Benefit Air Show Set Sept. 17 at Raceway

An aerobatic show featuring skydivers, stunt pilots, comic flyers, and an outstanding sailplane artist will be held at Pocono International Raceway, Mount Pocono, on Sept. 17 at 2 p.m.

The 2 1/2-hour performance sponsored by Wings of Hope, a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization based in St. Louis, which provides aviation and communication services to remote areas of the world for humanitarian purposes. Proceeds from the show will primarily benefit the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in New Guinea, who use aircraft in the widely scattered tropical islands for transporting teachers, doctors, nurses, and mission personnel and for medical emergencies among the thousands of natives they serve. Surplus funds will be used for similar humanitarian and religious enterprises in the South Pacific.

The Pocono Raceway has donated the use of its facilities for the benefit show, and many prominent men in the aviation industry and operations are assisting the project as members of an advisory board.

They include Robert Chatley of North American Rockwell; George E. Haddaway, publisher of Flight magazine and board chairman of Wings of Hope; Charles J. Melville, director of the Reading Air How; Dawson Ransome, stunt flyer, who will also perform in the show; Wilfred (Wiley) Post Jr., A-B-E airport manager; and Donald F. Glass, Reading airport manager.

Mario Andretti, three-time national USAC champion and Grand Prix race driver, is the honorary chairman. From 12:30 t0 2 p.m. he will give rides around the race track in special cars.

After a flag-jump opening by the Adventurers skydiving team, performances will be staged by Ray Wiseman, Dan Chapman, Dawson Ransome, Scotty McCray, and several members of the Mason-Dixon air show troupe, whose acts include an inverted ribbon cut and a girl-rider on an airplane wing.

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) were aviation pioneers in the northern islands of the territory of New Guinea.

Gates will open for the air show on Sept. 17 at noon. Tickets will be available at the raceway on the day of the show or may be bought in advance at the air show office and at various selected locations.

The Wings of Hope Air Show office is at 520 Seip Ave., Nazareth, Pa.