CAA: GA News, "Iowa air show studying insurance questions"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Friday, August 23, 2002

Air show studying insurance questions
Sept. 7 airport fund-raiser still needs volunteers and raffle items.
By Gretchen Fields
The Burlington (IA) Hawk Eye


While some details still must be worked out, organizers of the Burlington
Regional Air Show and Fund-raiser say they've been flying friendly skies as
far as planning is concerned.

The air show is set for Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Southeast Iowa Regional
Airport. Scheduled activities include a pancake breakfast, tribute to Sept.
11 victims and workers, raffles, static aircraft displays, a
radio-controlled airplane demonstration, model airplane display and
skydivers.

So far, the only thing giving the air show committee pause is insurance. At
a committee meeting Thursday, air show chairman Bill Fry said the airport's
policy may be inadequate and the group may need additional insurance.

"We're trying to figure out whether we'll have to purchase an extra
insurance policy for the jumpers and for the crowd on the ground," Fry said.
"We've been talking to our lawyers to straighten out the legalities of it
all, but right now we're still waiting on the final answer."

If the group needs more insurance, a policy could cost nearly $800 - $300
for the Western Illinois Skydivers and $500 for the crowd on the ground.

While spending the money on insurance would take a large portion of the
group's $3,000 budget, committee members voted unanimously to approve the
expenditure if it becomes necessary.

"I know I'd be interested in watching them and I think a lot of other people
would come out for that, too," he said.

Other than the skydivers, a possible flight by a Civil Air Patrol glider,
and any pilots who chose to fly into Burlington for the show, the air show
will remain grounded. Fry said while it would be nice to have fighter planes
or a stunt plane performance at the air show, it isn't likely to happen this
year.

"We're really looking at this year as a fund-raiser to hold bigger air shows
in the future," Fry said. "At this point, we just can't say we'll have any
flying."

Just because there won't be flying doesn't mean the committee isn't working
hard to make the air show one worth attending.

"We've pretty well got everything mapped out and agreed upon and things are
looking real good," Fry said. "We just want everyone to come out and have a
good time."

While the air show will compete for time with the Tri-State Rodeo and the
Burlington/West Burlington Area Paint-A-Thon, air show committee member
Florence Paterno hopes the other area events will work in their favor.

"We want to encourage all the Paint-A-Thon volunteers to come out to the air
show for a hearty pancake breakfast," Paterno said. "I understand they have
a lunch for the painters afterward, but my hope is they'll stop out before
and after they paint."

Pancake breakfast tickets are $4 per person. The event starts at 6:30 a.m.

"We hope to have all the people we can - citizens, police, fire, service
people - everyone is welcome and we want people from all areas to come out,"
Fry added.

Besides a large spectator turnout, the committee also needs and raffle
donations.

Paterno said the group will take all the help it can get.

"We'll find a job for everyone, we're not going to turn any potential
helpers away," she said. "And we can't have too many items to raffle off
either."

So far, the group has about 30 raffle items, ranging from dinners for two to
a weekend getaway to St. Louis, complete with round-trip airfare. However,
since the raffle serves as a fund-raiser for this and future air shows,
Paterno said the group wants to raffle off as many items as possible and
sell as many raffle tickets as it can.

To donate an item or purchase a raffle ticket, call Paterno at (319)
753-2218 or Tom Ward at (319) 753-2989.

Those interested in volunteering for the air show can call Paterno or show
up at the airport's administration building at 1 p.m. Sunday. That's when
committee members will do a dry-run and perform a final sprucing up of the
airport grounds. Sunday's dry-run is expected to last an hour and a half.

The air show committee meets again at 6:30 p.m. next Thursday in the airport
administration building.

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