Bearcats, Hellcats, Wildcats and Corsairs — the skies above and runway below will be filled with excitement and fun this weekend at Gillespie Field in El Cajon when the annual Wings Over Gillespie Air Show takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The air show, which is put on each year at the County airport by Air Group 1, the San Diego chapter of the “Commemorative Air Force,” will feature aerobatic displays, wing-walking, a mock battle with pyrotechnics, military re-enactors, a fun zone for kids, a beer garden for adults — and lots of airplanes and aircraft.
There will also be amusements, rides, educational displays, and food and drink venders.
This year’s event celebrates San Diego’s contribution to aviation during WWII. Attendees can learn about what San Diego was like when it was home to major aviation industries and thousands of pilots.
General admission at the gate is $20 for adults and $15 for children between ages 7 and 14, seniors 65 and older, and active military members. The event is free for children 6 years old and under, and to all WWII veterans, Korean War veterans and Purple Heart recipients. Special two-day passes are also available. Online tickets start at $8 at Air Group 1’s website, http://ag1caf.org.
Just some of the aircraft that will be on display in the air and on the ground — many of which were designed and built in San Diego — include: the PBY-Catalina amphibious flying-boat; the Douglas C-53 D-Day Doll paratroop carrier; the Navy version of the famed B-24 bomber, the Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer; “Lady Alice,” a P-51 Mustang; a P-63 Kingcrobra (used by the Soviet Union); and the only Northrup N-9M “Flying Wing.”
Aerobatic performer John Collver returns with “Wardog,” his North American T6-SNJ Texan. And the Silver Wings Wingwalking troupe will make their first appearance at Gillespie at this year’s event.
For more information, go to Air Group 1’s website.
