Past, present and future aircraft will come to life

Jace Radke

Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002 | 9:13 a.m.

Nellis Air Force Base will open its doors this weekend to allow the public to get an up-close look at the country's prized warthogs and Eagles.

F-15 Eagles and A-10 Thunderbolts -- or warthogs, as Air Force pilots call them -- will be on display Saturday and Sunday as part of the Aviation Nation Air Show, which organizers say could bring more than 400,000 to the air base.

"It's going to be the largest free outdoor event in Nevada this year, and among the biggest air shows in the country," said Lt. Col. Jeff Rochelle, who is organizing the event. "This is the biggest one we've done. It's an opportunity for people to come out and see what we spend their tax dollars on."

Nellis last put on an air show in 2000, but this year's event will dwarf that show because of the number of exhibits and performers, Nellis spokesman Sgt. Chuck Ramey said.

"In the past we had a few military acts and some static displays, but this show runs the whole gamut of aviation," Ramey said. "We'll have air races, a replica of the Wright Brothers' plane along with the Thunderbirds and other acts."

There will be more than 100 aircraft on display on the tarmac next to the base's two runways, Ramey said. The Air Force Thunderbirds, the Army Golden Knights Parachute Team and the U.S. Aerobatic Team are scheduled to perform, along with flying demonstrations by many other aircraft.

The Thunderbirds, a squadron of 11 F-16 fighter jets based at Nellis that serves as the Air Force's demonstration team, will headline the event, said Rochelle, a former Thunderbird pilot.

"The Thunderbirds travel around the world, but they have a special connection to Las Vegas," Rochelle said. "A show is a show, but it's special to be flying at home and sharing what we can do with a community that has always supported us over the years."

Maj. Doug Larson, who flies the left wing of the Thunderbird formation, agreed that it is special to fly in Nevada.

"The people here see us flying in and out of Indian Springs, and it's nice to be able to put a show on for them," Larson said. "We do a couple of shows a year for friends and family, but nothing on the scale we'll see this weekend."

People attending the show should plan on some minor delays as each visitor will be screened by security personnel, Rochelle said.

"We've been working on security and we hope that it will be fairly transparent to the visitors," Rochelle said.

Security volunteers -- Air Force personnel who have served as backup security officers because of the heightened state of security at Nellis over the last year -- will supplement Nellis security forces over the weekend, Rochelle said.

Most of the security checks will occur in the parking area at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as visitors line up to board buses to the base.

The Nevada Highway Patrol and Metro Police will be stationed outside the base to take care of any problems.

"It's going to be a big crowd, and we know from the NASCAR race out there that traffic can be a problem," Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman Trooper Jim Olschlager said.