The sights and sounds of classic and fashionable warbirds will fill the skies above the Santa Maria Valley this weekend because the Central Coast Airfest returns.
Following a two-year pause due to public well being issues, the air present will take off Saturday and Sunday at the Santa Maria Public Airport.
The entrance is on the south aspect of the Santa Maria Radisson Hotel. Parking is free.
Aircraft may very well be heard and seen performing Friday afternoon as pilots practiced forward of the present, attracting onlookers to varied viewing spots across the airfield.
It’s the third Central Coast Airfest because the debut in 2018, with the occasion spearheaded by the Central Coast Jet Center’s Kunkle household and a gaggle of group volunteers.
“It’s just so fun to be able to pick up where we left off in 2020 and actually put on the event, and now it’s actually happening,” mentioned Heather Kunkle, one of many organizers and sister of air present director Chris Kunkle.
This yr’s occasion celebrates her grandfather’s one centesimal birthday. James Kunkle Jr. flew P-38 Lightning planes throughout World War II.
“He’ll be at the show and to have him here with the P-38 — it’s a really cool piece of history,” she mentioned.
The weekend’s air present is also poignant for the Kunkle household. For Heather Kunkle and her brother, Chris, the present will function a memorial to their dad, Central Coast Jet Center founder Jim Kunkle, who helped with early planning earlier than he died of most cancers in April.
Among these watching Friday’s flights have been college students from Pacific Christian Center.
An F/A-18 Super Hornet flies with a classic warbird Friday in Santa Maria forward of the Central Coast Airfest on Saturday and Sunday. (Scott Wheeler photograph)
“It’s just amazing,” mentioned fifth-grader Michael Nogues, who had wearing a camouflage shirt and helmet for the trek to the airport. “I truly didn’t anticipate these planes to work. I believed they have been present planes.
“I believed they’d pushed them in right here after which put them collectively. That these can truly fly — that is phenomenal,” he mentioned, citing the F4U-Corsair as his favourite.
This yr’s present consists of various plane from the Chino-based Planes of Fame Air Museum, which is wanting to open a Santa Maria location.
P-38 planes even have deep historical past to Santa Maria, which was house to a unit coaching pilots throughout World War II. The later was plane transferred to the Hancock College of Aeronautics, the place it was used to instruct upkeep personnel.
A lot of warbirds shall be on static show and take to the skies.
“They’re up here getting used to Santa Maria, looking at our air show and showing off a bunch really cool vintage warbirds,” Heather Kunkle mentioned.
An Air Force F-35 Lightning II demonstration, led by Major Kristin “BEO” Wolfe, will make its Santa Maria debut, Kunkle mentioned. That will embrace a heritage flight with a classic warbird.
“They’re actually spectacular jets,” she mentioned, including the present can have a number of F-35 plane from multiple department of the navy.
Cal Poly graduate and “fan favorite” Eric Tucker has returned along with his J-3 Piper Cub for a comedy act that features touchdown his airplane on a shifting ambulance.
Other performances will embrace a Red Bull Air Force helicopter demonstration, Planes of Fame demonstration, Air Force C-17 demonstration, a Navy F-18 demonstration and Kyle Fowler of GO EZ Aerobatics.
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds, akin to the U.S. Blue Angels and Thunderbirds, had been lined up to function the headlining act, however had to scrap the latter portion of the air present season after an incident in August grounded the group.
“The operational pause of CT-114 Tutor fleet has been lifted however the remaining scheduled performances for 2022 have been cancelled,” Royal Canadian Air Force officers mentioned Sept. 21.
That affected three performances in California together with Santa Maria’s.
“Even with out the Snowbirds it’s an especially full day,” she mentioned.
In addition to aerial performances, various classic and fashionable navy and civilian plane shall be on show this weekend at the airport the place meals vans, assorted distributors and a beer backyard are deliberate.
Gates open at 9 a.m. each days, with aerial performances deliberate from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., though climate may have an effect on the schedule.
Admission at the gate is $25 for age 16 or older, $15 for youngsters ages 5 to 15, and free for youngsters age 4 or youthful. Discounted tickets might be bought on-line throughout the weekend.
For a map, schedule of performers and extra go to centralcoastairfest.com.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully might be reached at .(JavaScript have to be enabled to view this e-mail deal with). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
