Six air demonstration teams to fly at Nellis

Friday, Aug. 30, 2002 | 9:31 a.m.

Six military air demonstration teams, headed by the locally based Thunderbirds, will participate in an air show Oct. 5-6 at Nellis Air Force Base.

"It is extremely rare to have this many -- and such a variety of -- military air demonstration squadrons at one event," said Sgt. Charles Ramey, a Nellis spokesman. "We are estimating that crowds of about 200,000 per day will watch the shows."

Three Air Force flying squadrons will be joined by Marine and Navy flight teams and the Army's Golden Knights Parachute Team at the event, called the Aviation Nation Air Show.

In addition to the 48-year-old Thunderbird squadron, in its familiar red, white and blue F-16s, the Air Force F-15 and A-10 West Coast Demonstration Teams also will conduct exhibitions.

The Navy representative is the F/A-18 Hornet Demonstration Team and the Marine entry is the AV-8B Harrier demonstration plane.

There also will be several civilian air acrobatic performers, including Jim LeRoy, the Red Bull Mig team and the U.S. Aerobatic Team that will participate in the 2003 World Aerobatic Championship, as well as ground displays, officials said.

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