Everything is set for the big weekend, but with rain in the forecast for both Saturday and Sunday, the air show's perfect record of great weather might be in jeopardy.
Pilots and airport officials say they have a plan B if it does rain.
Director of Vendor Operations Dave Schumacher has been at the air show every year for 26 years. He says they've never been rained out, but have had some close calls.
"We've had wet seasons and we've had rain right before the show and the show starts, the rain stops, and everybody has a good time," Schumacher says.
In years past, the rain has put a damper on the day, trapping cars in the grassy lot. Organizers say the lack of rain this summer is working to their advantage.
"The ground is so hard, we can drive on it," Schumacher says, "Parking on the grass is not a problem, we've had in years past our parking lot is grass, but this year there's nothing to worry about, it's like driving on cement."
If it does rain, the show can be adjusted to the weather.
"We'll try to ride it out, we're hoping the rain stays south of us," Airport Manager Tom Vesalga says, "If it does stay south and we do get some cloud coverage in here, all the performances are capable of doing a low performance."
"There's certain things I can add in my performance to actually make them better, when I use the wind to my advantage and there's certain things you can't do," Pilot Kirby Chambliss says.
But certain conditions can still make it tough to fly.
"Here at the airport, if we have low visibility, less then five miles visibility, airplanes have issues with performing," Director of Flight Services Dick McGarry says, "Obviously rain is a concern a little bit of mist and stuff is not a problem, but a pretty good rain that would make the farmers happy would probably temporarily shut the show down until that passes."
So everyone is keeping their fingers crossed, hoping for a clear day.
"It's one of those things we'll just have to play it by ear and see how everything unfolds on Saturday," Vesalga says.
For those of you headed to the show, gates open at 8 a.m. both days with the main show starting at 11:30.
If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, they're still available at the air show office, online, or other outlets. More info here: http://www.quadcityairshow.com/2012/index.html
