Community Corner
Travis Air Force Base To Hold Air Expo and Open House
Base invites public to see their tax dollars at work, Saturday and Sunday
After a three year hiatus, the Travis Air Power Expo and Open House returns to Travis Air Force Base for a weekend of air show performances and aviation displays. This year’s theme, “Skies Over Solano,” highlights the base’s partnership with Solano County.
“It’s basically to invite the community to show what the base does,” said Renni Thornton, non-commissioned officer in charge of public affairs.
Thornton said people may live nearby Travis Air Force Base but often times don’t know what goes on there, especially if they do not have access to come onto the base. She said the show allows people to see just what their tax dollars are going toward, as well as learn about the different jobs the base has to offer. Visitors can also view military aircrafts up close and personal.
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“They get to see displays of different aircraft whether they're current or war birds or static displays they get to see all of that,” said Thornton.
The show is put on by the Air Show Network, a guest services company that has put on more than 800 air shows across the country over the last 20 years. Though shows are common at other air force bases, each base conducts their air shows differently.
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“It’s not something that is held every single year," Thornton said. "Some bases only every other year, some bases do them every year. Some people do them one day, some people have two days, so it’s not specific in that nature.”
Highlights include: The United States Air Force Thunderbirds, an aerial demonstration team; the Wings of Blue Parachute Team, a group of cadets parachute jumpers from the Air Force Academy; and Tim Decker’s “Aerobatics and Attitude,” to name a few. The weekend also includes a trainer parade of various air crafts and a jet car race.
This event will take place Saturday and Sunday, July 30 and 31. Admission gates are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., though air show performances do not begin until 10:30 a.m. As with all air shows, this event will be free and is open to the public. Parking, too, will be available and free. Visitors will not have to stop to register their vehicles before entering the way they usually would have to, but they should still be prepared to show identification and registration.
For more information on this event, including a schedule of the events of the weekend, visit the website.
