Entertainment
Larsen, Mathew reveal on La Crosse Talk PM, Airfest getting a pair of military helicopters for first time, as part of show
We’re less than a month away from La Crosse’s Deke Slayton Airfest.
Tuesday, Airfest’s Dave Larsen and Bruce Mathew gave La Crosse Talk PM the rundown of what to expect, including some new military performances that aren’t yet on the list and have never been part of the airshow, which has been going since 1998.
La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk PM wherever you get your podcasts.
Along with the Navy’s F-18 Blue Angels and the Air Force’s brand new F-22 Raptors, Airfest will feature two different helicopters put on a show in the air.
The big one is the 101st Airborne Apaches, making their way up from Fort Campbell, Ken., as Mathew describes.
“First time we’ve ever had one, so the show’s going to be new,” Mathew said. “We don’t really know what’s coming yet. He’s going to do some fly-bys and different things but he may, I don’t know, can he go vertical or not? He may go vertical on us.
“We’re going to find out what that helicopter can do,” Larsen added with excitement.
Mathew said it’ll take the pair of Apaches about five hours to get to La Crosse, making one stop to fuel up along the way.
The other chopper headed to La Crosse is the Coast Guard’s Eurocopter MH-65, otherwise known as the Dolphin, making its way from Detroit.
La Crosse can expect to see some of these military jets in the sky on June 11. Airfest happens June 15-16. Tickets at Airfest.com.
