By David Vitrano
L’Observateur

NORCO – Local veterans were treated to a beautiful Saturday morning outside at the Bonnet Carre Spillway as the local RC Club came out in full force to put on a miniature airshow featuring model planes running the gamut from World War I-era biplanes to modern jet fighters.
The event opened with a beautiful rendition of the national anthem sung by Victory Belle Courtney Boe. This was followed by a welcome from St. Charles Parish President V.J. St. Pierre, who is himself a veteran.
Afterward, wave after wave of model airplanes took to the skies, at times turning the spillway into a miniature battlefield.
This is the third year for the event, which was organized by Skip Jacob, a veteran and spillway park ranger who also flies the expensive toys. Jacob said the impetus for starting the function was to provide something for the veterans during the time between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Those in attendance seemed grateful.
Marine veteran Hillary Simoneaux said he had never been to the event before but used to build model airplanes for Lockheed. Simoneaux, who was part of the event’s color guard, said he enjoyed seeing so many veterans he had served with many years ago.
“It’s really good,” he said.
Seeing the planes in the air brought back memories to veteran flyer Raymond Adams, who pointed out some of the aircraft as they were flying.
“They’re fantastic. I can’t believe some of the stuff they have here,” he said. “That one saved our butts in Korea.”
At the halfway point of the show,
those in attendance were treated to jambalaya courtesy of Jacob’s Andouille. Aaron Lions, owner of Jacob’s Andouille, also owns a number of remote control airplanes, and at the end of the show, his large yellow and red plane dropped candy for the children waiting below.