Thunder roars at Gunfighter Skies

Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The airshow began with a "flag drop" by the 82nd Airborne Division parachute team. Photo by Brian S. Orban

For the first time in three years, the skies over Mountain Home Air Force Base roared with the sounds of thunder as the installation opened its gates to the public for Gunfighter Skies 2011.

The two-day event featured the Air Force Thunderbirds, appearing both Saturday and Sunday. In previous appearances, the Thunderbirds had only performed on Sunday.

The open house and airshow drew an estimated 34,000 people over both days.

"Gunfighter Skies is a chance to say 'thank you' to the people of Idaho for their support of the Gunfighters and the U.S. military," said Col. Ron Buckley, who commands the 366th Fighter Wing at the base.

The open house comes just one week after the Mountain Home community showcased its support to the U.S. military during the 51st Annual Air Force Appreciation Day celebration.

Brian Randklev and his family made the two-hour drive from Burley to attend this weekend's airshow.

"It's our first time out to the base," Randklev said. "It's been a pretty nice show. They've got a lot going on here."

While his sons hoped to get an up-close look at all the aircraft on display, both of them made an immediate bee-line for the C-130 cargo aircraft on the aircraft parking area.

"I thought it was so cool. There were so many controllers in the cockpit, and it was pretty comfy in there," said Carter Rudy. The 12-year-old made a special effort to see the propeller-driven aircraft since he saw them showcased in the different video games he plays.

Between the various air demonstrations, others like Lafe Lee took time to see each of the fighters, bombers, transports and specialized aircraft on display.

"Our kids see the jets flying by our farm all the time, and they wanted to come out and see them," Lee said as his sons boarded an infantry fighting vehicle on display.

"It was awesome," said Lee's son, Dallin, as he popped his head up from an opening in the front of the armored vehicle. "It was a little tight in there, but it was actually pretty comfortable."

It was the first time the family had ever visited the installation.

While most aircraft and organizations attending Gunfighter Skies made a special trip to Mountain Home, others were already planning on being here. Members from the 757th Airlift Squadron from Youngstown, Ohio, arrived at the base earlier in the week. The Air National Guard unit came here to spray herbicide over the Saylor Creek Bombing Range to control the spread of cheat grass and other invasive weeds encroaching into the training area.

While southern Idaho lacks the green fields and trees of northeastern Ohio, Staff Sgt. Mark Matzye from the Guard unit lauded Mountain Home's openness and hospitality.

"You definitively get the feeling that this is a true military town," the load master said. "People here are really receptive and treat military folks very good. They're happy that we're here."

That spirit of happiness carried on throughout the afternoon as people walked through the cavernous interior of an Air Force C-5 Galaxy cargo jet or gazed in amazement at the collection of World War II fighters and bombers from the Commemorative Air Force. Parents hoisted their children up to peer into the window of aircraft like Sentimental Journey, a B-17 bomber that last saw combat more than 65 years ago.

During the weekend, Bruce Jeffers, a flight chief with the vintage bomber, enjoyed watching children's eyes as they looked at amazement as they walked under the bomb bay or peeked up into the aircraft's cockpit area. For the Mesa, Ariz., native it's an honor to fly what he called a piece of "living history."

"There are not a lot of World War II veterans or aircraft left. Someone has to carry on their legacy," said Jeffers regarding the Commemorative Air Force's commitment to keeping these aircraft flying.

As people continued strolling past the aircraft displays, the airfield roared to life as vintage and current military and civilian aircraft took to the skies to showcase their unique capabilities.

Earlier in the day, Jon Melby pushed his Pitts byplane through its routine of twists and turns through the sky as he fine-tuned the aircraft's ability to cut through the thinner mountain air here. The public's eyes remained focused upward as he performed maneuvers like the hammer head where he took the aircraft into a vertical climb and into a stall before he pitched the plane over and glided back toward the ground before he restarted the engine.

Gunfighter Skies also showcased U.S. and Soviet-built aircraft that last saw combat during the Cold War. An F-80 Shooting Star shot past the crowd before a pair of MiGs performed maneuvers that took them to the brink of supersonic speeds.

But not every show at Gunfighter Skies required people to keep looking to the skies. Bill Braack, a retired Air Force flight engineer, grabbed everyone's attention as his heavily modified, jet-powered dragster rolled past the crowd line. Jets of flame shot from the back of his Smoke-N-Thunder jet car as he prepared to race another aircraft to the end of the runway to see which was actually faster.

The heavily modified car blends together a jet engine from a U.S. Navy T-2 Buckeye training aircraft and an afterburner assembly from a Vietnam-era F-4 Phantom. Capable of producing more than 3,200 pounds of thrust before the afterburner kicks in, the ride is "similar to an F/A-18 launching off an aircraft carrier catapult," he said.

With a peak acceleration of nearly five Gs, the car goes from zero to 400 miles per hour in just 2,000 feet.

While most people attending the open house had their favorite moments either day, they tended to admit that the Thunderbirds stole the show.

Flying both days, the Air Force's elite air demonstration team screamed across the sky in their F-16 Fighting Falcons. Clear weather allowed the team to reach for the heavens as they banked, looped and spun the single-seat fighters past the thousands of spectators, many of whom had staked out seats along show center early each morning for the best vantage points.

When the Thunderbirds flew by, they made a noise that "thumps your heart," Lafe Lee said. "It was quite impressive knowing that we have this fleet of aircraft to protect us."

For people like Capt. Kristin Hubbard, coming to places like Mountain Home allows the Thunderbirds to emphasize the Air Force's critical combat role in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

Celebrating her second year as the announcer and narrator with the team, Hubbard joined the Thunderbirds, "as a way for me to give back to the Air Force and to share the Air Force story," the captain said. "It was also a great opportunity to showcase our aircraft."

Meanwhile, the team's visit to southern Idaho also allowed the captain's family to come see her perform at Gunfighter Skies.

"The base was close enough for them to make it out here from Seattle," she said. "They loved the drive."

Like other visitors that came to Mountain Home this weekend, Hubbard saw first-hand the "incredible support" this community extends to the Air Force base and military veterans here. "Mountain Home is absolutely beautiful and so peaceful," she said.