By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
The skies roared to life over Laughlin Air Force Base on Saturday as Fiesta of Flight drew nearly 10,000 visitors for a day of high-speed aerial demonstrations, historic aircraft and hands-on exhibits.
The only disruption came early, when mist and overcast skies delayed the start of the show by about an hour. Once conditions cleared, aircraft quickly took to the air and the event moved forward without further interruption.
Even before the first takeoff, there was no shortage of activity. Food vendors lined the flightline, while demonstrations and live music from the U.S. Air Force Band of the West kept the crowd engaged.
The aerial lineup featured a wide range of aircraft, including the F-35 Lightning II, P-51 Mustang, C-47 Skytrain, T-28 Trojan, Extra 330, A-26 Invader, Jet Truck, T-33 Shooting Star, Van’s RV-8, T-6 Texan II, B-25 Mitchell and a Mini Jet.
On the ground, static displays gave attendees an up-close look at aircraft such as the C-17 Globemaster III, CV-22 Osprey, OA-1K Skyraider II, T-38 Talon, F-16 Fighting Falcon and C-130J Super Hercules, along with civilian and support aircraft including a Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182, Border Patrol AS350 helicopter and a LifeFlight helicopter.
Visitors had the chance to get an up-close look at the aircraft and speak with crew members about its capabilities and missions. The Osprey is used by multiple branches of the U.S. military for transport and special operations.
However, it was more than a “just-look-at-our-loud-jets” event as many military units, Border Patrol and other entities were on hand, giving visitors a closer look at the people and missions behind the equipment.
For many, the weekend began a day earlier. On Friday, Laughlin welcomed about 1,300 local students for a STEM-focused experience, introducing them to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Joel Langton can be reached at JoelALangton@gmail.com.
