Matthew Butters and his son Psy take in the airshow at Skyfest 2019.
An F-22 Raptor as seen from above while on an air-refueling mission on June 20.
Retired Air Force Tech Sgt. Victor Klingler came from Clarkston for Skyfest 2019 because he still loves aircrafts, he said.
The cockpit of a KC-135 mid-flight
A Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor can be seen flying just beyond the wing of a KC-135 in the midst of a midair-refueling.
Retired Tech Sgt. Victor Klingler just loves aircrafts.
That's why he traveled from Clarkston to attend Skyfest 2019 at Fairchild Air Force Base on Saturday, June 22. He wasn't alone - West Plains locals and visitors alike flocked to the base in droves, hoping to catch a glimpse of high-flying air performances and tour aircraft parked firmly on the ground.
"I'm just an aircraft nut," Klingler said, sitting in the bleachers with a dead-ahead view of the airfield and a content smile creasing his face. "I still get to be a part of it."
Klingler was just one of many veterans who came to pay their respects or relive their glory days at the event, which featured performances from F-22 Raptors and the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team. The Raptors wowed the crowd with an ear-splitting roar accompanying each fly-by, while the parachute team demonstrated how a skydiver would respond to a parachute malfunction.
Featured aircrafts included classic standbys like the B-52 Stratofortress along with newer models like the CV-22 Osprey. Sgt. Travis Edwards with Fairchild Public Affairs estimated that the base hosted more than 20 unique aircraft in static display, not counting the ones wheeling through the air.
Some attendees set up lawn chairs well in advance of the festivities, while others hung back by the food booths and still enjoyed a clear view of the spectacles cutting across the sky.
Telisha Arizpe brought her children DonyA, Domani, Donovan, Domingo and Elsa to enjoy their first-ever Skyfest. Her husband is an airman recently stationed at the base and the family was quick to check out the festivities, taking rapid-fire pictures in front of a float festooned with red, white and blue.
The next Skyfest is slated for 2021.
Shannen Talbot can be reached at shannen@cheneyfreepress.com.
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