Patches representing various air show teams were available for guests. 

Airshow guests were not deterred by heat as thousands gathered to view aircraft fly through the skies at the third annual Rose City Airfest.

Food trucks, tents and canopies filled the fields lining Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, music echoed, and a murmur of anticipation grew as the time neared.

Ryan and Tacia Ford, of Melissa, said they brought their children Olivia, 6, and Liam, 3, to Tyler specifically to attend Rose City Airfest.

“My dad is a big aviation guy. I grew up going to air shows every summer, many times, so this is their second air show,” Ryan said about his children. “They’ve only been to one last year. But we thought it’d be a good thing to expose them to. I enjoyed it when I was a kid.”

It was their first time at the Tyler air show, but the variety of aircraft and fighter jets was the couple’s deciding factor. The lineup featured 15 various aircraft.

Their children already like airplanes; experiencing it up close and personal was a no-brainer.

“It’s something that you don’t know what it’s like until you’re up next to it, and you see them and hear them. It’s pretty exciting,” Ryan said. “I was always in awe of it as a child.”

Staci Janke brought her family to the Rose City Airfest last year and “had a blast,” so they were looking forward to the event this year.

“The kids got to run around and check out all the planes, and then we had a great time outside with our friends. So we’re excited,” Janke said.

Patriotism is typically a big part of airshow, especially with Rose City Airfest being on the weekend ahead of Independence Day.

Airshows are an excellent way to teach children how to have fun while enjoying the freedoms Americans have while honoring the sacrifices veterans made in the Armed Forces.

“It’s just the roar, and you can feel them from quite far away, and it’s just amazing. The power and the things that they can do,” Ryan said.