WILLOW RUN AIRPORT (WXYZ) — The U.S. Navy Blue Angels gave two metro Detroit community leaders the flight of a lifetime ahead of this weekend's Thunder Over Michigan Air Show.
Detroit Red Wings player Alex DeBrincat and Ann Arbor Pioneer High School swim coach Stefanie Kerska were selected as this year's "Key Influencers" for the air show, earning them a rare opportunity to fly with the world-renowned demonstration team.
"It's very exciting, it's kind of a dream come true for me. I've been a fan of the Blue Angels for a long time," Kerska said.
The 27th annual Thunder Over Michigan Air Show returns to Willow Run Airport this weekend, June 20 to June 22, with organizers expecting 20,000 to 25,000 attendees each day.
Kevin Walsh, Director of the Thunder over Michigan Airshow, highlighted the significance of the Blue Angels' appearance.
"This is the most famous aerobatics demonstration team in the world. They only go to about 32 shows a year in the entire world, and they've chosen Detroit this year to be one of their shows on their schedule," Walsh said.
Kerska, who has led her Pioneer High School swimming teams to nine state championships in 10 years, was the first to take flight with her pilot, Major Scott Laux.
"Actually, when they called and asked, I said yes right away, and they said, 'Do you want to think about it?' I said no," Kerska said.
Despite her fear of heights and flying, the veteran swim coach of over 30 years embraced the opportunity to practice what she preaches to her students.
"I teach my kids every day not to let fear stand in the way, and that being brave is not the absence of fear, but doing it with fear, so that's what I'm trying to do," Kerska said.
Major Laux, who has been flying for the Marine Corps for 11 years and joined the Blue Angels last September, took Kerska through several aerobatic maneuvers.
"If you've ever been on a roller coaster, that's what you're experiencing with all the turns, loops, stuff like that. We just pull more G's," Laux said. "We did a roll, we did a loop, and then we did a minimum radius turn, really sampling of the aerodynamics of the F18, and we replicated some of the maneuvers that folks will see during the airshow this weekend."
Organizers say tickets are only available for Friday's show. For more information, visit the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show website.
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