Saturday morning and I took the drive up to Mather Airport in Sacramento. Weekend morning meant an easy 1.5 hour drive from the city. I got there at the wrong time because I ended up parking very far from the event grounds. They were directing people in rows from closest to farthest. They should have done closest cluster then next closest cluster, working their way out to give the earlier arrivals the better parking. Other people who arrive 2 hours after I did, recieved a shorter walk to their vehicle
Trudging on I can read UPS on the tailfins of the cargo aircraft
The entrance is finally within reach and the security check point beckons As with many events nowadays, tickets are purchased online and a QR code provided for entry
At this end, people are already staking the spots for the show at 9:45am. The public viewing area is quite long.
Plenty of trash/recycle bins and, for those weak of bladder, restrooms as well
A small map to guide you around the area. The show schedule was emailed to attendees
Plenty of food vendors line the length of the grounds. Beverages, snacks, burger, pizza, hot dogs, etc. Oddly enough, aside from liquid refreshment, hunger was not a factor during the day. Breakfast held me over until I left.
Officially licensed Thunderbirds souvenirs on sale at a few kiosks
Sponsors and exhibitors like the Big Green Egg, CHP, Thunder Valley Casino, and many others had their own booths to get there names out to attendee's hearts, minds, and some times wallets.
I loved these graphic tees. I had one or two many years ago. I believe one was an F16 and I forget what the other one was.
Free photo op with costumed people and a jeep.
Paid photo op inside a mock up of an F18 cockpit with flight helmet
The stars of the show parked for pictures before they take flight later in the day
The classic red, white, and blue color scheme of their F16
On the underside is the iconic thunderbird logo in blue
A T38 trainer on display. Based off the F5. Later the F20 would use the same airframe and use a single exhaust as opposed to the double exhause of the T38 and F5
U2 spy plane from decades ago. Its long wingspan lets it glide at high altitudes while surveilling everything below it. The plane is so old and the secret is already out. Why cover the cockpit?
There were several cargo aircraft on display and many allowed guests to stroll in and gaze upon the sheer size and capacity. There were planes from UPS, Coast Guard and US Military
The Lockheed C5 Galaxy is the largest cargo craft in the military's inventory. The massive nose swings up to facilitate loading/unloading as well as rear inward swinging doors
Some of the interior. More views of the interior will be provided in videoes where I walk through the plane from nose to tail
If you look in the upper right hand corner, the spot that you see is not dirt but the U2 making its rounds that day
Not only did they have the largest cargo plane in the US fleet, they had the second largest in the C17 Globemaster III from Boeing
Unlike the C5 and more typical of cargo planes, there is one way in and one way out
Looking down the length of the C17 toward the loading doors in back. People walk around looking at the interior and the amount of space for handling all manner of cargo
A single file line formed as guests are provided a short time to view the cockpit of this large aircraft. The crew and pilots are usually provided seats on the second floor.
The premiums run from the grandstand seating all the way to fully tented accommodations with full food and drink service. These are also located the the very beginning of the runway where many of the aircraft, except for Snowbirds and Thunderbirds, park and take off
Throughout the day, there were other performances before the main attraction. Stunt pilots and aerobats took to the sky performing gun wrnechin, vomit inducing maneuvers.
Several parachutists jumpe from planes and helicopters.
Shcokwave breathed fire and raced rice rockets and stunt planes
Several other planes demonstrated what they can do in the air. A seperate U2, aside from the one on static, display took to the air. Its engines surprisingly loud
Legacy flights of older aircraft and in combination with newer fighters delighted the crowds.
