GAYLORD - It's official: The jet bus stole the show at Wings Over Gaylord.

Airport manager and air show organizer Matt Barresi said a record 8,000 people showed up to this year's event to see the planes and displays, attend one of the fun-filled theme dances and, of course, watch hours of spectacular aerial and ground demonstrations.

Taking the cake this year was Paul Stender and his"School Time"jet-powered school bus, which blasted 80-foot flames and clouds of white smoke from its tailpipe. Stender and Mike Vaknin, piloting his Extra 300 stunt plane, developed a rivalry, playing a game of chicken and even drag racing each other down the runway.

"I was in the crowd on Saturday when the bus was at a dead stop and the Extra 300 passed it,"Barresi said."Then the bus got going and passed the plane no problem. People couldn't believe it."

Helicopter pilots gave more than 300 rides over the course of the weekend. Barresi said a 5-year-old girl urged her dad, who had never flown before, to take his first flight. Another passenger, a 10-year-old boy, told the pilot he had flown in a helicopter when he was 4 months old and sick with cancer.

"This time he had a helicopter ride he could enjoy and not always associate it with his illness,"Barresi said.

Barresi thanked all the organizers, sponsors and attendees of the air show for their hard work and generosity.

"The air show would not be remotely possible without all the tremendous support of this generous community,"he said."Fifty percent of the show is paid for by the folks whose banners are on the fence."

Planning for the 2014 event begins with setting the date during next week's meeting of the Otsego County Commissioners. Barresi said County Administrator John Burt and the rest of the commission has been deeply supportive of the air show.

"The 2014 air show starts with that vote Tuesday,"Barresi said.