Riverside Air Show 2009
1Lt Paul Saba, Corona Cadet Squadron 29 and Capt John Binder, Chino Cadet Squadron 20 Co-Project Officers requested CAP assistance for the annual Riverside Air Show on 28 March 2009. San Diego Cadet Sq. 144 jumped at the chance to help with the following personnel attending:
Maj Dennis Ammann
Capt David Saavedra
C/2Lt Douglas Saavedra
C/SMSgt Rebecca Olson
C/SMSgt Rebekah Shea
C/MSgt Nathan Duescher
C/TSgt Sarah Shea
C/SrA Hayden Sheyda
C/A1c Naomi Shea
C/A1c Andrew Overson
C/Amn Brett Ward
C/AB Andrea Atkins
C/AB Michael Saavedra
Everyone was required to get up very early that morning for the 1 ½ hour drive north to the Riverside Airport in order to check-in by 0600 hours at the CAP HQs tent. Once check-in was completed, flight assignments were made with 12 persons to a flight. The mandatory safety brief was given concerning crowd control, sun exposure, and dehydration. At about 0830 hours everyone was directed to their posts along runway 9-27.
The weather was excellent for the air show with clear skies and a slight breeze to cool things off. The crowds were also very cooperative and accommodating, keeping them safe behind the yellow lines. Although flight line security can be boring at times, the air show counteracts this by keeping things lively. This air show was unique in that there were two WWII Mitsubishi Japanese A6M Zeros performing along with F4F Wildcats and F6F Hellcats, the Zero’s adversaries during WWII in the Pacific. The USAF Heritage Flight was wonderful too with an A-10 Thunderbolt II alongside an Korean War F-86 Saberjet and WWII P-51 Mustang. There was a wing walker, Margaret Stivers performing on the top wing of pilot Hartley Folstad’s Stearman bi-plane. Various aerobatic stunt flyers were present as follows: John Collver and his AT-6 Texan; Melissa Andrzejewski drilling the skies in her Zivko Edge 540; Dr. Frank Donnelly and his clipped/hi-wing Taylorcraft ‘T-Cart’; and Jon Melby flying a Pitts S-1-11B bi-plane.
The highlight of the show was the Lockheed C-17 Globemaster II from March Air Reserve Base just down the road. This gigantic cargo aircraft conducted the same demo as last year, backing down the runway, yes, taxiing backwards using her reverse thrusters, and then demonstrating a short field take-off. Around the pattern she flew, turning tight, banking left and right. The most amazing performance by this four engine aircraft was flying low along the runway at almost a stall, appearing to fly at about 30 mph (an optical illusion because of her huge size), with all flaps, slats, and spoilers extended. Finally she came in for a short field landing using a very small portion of the runway. It’s not very often that a cargo plane steals the show from aerobatic acts and jet fighters (my opinion).
Upon completion of the air show, we were directed to help clear the crowds from the flight line and then assemble at CAP HQs. Co-Project Officers, 1Lt Saba and Capt Binder addressed over 100 CAP volunteers and thanked everyone for assisting the Riverside Chamber of Commerce during their annual event. Thank you certificates were handed out and everyone secured with no major injuries or accidents.
Thanks to the cadets and senior members who attended and worked so hard standing watch along the hot flight line. This is just another example of how CAP supports community events and this squadron supported Squadrons 29 and 20 when the call is sounded.
Semper Vigilans,
Maj Dennis Ammann
Cmdr, SD Cadet Sq. 144
