This weekend is the start of the Crossroads Air Show at Indianapolis Regional Airport

Greenfield, Indiana – Greenfield will be the site of a celebration of aviation history on Saturday morning when the Crossroads Air Show lifts off at the Indianapolis Regional Airport.

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will return to central Indiana to perform for the first time since 2012.

It will feature ground demonstrations in addition to eight more aerial acts. Photographs, tours of the cockpits, and conversations with some of the pilots will all be available to attendees.

The Boy Scout Council at Crossroads of America is in charge of organizing the program. The head of marketing and communications, Brandon Kline, claims that it has been years in the making.

“It’s so much more than just booking the performers that we have this weekend,” Kline said. “We’re building a city here … So if you think about thousands of tents, and tables, and chairs, and restrooms, and trash cans and everything. It’s taken years, but it’s going to be all worth it.”

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb will receive a commemorative baton from the U.S. Special Forces Command Parachute Team, popularly known as the Para-Commandos, before the start of the performance.

Through his company, Herb Gillen assists in the production of air shows across the nation. He claims that Crossroads will feature an exquisite lineup.

“We also have some of the best civilian pilots in the world,” Guillen said. “Rob Holland, who is a 10-time national champion, aerobatic champion, four-time world champion, and just does things with his airplane that you can’t imagine happening. Then … we have Kent Peach with the Jelly Belly Aircraft.”

The goal of the show’s organizers is to influence the neighborhood. The regional airport, formerly known as Mount Comfort, has hosted air shows for over ten years.

During a rehearsal on Friday, almost 500 pupils will receive a rare sneak peek at the show. To find out more about jobs in the aviation sector and other STEM sectors (science, technology, engineering, and math), they will get the opportunity to meet with leaders in the field.

The program took a local teacher for a flight aboard a Blue Angels jet on Wednesday.

Charlie Hiltunen, co-chair, estimates that the show will have a $8.7 million economic impact.

He adds that they also intend to raise funds for Riley Children’s Foundation, Catch the Stars Foundation, and the neighborhood scout units.

“We’re building our next generation of citizens, but we’re also building a workforce,” Hiltunen said. “We want them to stay in Indiana with programs like the air show, want to build quality of life in Central Indiana. We don’t need the mountains, we don’t need the oceans, we’ve got the people and we’ve got things to do here. It’s just a great place to be and we want our next generation to appreciate that too.”

Flying on Saturday and Sunday is the Crossroads Air Show. The gates open at 9 a.m., and parking begins at 7:30 a.m.

Around midday, aerial shows begin.