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A B-52 bomber sits on the tarmac of the Nellis air-strip at the 2011 Aviation Nation, Friday Nov. 11, 2011.
By Aida Ahmed 
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 | 4:36 p.m.
Aviation Nation
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KSNV coverage of Aviation Nation, Nov. 12, 2011.
Thousands of onlookers fixed their eyes on the North Las Vegas skyline Saturday morning as Air Force jets soared over Nellis Air Force Base.
Aviation Nation, Nellis’ annual open house, is celebrating 70 years of the Air Force’s presence in the valley.
“It’s our way of being accountable to the public, to let them know the capabilities of their Air force and what we provide,” said Nellis spokesman Lt. Ken Lustig. “These performances are sort of sweet and condensed versions of what we do on a regular basis.”
Lustig said visitors can watch demonstrations from local Air Force members as well as from teams from around the world.
“The performances that you’ll see out here this year include demonstrations of what we did in the '40s and '50s and contrasting those same missions as performed by modern aircraft.”
The three-day event attracts about 150,000 visitors a year. Lustig said about 7,500 people attended Friday’s program for Veteran’s Day.
Many visitors Saturday said they came to watch the air shows and honor veterans.
Henderson resident John Ferrington, who said he worked in aviation for almost 20 years, planned to celebrate Veteran’s Day all weekend. He said the event was a great way to see a show and recognize veterans like his son-in-law, a former Navy SEAL.
“His name was Steve and back in the late '70s we lost him because of illness,” said Ferrington. “He left a grandson and we helped raise him so it’s a family thing.
“Another reason I enjoy coming out here is seeing the B-1B bomber because I handled the subcontracts on it.”
Rima Follman was honoring members of the military.
“We like to come out here and support the troops and watch the flights and the planes taking off,” said Follman. “Just the noise — it’s something that you don’t hear everyday.”
While some took a seat to watch the air shows, others explored planes on exhibit.
Erik Trudaeu, an Air Force crew chief on the C-5 Galaxy plane, guided visitors through the empty aircraft, which can fit up to 100 people in flight, he said.
“It’s one of the largest in the world,” said Trudaeu. “We go everywhere (in it.) We’ve gone to Germany, Spain, Iraq, Afghanistan, all around.”
Lustig said guests will be able to catch World War II bombers, World War I displays and air-to-air combat, as well as the Patriots Jet Team that flies the British Aerospace Hawk.
“We’re proud to be a part of the Las Vegas community,” said Lustig. “The air show itself brings in approximately $1.2 million into the local economy each year.”
Aviation Nation continues Sunday, Nov. 13. Gates open at 9 a.m. The last performance, the Thunderbirds, is at 2 p.m. The event is free. Visitors can park at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway where a free shuttle will take them to and from the base.
The event may be free, but you pay through the nose for food and drink! The prices the vendors charge are out of control. 4 dollars for a 20 oz. bottle of soda, 5 bucks for a hamburger? With the economy the way it is, they should at least allow you to bring in some food, or force vendors to stop ripping people off. And folks say the banks are robbing us! Occupy Food Vendors!!!
@guest13 -
All profits from the vendors go directly to support military functions and their morale. By paying a little bit extra for some food during otherwise free entertainment, (that thousands have worked on perfecting for your enjoyment), one can say he or she is truly "Supporting their military" during this Veterans Day Weekend. If anything, your cynical post has reminded me that our military still needs more public support.
Nice display of the US's ability to kill thousands of people with no accountability.
Call a spade - a spade.
Our military makes it possible for greedy rich people to exploit the rest of the world. Except where China's money (the money we give to them for the crap they make from the jobs corporations sent there) is buying them more influence than the US's military.
How ironic, the US's own money is being used to subvert the special interests that sent our jobs to China.
"War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
-John Stuart Mill
Traditions are good thing. At least something s tays in its day and order and it's not easily changeable as what young kid could feel for his/her satisfaction.
Sorta hard to support our men & women when they get caught sport killing, raping little girls, cutting fingers off, and bombing over hundred innocent woman & children with robots.
It's pretty disgusting when you look into the history of our military and how our freedom is achieved. If most people saw how our freedom is achieved they wouldn't want it.
But Happy Veterans Day!