Colorado City fly-in brings in thousands to celebrate and teach history of the skies

ST. GEORGE — By adding an air show, the Colorado City Fly-in and Air Show at the Colorado City Municipal Airport saw an attendance increase of almost 1,000 from last year’s event within the Short Creek area on the border of Arizona and Utah.

The Colorado City Fly-in saw an increase in attendance by adding an airshow, Colorado City, Ariz., Sept. 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News

According to event coordinator Darlene Stubbs, the event saw over 2,000 attendees for a day of historical significance and education last Saturday.

Event coordinator and host Darlene Stubbs reported having been planning the event since last year’s event ended. She was very pleased with the increase in support and attendance.

“My motivation behind hosting the Colorado City, Arizona Fly-In and Air Show is to promote aviation, educate the public, meet the airport manager, and bring awareness of our airport to the general public. It fills my heart with happiness to see how interested our communities are in aviation,” Stubbs said.

The event, in its second year, is put together by local volunteers and residents who help Stubbs organize, fundraise, and coordinate the event through a non-profit organization that is dedicated to bringing events and education to the community.

The organization, non-profit Short Creek Active helps put on events within Colorado City and Hildale communities. With help from Darlene’s husband Lawrence, her brother Dalton Barlow, and airport manager LaDell Bistline, the event has found success.

Announcers Jeff and Melissa Overby and air boss Bob Evans kept the crowd energized.

Karl Gashler is part of the Red Thunder Airshows entertainment company. According to the Red Thunder website, he is a “21-year US Air Force veteran and an F-16 ‘Viper’ fighter pilot. A decorated combat pilot flying ‘Wild Weasel’ missions, Karl has earned several Top Gun air-to-air combat and surface attack awards from fighter units around the world.”

Aerobatics pilot Karl Gashler (middle) performed for the airshow, Colorado City, Ariz., Sept. 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News

Gashler has flown every U.S. version of the F-16. He volunteers as a pilot for the Flying Samaritans, a charitable organization that provides medical care in Baja, California, Mexico. He helps bring them supplies and also transports patients who need help.

He competes in aerobatic contests and performs in air shows. He builds airplanes from kits too. Karl has flown over 16,000 hours in 40 aircraft types. Karl is a commercial airline pilot for Southwest Airlines and is a multiple business owner residing in Arizona.

Jon Melby has been a veteran air show pilot since 2002. He is best known as “Fear Boss” and has been doing air shows as a stunt performer for Hollywood productions, including on the Discovery Channel. He has become a social media star and also developed programs under the brand Fear Boss, which helps people overcome their fears.

Melby is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he was an MC-130 Combat Talon Loadmaster. He is a resident of Chandler, Arizona.

Aerobatics pilot Jon Melby performed for the airshow, Colorado City, Ariz., Sept. 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News

Besides the newly added air show, the event had free pancakes for breakfast, a static display, airplane rides, a Jeep show, a live band, free admission, bounce houses, candy drop, snow cones, food trucks, and more. The event does not make any profit but rather relies on donations and sponsorships for the event, mainly from local businesses and the community.

Kyte Gass of St. George wrote about his and his family’s experience at the air show on social media.

“We drove from St George and loved every second of it. Seriously one of the best air shows and community events I’ve been to. My kids had a blast,” said Gass.

The airshow was during Constitution Week, which was, as Stubbs put it, a “coincidence.” The airshow was planned for another entire reason, to recognize the airport manager, LaDell Bistline.

“I chose to host it later in the year, closer to the airport manager’s birthday, because he is the reason we have an airport. He’s been with our airport since 1992. He has put his heart and soul into the Colorado City, Arizona airport, and I wanted to give him recognition for his efforts,” Stubbs said.

“It was very successful, and I see it becoming a big attraction annually,” said Colorado City Councilman-Elect Dalton Barlow. “It really honors LaDell, who has been very instrumental in making the airport what it is today.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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