America’s “eye in the sky” launched a brand-new interactive road show for 2009 entitled “Inspire” – and it stops down in the Fort Myers-Naples area the next two weekends – first, at the parking lot of Immokalee Regional Raceway on Saturday, March 14, then to Charlotte County Airport for the 29th Florida International AirShow in Punta Gorda, Saturday and Sunday, March 21 – 22.
The newest, 70-city national U.S. Air Force Inspire Tour will log an estimated
100,000 miles in 11 months, affording those of all ages an insider’s look into
the Air Force. The tour will be set up in the parking lot of Immokalee
Regional Raceway on Saturday, March 14, from 4 – 10 p.m. for the Thunder
Jam event. Then, on March 21 – 22, all ages can visit the tour at the 29th
Florida International AirShow, located at Charlotte County Airport off
Interstate 75 in Punta Gorda. Gates open at 9 a.m. on both Saturday and
Sunday.
The grassroots Inspire Tour – which is free-of-charge – showcases high-tech
elements and innovative simulations like Extreme Equilibrium, a popular thrill
ride that gives the spatial disorientation feeling that pilots encounter, as well
as revolutionary video games that provide opportunities to “get inside” combat, cargo-drop mission and reconnaissance.
Visitors will enjoy seeing the tour’s specially designed 53-foot movie theater trailer that houses a 6’x14′ movie screen featuring an Air Force movie in digital surround sound, and an actual F-16 fighter jet that measures 49 feet 5 inches long, stands 16 feet tall and has a wing span of 32 feet 8 inches.
The Inspire Tour enables Americans to more intimately experience the U.S. Air Force in an innovative, grassroots approach. Affectionately known as
the “eye in the sky”, the Air Force defends our country in cyberspace, air and
sky, with more than 100 satellites providing GPS navigation, weather, surveillance and secure communication. The elements traveling cross-
country with “Inspire” reinforce and authenticate its mission and vision.
After the Immokalee and Punta Gorda Tour stops, it will travel to Miami for a
visit to the Miami-Dade County Fair and other places across the country
educating young men and women about the career opportunities and benefits
associated with the U.S. Air Force.
Additional Tour information and event locations are posted on the official
Web site of the U.S. Air Force (AIRFORCE.com), and to locate a nearby
recruiting office, call toll-free (1-800-423-USAF) or access online. To learn
more about Thunder Jam coming to Immokalee Regional Raceway, visit
ihra.com/thunderjam/, and for more information on the annual air show in Punta Gorda, visit www.fl-airshow.com/