Vintage warplanes in air show today

MADISON — Some 20 vintage warplanes will fly into Bruce Campbell Field this afternoon (Thursday) for a show.

Madison Air owner and host Ross Bell said the event is to get to know people who keep airplanes at the airport and to meet city leaders and residents.

The show is set for 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, with an open house hosted by Madison Air, which recently took over operations of the airfield at 7450 Old Canton Road.

Bell said they are expecting vintage warplanes, including an L-5, a PT-19, T-6’s, a Corsair, and a P-51 to be at Thursday. 

“We are not sure yet but they tell us 20-25 warbirds are coming,” Bell said of the vintage aircraft that are expected to be coming in en route to an air show scheduled for an air show in Louisiana this weekend. “The L-5 & PT-19 are based here so they are definite.”

Bell said he and business partner Mark Bowie took over the city lease of the airport on Sept. 1.

Bowie is a 10,000-hour pilot with a lifelong passion for all things aviation, Bell said. 

Bowie had an aviation career of more than 40 years, including countless hours of aviation management and Bell, a certified public accountant and summa cum laude graduate from Mississippi State University, has spent the past few years working his way up the aviation ladder and will be at the airport regularly. 

Bell said everyone is welcome to come out Thursday to see the airplanes and to learn more about the range of options available at the airport through Madison Air, including on-site maintenance, two on-site mechanics and annual or routine maintenance and inspections. 

For more information about Madison Air, call (601) 853-1960.