Flyover for rodeo Saturday

Spectators at Saturday's Colorama Pro Rodeo Saturday night might feel like the need to duck.

A very large aircraft will be flying by the rodeo at 7:15 p.m., courtesy of the U.S. Air Force at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The Boeing C-17 tanker weighs 269,000 pounds without cargo. Fully loaded, it can take off weighing up to 585,000 pounds.

Ridge Rider President Wayne Fowler said he is grateful for the help of Rep. Dan Newhouse and State Rep. Tom Dent for helping to make it happen.

Fowler said the airbase near Tacoma also hosts fighter jets, but he presumes they are busy because of the war in Iran. Nothing is certain, and a different type of aircraft could show up.

A C17 takes off. A plane like this is scheduled to fly over the rodeo grounds Saturday at 7:15pm. - photo by U.S Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen - USAF, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115899