by Ann Mort

The U.S. Army’s Screaming Eagles Parachute Demonstration Team will be an extra added attraction at the MidFirst Ohio Challenge hot air balloon festival this weekend, July 18-19-20, 2008 at Smith Park in downtown Middletown, Ohio.

The Screaming Eagles team has been training all week at the www.StartSkydiving.com training facility in Warren County. Team Fastrax, who manage that facility and also train there, invited the Army jumpers to join them in Middletown.  Team Fastrax will perform all three days of the event with the Screaming Eagles joining them on Saturday and Sunday.

Both parachute groups are professionals in their sport.Team Fastrax is an active and visible team throughout the world. The team is made up of David Hart, Gene Newsome, Brian Marzluf, Bob Akers and Jay Stokes, John Hart, Brian McNenney, Scott Roberts and Kaz Sheekey. Team Fastrax has performed at professional football and baseball games, NCAA Division I football games, NASCAR, IHRL, major air shows, symphony events, performed tandems with past U.S. Presidents and many other high profile events. For more information visit www.teamfastrax.org.

The US Army Screaming Eagles has performed more than 1,000 live aerial demonstrations throughout the United States and beyond. The have jumped into a wide variety of locations and events including national monuments, professional sporting events and air shows, Firestone Indy 200, President’s Golf Championship in Virginia, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and even the old Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. For more information visit www.campbell.army.mil/PDT/places.htm.

MidFirst Ohio Challenge is a complete festival wrapped around hot air balloon competition and skydiving demonstrations. Festival dates are Friday, July 18, 4-10:30pm, Saturday, July 19, Noon-10:30pm, and Sunday Noon-8pm. Admission is $5 per carload or $2 per adult walk-in – children under 13 are free with adults. For a full schedule of events visit www.MidFirstOhioChallenge.com.