TEMPLE, Texas — It's take-off time in Temple as the best of the best come out to fly and experience the Draughon-Miller 75th Anniversary Airshow.
Rain or shine, people of all ages brought their smiles out and filled the airport to watch different techniques and maneuvers from industry experts, including live aeronautical performances.
The event also featured food trucks, vendors booths, helicopter rides and airplane static displays.
There were multiple live performances from the following:
-Liberty Jump Team
-Leland Kracher Enterprises
-Mike "Spanky" Gallaway
-Mini Jet Airshows
-Devil Dog
-Trojan Flyers
-West Texas Wing
-Falcon Flight
For Richard Briggs, the parachute performance hit close to him for him.
"I went to jump school in 1979," Briggs said. "Seeing those paratroopers come out of that C-47 World War II aircraft, vintage aircraft kind of puts a warm spot in your heart and other parts of your body when you remember how it feels to hit the ground."
Briggs says it takes a strong person to do the job.
"Less than 1% does what we do, that's in the military and probably even a smaller percent is willing to jump out of an aircraft while in flight into whatever conditions," Briggs said.
While Briggs and many others watched inside the gates, Civil Air Patrol volunteers worked outside the gates to help people enjoy their experience.
"We're doing parking patrol out here to help people to go to places," Giovanni Macariegos, who is in Civil Air Patrol, said.
"One of the main pillars of the Civil Air Patrol is Aerospace Education, which includes everything from balloons to aircraft, weather, so having them out here helps get them around other airplanes that we have, but also teaches them community service," said Civil Air Patrol Major James Glombowski.
The airshow was last held three years ago, but attendees say this is the first time the City of Temple has actually planned and hosted the event.
For more information on other events going on in Temple, click here.