Rockin’ on the Runway

Talk about a win-win: Rockin’ on the Runway combines the fun and excitement of an air show with a very good cause.

The event was held June 10, 2023, at Red Oak Landing Airport (51LS), a private 3,600-foot grass runway in Sunset, Louisiana.

Warbirds, seaplanes, taildraggers, helicopters, and more, all in one place.

It was the fourth edition of the event, which was started in 2019 to raise funds, as well as awareness, for children and young adults with developmental disabilities who live at St. Mary’s Residential Training School in Boyce, Louisiana.

“My brother-in-law, Cole Elliott, is a long-time resident of St. Mary’s,” explained Taylor Elliott, event director. “The school is home to approximately 200 residents. Four years ago my in-laws and some friends hosted a private party and brought out a donation bucket in hopes of giving St. Mary’s a small check. They raised a few thousand dollars that night with little to no effort, so they decided to dream big.”

The event has grown each year, so that in 2023, it featured some of the biggest names in the air show industry, including the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, Matt Younkin, Kevin Coleman, Stephen Covington of SRC Airshows, and Robby Grice.

Matt Younkin performs during the 2023 show. (Photo by Joe Fernandez)

The AeroShell Aerobatic Team at Rockin’ on the Runway. (Photo by Ron Harper)

According to organizers, 100% of the proceeds from Rockin’ on the Runway are donated to the school.

“Over the past two years we have donated $300,000 to go towards our immediate goal of building a state-of-the-art, multi-use facility for all of the residents to enjoy that will include a splash pad, movie theater room, trampolines, and more,” Taylor says. “Our long-term goal is to continue to improve and maintain the facilities at St. Mary’s. We do this not only for Cole, but for all current and future residents of the school. We hope to do our small part in making the future of St. Mary’s the best it can possibly be.”

And while the cause is wonderful, so was the event.

Many pilots flew in, but there were also many people who arrived by vehicle, but wanted to experience the thrill of flight themselves.

Part of the fundraising efforts included the opportunities to fly in a Cessna O-1 Birddog, a Texan T-6, and in the Elliott’s striking pink Stearman. Prices ranged from $200 to $400 a ticket.

This classic warbird, a Texan T-6G, landing after giving a ride to one of the attendees of the event.

Duston Dauzat, who attended the air show with his family, gave his two children a flight on one of the planes as a gift.

“It was my daughter’s first-ever flight,” he says. “She’s now obsessed with flying and is begging for another one.”

A volunteer and the pilot checking all the details before a ride.

He added his son, who is already a pilot, loved the aerobatic performances. “He wants to learn how to perform them,” he says.

Duston is already planning to attend next year’s Rockin’ on the Runway.

So is Ron Harper, who has been attending the event since it started in 2019.

“I love to see the planes, both new and old,” he said. “It is a good opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones. We all have one thing in common: The love of aviation.”