Eloise Ogden/MDN A portion of a Canadian Forces Snowbirds plane is shown in this photo at the “Meet the Pilots” event held at the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot prior to the July 4 air show.

Dakota Territory Air Museum’s July 4 air show was a great success, according to an air museum official.

In the neighborhood of 15,000 people attended the “The Spirit of the Prairie” air show held at the Minot International Airport late Thursday afternoon and going into the evening hours. Many people also watched the air show from outside the airport area including from their homes.

“I thought the community support was awesome and it was really an amazing air show,” said Robin Brekhus, air museum events coordinator.

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerial demonstration team were featured at the show along with other performers including pilots from the U.S. and Canada – Warren Pietsch, Kent Pietsch, Brent Handy, Todd Farrell, Paul Lindemann, Jarrod Lindemann and Bernie Vasquez. A drone demonstration by SkySkopes also was part of the event.

A “Meet the Pilots” event held Wednesday evening at the air museum brought in several hundred people, Brekhus said. Kelly Armstrong, congressman; Ariel Delouya, Consul General at the Consulate General of Canada in Minneapolis; and Guillaume Lacroix, French Consul General to the Midwest based in Chicago, were guest speakers for the program. Other special guests included Steve Buchta, Canadian Ag Consul, and Rod Backman, Canada’s Honorary Consul in North Dakota from Bismarck; and James Dat, Scientific Attache of the Consulate General in Chicago;

“Wings and Wheels” is the next event planned at the air museum for Wednesday, July 17, beginning at 6 p.m. with members of the Dakota Cruisers Car Club and HOG Chapter. Open to everyone, the cost is general admission to the air museum.