Crystal Airport Open House Features War Birds and More
Father’s Day means it’s time for high-flying fun at the Crystal Airport. The public is invited to see planes old and new at the Crystal Airport Open House on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Not only will there be static displays of airplanes, but a hot air balloon as well as a formation-flying team called the T-6 Thunder.
“We do airshows and flybys,” says Chuck Datko, who has a T-6 Texan and is part of the T-6 Thunder. “We also do funerals, birthday parties and weddings.”
Datko and other Texan owners started the T-6 Thunder. They fly over several events in the northwest metro. The plane is known for its unique, growling roar.
“It is an interesting plane to fly,” says Datko. “You will hear us before you see us. The prop tips actually go supersonic so they are breaking the sound barrier, which is what makes the roar.”
The fuel bill alone is sky-high for these planes. The engine uses a gallon a minute.
“At five or six bucks a gallon, it gets a little spendy,” says Datko.
But Datko keeps taking his plane to the sky because he knows they spark a memory for so many people.
“I’ve had people come to me in tears about how we fly by. It reminds them of their parents or grandparents,” says Datko.
The Crystal Airport Open House is on Father’s Day, Sunday June 14 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
