Imagine: a $1.5-million SV Lamborghini parked under the wing of a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter jet.
Or, a classic, cherry-red MG looking sharp beside a Cessna 185.
Or, a vintage VW bug cozied up to a bi-wing Super Petrel aka 'the flying boat."
All such combinations will be possible at the inaugural Kelowna Flying Club Wings & Wheels show today, from 11 am to 3 pm, at Kelowna International Airport.
Wings & Wheels is bringing together 80 vintage, classic and exotic cars (and some hot motorcycles) along with 25 aircraft for an incredible ground and air transportation display.
The show is free to attend and there's limited parking at the actual show site, so people are asked to park in the airport's long-term parking and take the free shuttle to the show grounds.
Since this is the first Wings & Wheels show, organizers don't know how many people will show up.
It could be 1,000, it could be 3,000.
The show will happen in two close-by locations.
The first is in the forecourt of the KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence, where planes will be pulled out of the museum to join showy cars.
The second is just across the road at the so-called T-Hangars, where more planes will be on display with cars.
Some of the other aircraft that will be making appearances include World War I fighter Sopwith Camel, World War II fighters Mosquito bomber and Hawker Tempest, composite plane Sirrus, bush planes, float planes, Southern Interior Flight Centre's twin-engine training plane, ERCO Ercoupe monoplane, the Kelowna Flying Club's Grumman Tiger, the Vans RV series of experimental aircraft and a couple of helicopters.
Some of the other cars to be onsite include Corvettes, a 1986 Porsche 928 just like the one Tom Cruise drove in the movie Risky Business and a bunch of additional vintage, classic and exotic vehicles.
"People love planes and cars, so let's showcase both of them," said Kelowna Flying Club volunteer and organizer Ariel Tyk.
"I remember as a kid, all I wanted to do was to get close up to an airplane."
Tyk, a former military pilot and now a private pilot, took the idea of a planes-and-cars combo day to Kelowna Flying Club president Kent Hardisty just a few weeks ago.
He loved the idea and it went from suggestion to reality quickly with some snappy organization.
"We knew we had to work closely with Kelowna airport and the KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence to make this happen," said Hardisty.
"This show is for anyone who is an aviation enthusiast or just wants to see planes and great cars close up. It's also for people who might be considering becoming a pilot or working in aviation."
In addition to the displays, Air Cadets, Kelowna airport, Southern Interior Flight Centre (which does pilot training for Okanagan College) and the Kelowna Flying Club will have information booths.
While the show is free to attend, if you make a minimum donation of $5 you will be entered to win one of two discovery flights for two people with Kelowna Flying Club.
All proceeds from the donations will go to the YLW (Kelowna airport) Scholarship Fund, which supports the next generation of aviation and aerospace students who want to stay in the Okanagan to go to school.
