Corkscrew: Corvallis aerobatic competition returns

As Kenny Loggins said in the hit song "Danger Zone," "You'll never know what you can do, until you get it up as high as you can go."

The seventh annual Corvallis Corkscrew is a chance for pilots from all over to test their aircraft and aerobatic skills, showing off loops, twists and dives in the mid-valley skies.

The aerobatic competition typically draws 25-30 pilots and a crowd of spectators to the Corvallis Municipal Airport, located just a few miles south of town. The event, which was canceled last year, is hosted by the Oregon chapter of the International Aerobatic Club. It's free for the spectators.

Competing flyers in five categories will take on a series of challenging maneuvers requiring precision execution over the course of the three-day event slated for through Saturday, Aug. 19.

"We have a couple folks here that are really top-tier competitors, international level," said Steve Vets, event coordinator and competition pilot.

Corvallis is one of the nicer places for this type of competition, according to Vets, who said similar events often take place in sweltering deserts. The competition area being directly over the airport is another asset, he said.

"We've gotten to the point that the contest is pretty well attended," Vets said. "We have people from Canada, Southern California, people that fly in from great distances to compete here."

Vets said this year's event has a little more focus on spectators, thanks in part to aviation advocate Harry Hart and also Corvallis Aero Services, the airport's fixed base operator, owned by Hillsboro-based Premier Jets, providing services such as refueling, scenic flights, flight training and aircraft maintenance.

On Friday, the competition goes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday's schedule is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A sneak peek at a classic aircraft museum in a WWII-era hangar at the airport is part of the treat for this year's attendees. Devin Miller, Corvallis Aero Services general manager, said Premier Jets has been funneling aircraft to Corvallis from around Oregon.

The museum is an offshoot of Premier's Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum, established in 1998, and it is slated to open in Corvallis sometime in 2024.

"For the people who are into aviation or history but not necessarily looking to fly, that's a whole other thing they can enjoy," Miller said.

During the competition, a Cold War-era Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter jet will be staged outside the hangar so people can get up close and personal with it, including step stairs to check out the cockpit. And the hangar will be open for a glimpse of the whole collection along with some engines on display.

A volunteer player behind the scenes in all of this, entrepreneur Hart recently formed the Airport Advocates Alliance, a Friends of the Airport citizen's group aimed at promoting growth and sustainability for the Corvallis Municipal Airport. The group's guiding principle is "Together, we soar higher!"

Hart hopes to pull in more airline traffic to the Willamette Valley and engage the community, encouraging education and aviation innovation with an eye toward environmental stewardship. He's looking into events such as an Aviation Day, flight school open house, fly-in movie night, art show, and other possible community collaborations.

The airport is something of a hidden gem, Hart and Miller both said. Many don't seem to know it even exists, let alone that it's a valuable asset to the local economy and community. They're hoping for a big turnout to help spotlight the airport and flying.

"The impetus for my organization is to bring awareness and commerce to this airport," Hart said. "This puts us on the map."

An executive aircraft enthusiast, Hart recalled when Oprah Winfrey surprised an Oregon State University graduate with a visit in 2017. He was impressed with the way the celebrity easily dropped in out of the blue to celebrate with the community and slip away just as quickly.

"We will see more air traffic out here from people who've gone out, been successful, and come back for a football game in their corporate or private aircraft," Hart said.

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