Though the 12th annual Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake air show was canceled Saturday due to weather concerns, aircraft enthusiasts got a chance to see the show planes at Tyler’s Historic Aviation Museum.

MiG-17 jets, one of few planes left that fought in the Vietnam War, were featured in the old terminal at Tyler Regional Airport.

One of the pilots set to fly the jets was veteran air show pilot Randy Ball, founder and director of Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake.

Ball was with the 1611 MiG-17 he planned to fly, which reaches up 715 mph – 10 miles per minute.

“It’s like having your own little hot rod sports car, but faster,” Ball said. “You have to think faster and react faster ahead of time at that speed, which is normal for me now.”

“When I started flying in my early 20s, my instructor said ‘Have you ever heard of the saying ‘Do or die?” then slapped me on the back and said ‘You’re on your own,'” Ball said.

27 years later, Ball has flown over 1,000 air shows, more than any other pilot in North America. At over 1,000 hours, he also holds the nation’s record for time spent flying Soviet jets.

Ball does the air shows out of a passion to help support local military and veteran charities. The annual event at Cedar Creek Lake benefits multiple charities, one of them the Fischer House Foundation. The nonprofit provides free housing for military families to be near an ill or wounded soldier. The homes include large bedrooms, kitchens and plenty of space for families to spend as much time needed as their family member heals.

“When these veterans get hurt, it’s mostly in the mind that they could be traumatized or lonely and the best thing for them is to have their family by their side no matter what,” Ball added.

Saturday’s cancellation was the first in the air show’s history, according an announcement on its Facebook page. “The weather continues to be an issue and we want everyone to be safe,” the post said.