INDEPENDENCE - An all-out air and land invasion will hit the city Saturday during the Fly Iowa Air Show, one of the state's largest events of its kind.

For local officials, finding ways to accommodate those teeming masses required nearly a year of planning.

The Iowa Aviation Promotion Group started Fly Iowa in 1991 to promote smaller, general aviation airports in the state.

The air show is the first Independence has hosted in nearly eight years and represents a chance to showcase the 1,500-foot extension that was added to the runway last year, making it 5,500 feet overall. The project cost $6.5 million, though most of that money was paid for by the federal government.

"They have some superior facilities to show off," said Chuck McDonald, the group's treasurer.

The event moves each year to a different location, which can add problems during the planning process, said McDonald. Larger air shows in the state are usually at the same venue each year and handled by the same planners. Not so with Fly Iowa.

"We start every year with a brand new committee," McDonald said.

Iowa City, Waterloo, Spirit Lake and other cities have hosted. This year's event features a bevy of airborne acrobats, from stunt pilots in biplanes to skydivers.

Because the air show obviously involves aircraft, organizers must consult with the Federal Aviation Administration. Airport officials had to get waivers to close the facility during the event. They also had to get approval for the showbox - the airspace where performers will demonstrate their stunts.

Organizers don't want a wayward pilot to attempt a landing or risk a collision, Karen Connell said. She and her husband run Connell Aviation, the company that manages the airport.

"It's waived closed just for the show so we don't have any aircraft in the area," she said.

Friday morning, a Young Eagles camp is scheduled for kids 9 to 12 years old who are learning about flying. The classes are closed, said Lee Bowden of Independence, a pilot leading the camp.

The goal of the entire event is to encourage interest in aviation in Iowa and perhaps teach community members about their airports.

"Most of them don't know how to get to the airport or if they do, they don't care," Bowden said.