St. GEORGE – By adding an air show, the Colorado City Fly-in and Air Show at the Colorado City Municipal Airport increased attendance by nearly 1,000 people over last year’s event in the area of Short Creek on the border of Arizona and Utah.
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
According to event coordinator Darlene Stubbs, the event drew more than 2,000 attendees for a day of historical and educational significance last Saturday.
Event coordinator and host Darlene Stubbs reported that she has been planning the event since last year’s event ended. She was very pleased with the increased support and attendance.
“My motivation behind hosting the Colorado City, Arizona Fly-In and Air Show is to promote aviation, educate the public, meet the airport manager and introduce our airport to the general public. I’ it fills my heart with happiness to see how interested our communities are in aviation,” said Stubbs.
The event, in its second year, is organized by volunteers and local residents who help Stubbs organize, fundraise and coordinate the event through a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing events and education to the community
The nonprofit organization Short Creek Active helps organize events in the Colorado City and Hildale communities. With the help of Darlene’s husband Lawrence, her brother Dalton Barlow and airport manager LaDell Bistline, the event was a success.
Announcers Jeff and Melissa Overby and on-air boss Bob Evans kept the crowd energized.
Karl Gashler is part of the entertainment company Red Thunder Airshows. According to Red Thunder’s website, he is a “21-year veteran of the US Air Force and an F-16 ‘Viper’ fighter pilot. A decorated fighter pilot who flies ‘Wild Weasel’ missions, Karl has won various Top Gun air-to-air combat and surface attack awards from fighter units around the world.”
Stunt pilot Kurt Gashler (center) performed for the air show, Colorado City, Ariz., Sept. 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Gashler has flown all US versions of the F-16. He volunteers as a pilot for the Flying Samaritans, a charity that provides medical care in Baja, California, Mexico. He helps bring them supplies and also transports patients who need help.
Compete in aerobatic competitions and perform in air shows. He also builds airplanes from kits. Karl has flown more than 16,000 hours in 40 types of aircraft. Karl is a commercial airline pilot for Southwest Airlines and a multiple business owner residing in Arizona.
Jon Melby is a veteran air show pilot since 2002. He is best known as “Fear Boss” and has been doing air shows as a stuntman for Hollywood productions including the Discovery Channel. He has become a social media star and has also developed programs under the Fear Boss brand, which helps people overcome their fears.
Melby is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he was an MC-130 Combat Talon Loadmaster. He is a resident of Chandler, Arizona.
Stunt pilot Jon Melby performed for the air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
In addition to the newly added air show, the event featured free pancakes for breakfast, a static display, airplane rides, a jeep show, a live band, free admission, bounce houses, candy, cones snow, food trucks and more. The event is not for profit and relies on donations and sponsorships for the event, mainly from local businesses and the community.
Kyte Gass of St. George wrote about his and his family’s experience at the air show on social media.
“We drove from St. George and loved every second of it. Seriously, one of the best air shows and community events I’ve ever been to. My kids had a blast,” Gass said.
The air show was during Constitution Week, which was, as Stubbs put it, a “coincidence.” The air show was planned for another reason, to recognize airport manager LaDell Bistline.
“I chose to host it at the end of the year, closer to the airport director’s birthday, because he is the reason we have an airport. He has been at our airport since 1992. He has put his heart and soul into the Colorado City, Arizona Airport and I wanted to recognize him for his efforts,” Stubbs said.
“It was very successful, and I see it becoming a huge annual attraction,” said Dalton Barlow, an elected councilman for the Colorado city. “It really honors LaDell, who has been instrumental in making the airport what it is today.”
Photo gallery
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Stunt pilot Kurt Gashler (center) performed for the air show, Colorado City, Ariz., Sept. 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Stunt pilot Jon Melby performed for the air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in Organizers Darlene Stubbs, LaDell Bistline and Dalton Barlow, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Free Pancake Breakfast at the Colorado City Fly-in, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Speakers Jeff and Melissa Overby at the Colorado City Fly-in, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Colorado City Fly-in boosts attendance by adding air show, Colorado City, Arizona, September 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.
Nick Yamashita has extensive reporting experience for small town media, covering a variety of topics and events for The Virgin River Times and The Progress in Southern Nevada. Before pursuing journalism, he worked in various positions in the criminal justice system. Yamashita has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Southern Utah University. He is an award-winning photographer and writer. He has been published in academic articles and poetry collections. In his spare time, he practices and teaches martial arts.
