JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – Atlantic Records recording artist and American Idol performer Jason Castro and Seattle Seahawks defensive back Jamar Adams will be flying with the ―Patriot Jets,‖ a civilian jet acrobatic team, Thursday afternoon out of the Olympia Airport. The Patriot Jets are the marquee act for this weekend’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord Air Expo 2010 at McChord Field.
Gates open at the Air Expo at 8 a.m., and flying starts at 11 a.m. both days. Admission is free. ―McChord Field has a huge aircraft ramp and long runways making it perfectly suitable for an air show,‖ said lead pilot Dean ―Wilbur‖ Wright, a former Air Force fighter and Air Force Thunderbird pilot. ―The Patriots will be able to fly their full demonstration without any restrictions — tail slides, opposing passes, low passes, formation loops and rolls — we’re bringing it all to McChord.‖
For the Olympia flight on Thursday, they’ll have to tone down their act a little, but plan to give Castro, Adams and members of the local media, a flavor of what it feels like to be in high-performance jet aircraft flying in formations just inches apart from other aircraft.
Castro is best known from his appearance on season 7 of American Idol, where he finished fourth. He was the first contestant on the hit show to play an instrument onstage. Castro’s rendition of ―Over the Rainbow‖ hit No. 1 on iTunes in 2007. He currently released his debut, self-titled album featuring all original music.
Adams, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound safety, is entering into his 3rd season with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. Adams was an All-Big Ten Conference second-team pick after his senior season at the University of Michigan and named the Brandstatter-Beckmann Coaches Award recipient, given to the Wolverine senior who best demonstrates passion, dedication and commitment to the team.
Castro and Adams will fly with the Patriot Jets in their Vodochody L-39 Albatros jet trainer, a sleek aircraft originally made for the Czechoslovakian military. Each of the L-39 are two-seaters. The Patriot Jets are meeting the two celebrities and media around noon at the Olympic Flight Museum, at the Olympia Airport. Normally, the Olympic Flight Museum charges a fee to visit the museum, in honor of the Air Expo and because of the excitement of the Patriot Jets and the celebrities, there is no admission cost on Thursday.
More information about the Air Expo can be found on the official website – www.lewismcchordairexpo.com.
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