over North Georgia air show on Oct. 31, 2021, at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport.
Flying a heavily modified Czechoslovakian L-39 Albatros, nine-year air racing veteran Scott Farnsworth performed in the 2021 Wings Over North Georgia air show.
The U.S. Air Force team out of Davis-Monthan Base in Tucson, Arizona, will fly the A-10, one of the best performing close air support aircrafts the U.S. Air Force has at its disposal. The aircraft has been in use with the Air Force for more than 40 years and has fought in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, among many other places.
A pair of racing aircraft zip along the course at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport during a test run in 2019, before the pandemic forced cutbacks in the Wings Over North Georgia offerings. Races will be part of the 2022 air show Oct. 15-16.
In this Oct. 29, 2010, file photo, A-10 Capt. Haden Fulham shows the cockpit of his plane to Richard Sullivan IV and, his son Richard Sullivan V from Nashville at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport. Fulham, a native of Rising Fawn, will be back for WONG 2022 as a newly promoted major with his Thunderbolt demo team.
Groups tailgate at the modified Wings Over North Georgia air show on Oct. 31, 2021.
Planes fly in formation at the Wings Over North Georgia air show on Oct. 31, 2021, at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport.
Flying a heavily modified Czechoslovakian L-39 Albatros, nine-year air racing veteran Scott Farnsworth performed in the 2021 Wings Over North Georgia air show.
The U.S. Air Force team out of Davis-Monthan Base in Tucson, Arizona, will fly the A-10, one of the best performing close air support aircrafts the U.S. Air Force has at its disposal. The aircraft has been in use with the Air Force for more than 40 years and has fought in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, among many other places.
Air shows are not new; aerial racing is not new, either. But the two will come together in the same venue for the first time at the Wings Over North Georgia air show on Oct. 15-16 in Rome.
JLC’s inaugural air show took place in 2012 and contributed an economic impact of $2.6 million to Floyd County. By 2017, the impact had grown to more than $7 million.
The pandemic forced a cancellation in 2019 but a pared-down air show was still the top revenue producer in 2020, with an estimated $2.7 million impact on the local economy. In 2021, it was one of the county’s two biggest events, along with Rome River Jam, according to the annual report from Georgia’s Rome Office of Tourism.
WONG 2022 will feature the usual military and civilian air show acts at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport in addition to the launch of the inaugural AirShow Racing Series event.
The ARS is one of the newest innovations in the air show industry. It has been sanctioned by the Federal Aviation Administration after more than four years of vetting, certification, and recertification.
Competitors will use two 500-foot-wide racing lanes marked with 10 inflatable pylons spaced approximately 600 feet apart for the dual, slalom-style competition. The course is a three-dimensional track for multiple heats of match-racing competition.
The winners of each heat will advance to the next round of competition with a final champion awarded at the end of the air show day.
Competitors in the first-of-its-kind ARS event include:
♦ Scott Farnsworth of S-211 Qyon Aerosports flying the Xtreme Air XA-42
♦ Bob Freeman of Free Man Airshows flying the Extra racer
♦ Jerry “Jive” Kerby of Wild Blue Airshows flying the RV-7 racer
♦ Clemens Kuhlig of Chef Pitts Airshows flying the Pitts racer
♦ Ken Reider of Redline Airshows flying the RV-7 racer
♦ Buck Roetman of Wild Horse Aviation flying the Pitts racer
The ARS was conceived by John Cowman, President of JLC AirShow Management, who has produced WONG and other air show events for more than 10 years with his team of retired veterans, advisors, and aviation enthusiasts.
In addition to the ARS, WONG 2022 will showcase both military and civilian performances.
Maj. Haden “Gator” Fulham, a native of Rising Fawn, and his 10-member crew will present the A-10 Thunderbolt II Demonstration. Based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, the Thunderbolt demo is one of the most unique and powerful in the air show industry.
The versatile aircraft is capable of rapid roll rates, low- and high-speed maneuverability, and short takeoffs and landings. These attributes make it an invaluable asset during combat missions. The jet is designed for close-air support of friendly ground troops, attacking armored vehicles and tanks, and providing quick-action support against enemy ground forces.
The civilian QYON Aerosports Demonstration Team will make a first-time appearance at the show. Led by pilot Scott Farnsworth, the team of two Marchetti S-211 jets including veteran pilot Jive Kerby will showcase the features of this military training aircraft.
The Pratt & Whitney turbofan engine produces 2,500 pounds of thrust, a top speed of 414 knots, and a climb rate of 4,199 feet per minute. The jet has two cabins with identical cockpits in a tandem configuration. Only 60 of these aircraft were produced for use by the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Philippine Air Force, and Haitian Air Force.
A variety of ticket options are being offered for WONG 2022.
Aviation enthusiasts can purchase a premium patio club package at $349 for six seats, box seats at $45 each or traditional general admission tickets for $25. A general admission family 4-pack is $79.
Reserved parking at the airport is another $20.
There also will be vehicle access to a drive-in, tailgate-style parking section — $125 for as many people as the vehicle has standard seatbelts. The front-row spots (at $300) are sold out but there were still a few $250 second-row spaces available for the Sunday show late this week.
Special four-day camping and fly-in packages also are available.
Tickets are available at WingsOverNorthGeorgia.com. They must be purchased online and in advance as no tickets will be sold on the day of the air show performances.
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