Fire in the Sky

Get ready for scorching walls of smoke and flame. No, it’s not another summer barbecue festival. It’s the Kansas City Aviation Expo, and it’s packing heat. This year’s show uses a 1,300-foot pyrotechnic curtain of flame as its centerpiece, while iron-stomached trick pilots perform aerobatic feats above. Back on solid ground will be 40-plus stationary airplane exhibits, and a big rig outfitted with jet engines will race airplanes down the runway. Stunt group Tora! Tora Tora! will re-enact scenes from the Pearl Harbor attack, complete with World War II-era Japanese strike-fighter replicas. For those with a more recent military memory, an F-15 Eagle fighter jet will also tear up the skies. “Most air shows have around 30 minutes or so of flying, between long breaks,” air-show director Ed Noyalles explains. “We’re offering nonstop action, one performance after another. That’s six solid hours of flying.” The pilots play bullfight with gravity today and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. See kcairshow.com for the performance schedule and ticket information.

Sat., Aug. 25; Sun., Aug. 26