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The 2010 Air Show—Full Spectrum Excellence!

  • Published
  • By Col. Michael Hornitschek
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  If you're hearing the "Sound of Freedom" flying overhead, a.k.a. really loud jets, you'll know that the Blue Angels have arrived at Scott Air Force Base! We welcome our Navy comrades to the Showcase Wing and are excited to have these amazing professionals perform for us throughout the weekend!

Yesterday they flew two civic leaders and a member of the media in their aircraft--what a flight that was for them! You gain a whole new appreciation for the skills and abilities of these pilots when you climb in the seat and experience firsthand what it's like to "break the surly bonds of earth."

The Blue Angels will be flying a practice show today around 3 p.m. and tomorrow as we host more than 600 seniors and people with special needs. I just don't think you can get enough of seeing how they maneuver in the air as a team to illustrate precision flying. It makes me reminiscent of the days when I was a child and saw aircraft like this perform. I thought, some day I want to do that, too.

Then Saturday and Sunday, we open our gates and invite everyone to come and enjoy an exciting, full spectrum air show that will delight all, no matter what your age. The men and women of the 375th Air Mobility Wing, as well as from across Team Scott, are energized to share a little bit about what they do daily as America's defenders of freedom.

We're also welcoming some amazing stunt and aerobatic pilots to our ramp, as well as those who keep the Air Force heritage alive with re-enactments of historic war battles and with flybys in vintage aircraft. Everyone comes together to present a full spectrum of excellence! No doubt it will be a fantastic air show--the culmination of months of planning and hard work.

My hat is off to all of you who are working behind the scenes to make this a pleasant experience for our guests. From directing traffic to manning the food booths to providing first aid support and keeping the tarmac clean, your contributions are just as important as those who are flying the aircraft. It takes an entire team, dedicated and skilled ... and willing ... to step in and make sure all aspects of an event like this goes smoothly.

This year our air show coincides with the anniversary of 9/11--a day that most of us remember exactly where we were and what we were doing as we watched the tragic events unfold. Shock and disbelief was followed by sadness, and then a resolute and firm will to do all we could to prevent another attack like that from ever happening again.
During our events Saturday we will take a moment to pause--a moment of silence--to honor those who lost their lives that day. And then, in the spirit of Todd Beamer, we'll take to skies as we roll out the thunder of our nation's might with our F-16s, F-4s, A-10s, and the B-2 just to name a few! We'll also have on display 45 aircraft that demonstrate the versatility and pure firepower that our armed forces bring to the fight to not only neutralize our enemies, but also protect our nation and her people.

With our packed air show schedule of events, I'm sure you'll have the experience of your life. So please include us in your plans this weekend and join us for the full spectrum excellence of your nation's air power!