On a beautiful spring day, Travis Air Force Base hosted the air show, Wings Over Solano. This base is located in Solano County, California.
The roots of Travis AFB harken back to the World War II days to 1942. The base’s strategic location made it a valuable hub as a staging area for transportation and rapid global mobility. When the Vietnam War was winding down and POWs were being released, “OPERATION HOMECOMING” brought these POWs to Travis AFB to be processed before being reunited with their families.
The base was named after the very distinguished Brigadier General Robert F. Travis who, along with 19 others, died tragically in the 1950 Fairfield-Suisun Boeing B-29 crash.
These days Travis AFB is home to the 60th Air Mobility Wing and continues to be as important as ever with its versatile fleet of powerful aircrafts and integration of innovative technology ensuring military readiness. Due to this and its logistical efficiency along with the tactically crucial location, the base is known as the “Gateway to the Pacific”.
Back to the show: There was magic happening in the air and one could feel the excitement, the anticipation on the ground for what would soon unfold.
Entry: There was plenty of space for parking. However, since thousands attended the show that weekend, the early arrivals and late departures had a smoother entry and exit.
Of course, security was tight but not so that you would feel uncomfortable to be there. The men and women were good hosts. As you entered, you had to show your ID. Folks who had Real ID were shown in through one entry while the rest had to line up in another row and show your passport (foreign guests, etc.) or a regular ID (driver’s license for US citizens). There was the usual security check of bags.
The event was free and family friendly although, for convenience, you could pay to be in certain booths. We paid for the Beer Garden one.
Once in, the grounds opened up to an array of planes and helicopters, on display, for the public to view and explore.
We could enter inside some of these magnificent machines, talk to the service men and women or just wander around taking photos/videos. Spread out among the aircrafts were live music, STEM models, fun zones for the kiddos, food stalls, etc.
The whole experience was so cool and just so awesome to see these aircrafts from all branches of the military!
Very soon the show began.
The crowd’s excitement amped up as the pilots pulled off acrobatic stunners in the sky, under the gorgeous California sun – spinning, diving, crisscrossing, leaving trails of vapor as they rolled, looped, roared past upside down and made low altitude passes! There were a lot of exclamations 🙂 .
Exciting as all these aircrafts were, the F-22 Raptor (pictured below) was my favorite. Not only was the F-22 Raptor Demo team a showstopper, but the aircraft itself was stunning! The sleek, steely look as the sun glinted off its hardcore exterior, the speed, its ability to fool the heat seeking missiles and its awesomely powerful thundering roar as it tore through the air – this beast of a machine was both terrifying and awe inspiring!
Finally, the Blue Angels flew into view and gave the crowd what they’d been waiting for: one heck of a show they’re famous for.
“Wings Over Solano” was held to celebrate innovation, community support, modern aviation, etc. However, these aerial shows are a must-see, if you are in the area – not just for how spectacular they are but also to show our support to those who work tirelessly to keep us safe every day, here and abroad.
A big thank you to the hosts and the talented pilots who, with their athleticism and skill, made this airshow enjoyable and a huge success.
Sending all of you – who serve this nation, in a positive way in any capacity, who have spent and are spending their lives to protecting us and making our lives better – our appreciation and gratefulness. Thank You!
