LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Aerial acrobatics showcasing the military's might and highlighting airpower heritage dazzled a crowd of more than 260,000 people Saturday and Sunday during Lackland's AirFest 2008. The one-of-a-kind Navy Blue Angels demonstration team, the gravity-breaking Army parachute-jumping Golden Knights team, and Tora! Tora! Tora!, a re-enactment of Pearl Harbor, headlined the show at Kelly Field Annex.
Demonstrations started off each day with Staff Sgt. Chris Hoover from the 342nd Training Squadron parachuting into the Kelly Field Annex while carrying the U.S. Flag as Sgt. Elsie Lengyon, 37th Mission Support Squadron, sang the national anthem.
For many, AirFest 2008 was a family event. "I was excited for my son to see his first air show," said James Nott, a San Antonio resident who attended both days of the air show with his wife and two children. Mr. Nott added that he was also grateful for the opportunity to teach his son a little bit about American military history.
Clear skies made a great canvas for the aerial demonstrations, including performances by the F-15E Strike Eagle, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier which demonstrated the ability to take-off or land vertically or on short runways.
An F-22 Raptor demonstration was a crowd favorite as most were seeing the Air Force's newest fighter for the first time. Amidst cheers from the crowd, the Raptor's pilot, Maj. Paul "Max" Moga, performed aerial maneuvers demonstrating the unique capabilities of the world's only operational fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
The weekend's activities included military working dog demonstrations, displays showcasing some of the top weapons systems and vehicles from all of the services, and a children's play area.
Lt. Col. David Johnson, AirFest director, said the weekend wouldn't have been successful without the hard work of the AirFest 2008 planning committee. "This year's air show had an incredible aircraft line up that brought in a crowd of more than 260,000. All aspects of planning and the execution of the event went very smoothly which is a positive testament to the dedication and professionalism of all who made it happen," he said.
With the Navy Blue Angels performing for the first time at Lackland and involvement from all services, Colonel Johnson said this year's show was unique. "This was truly a joint show with participation from all services," he said. "Every military arm got to showcase their contributions to airpower. It served as a great opening act for the city's Celebrate America's Military week."