Upcoming events rock, roll and fly

Herb Baker waves from the cockpit of his T-28 aircraft Friday as he taxis to a stop at the Gallup Municipal Airport during the 2006 air show. Baker flew his plane through the overcast skies and performed an aerial acrobatic display for the school children and aviation fans who braved the stormy weather to attend the Gallup Air show. The air show returns to the Gallup Thursday. [Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent]

By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — An air show, events for runners and walkers of all ages, and races for people who have mountain or road bikes are some of the events that area residents will have a chance to enjoy in the next five days.

First up is the second annual Gallup Air Show, which will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Gallup Municipal Airport.

Jim Hoy, one of the coordinators, said there will be a number of airplanes and helicopters on display and from noon to 1 p.m. residents will be entertained by two stunt pilots who will be performing aerobatics over the city of Gallup.

The pilots doing the stunts will be Jon Melby and Jack Wilhite, who will use a biplane and a MiG-17 for a series of maneuvers over Gallup skies to show area residents what their planes can do. The Air International Guard also plans to fly an F-16 over Gallup at about 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, on the ground, visitors to the airport will be able to look at and examine closely a number of historic aircraft, including:

• A 1942 Stearman, a biplane that was used in World War II.
• A Black Hawk Helicopter, similar to the type that was used in recent wars. This is being brought by the Air International Guard.
• A CV-22 Osprey, which is probably the main attraction of the show. This is coming from the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque and has the ability to fly vertically. Hoy said that to see the plane actually do this, visitors will have to be at the airport at 8 a.m. when it is scheduled to arrive or at 3 p.m., when it is scheduled to leave.
• A portable planetarium that is being brought to Gallup by the New Mexico Space Museum.
• A Cessna that is being brought to Gallup from Albuquerque by the Civil Air Patrol. The Cessna is unique in that the dashboard doesn’t have all those gadgets of yesterday; instead, it’s all modern electronics.

Last year’s event attracted more than 1,000 people despite cold weather that seemed to be ready to turn to snow. This year the weather is expected to be sunny and mild.

Another factor that may mean increased attendance, said Hoy, is the fact that it’s being held on Thursday, which will give area schools a chance to bus in their students for the event.

“There will be a number of hands-on type things for the students to see,” Hoy said.

There is no admission fee for the event and if you don’t want to look at the planes and just watch the air show, that can be done almost anywhere near the airport. “Last year we had people on the highway just pulling over and watching,” said Hoy.

The event is being put on by the city of Gallup and Gallup Aero, a nonprofit organization set up to promote and educate people about airplanes.

On Saturday and Sunday , Gallup will be hosting the third year of the Squash Blossom Classic, that will include a number of events for runners, mountain bikers and road bikers.

This event has a number of sponsors, including the New Mexico Cancer Center, Al Zuni Global Jewelry, the law firm of Jordan and Rosebrough, Murphy Builders, Clay Fultz and Gallup Vision Source.

There’s something for people of all ages and all types of athletic ability.

There are fees involved in the racing, and while there was a discount for early registration, people can still sign up. Fees range anywhere from $20 to as high as $55 for more than one event. To determine what fees are for the event, go to squashblossomclassic.com and also see rules and courses for each event.

That site will also give more information on each of the Squash Blossom Classic events this weekend. Persons can also call the local number for the classic, 863-4228 for more details or for questions dealing with registration.
The winners will also receive monetary prizes that range anywhere from $15 to several thousand dollars. The beginner race levels will be awarding medals instead of monetary awards.

The events that are part of this year’s Classic includes:

High Desert Screamer — This will be held on Saturday, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The mountain bike race has been broken up by various age groups, gender and riding level - beginner, sport and expert.

This will be held on the High Desert Trail System and will go over 23 miles. This is part of the New Mexico Off Road Series and riders who are part of the series will also be riding for points.

Gallup Omnium — This will be held both Saturday and Sunday. There is a deadline to register of 6 p.m. Thursday. Walk-in registration can be done at High Mesa Bikes & Gears, 103 West Coal Ave.

Riders in this event must have a valid ACA license which can be purchased on site for $10 for one day.

A three part event for road bikers, it includes a number of races to challenge the area’s best. It includes an uphill Time Trial on Saturday morning, a downtown race on Saturday afternoon and a Route 66 race on Sunday morning. The top award for this race is $6,000.

Squash Blossom Run — This will begin at 7:30 a.m. Sunday for the 5K and 1/2 Marathon. The marathon is a challenging course and should not be attempted by novice runners but the 5K, while still challenging, is less strenuous and can be enjoyed by both walkers and runners. Besides having a lot of door prizes, runners will also be able to partake of a free pre-race meal. The race winners are also divided into gender and age groups.

Regular registration, which costs $25, ends on Friday and late registration is $30 after that. Payments can be made at High Mesa Bikes and Gears.

Squash Blossom Festival — This will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Gallup’s Courthouse Square and will include a free meal at 4 p.m. for racers. There will be a free kid’s bike race at 6:30 p.m., a beer tent, a climbing wall and music.