The March Field AirFest: "Thunder over the Empire"

MORENO VALLEY >> The March Field AirFest made a grand re-appearance at the March Air Reserve Base April 16 and 17, after it’s four year hiatus. As nearly a quarter of a million aviation enthusiasts, spectators, and community members filled the base eager to watch the myriad of plane and civilian demonstrations, the main attraction that everyone flocked to see was the famous U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Hence the full event title: "Thunder over the Empire". David Wilkins, of Redlands, arrived when the show began at 10 a.m. Although excited about all of the demonstrations, he was especially thrilled about one particular act: the Thunderbirds. “They’re absolutely amazing,” he said. “They just give you the chills.” As a Navy Veteran, Wilkins possessed in-depth knowledge about a wide variety of planes including military planes, stunt planes, and even the rare ones in the mix. Wilkins was a first-timer at the March AirFest. He added, “Once I heard it was returning, there was no way I was going to miss it.” Aside from the popular Thunderbirds, the Northrop N-9M Flying Wing seemed to be another favorite. It's unusual but intriguing body shape had the attendees staring at the sky in awe as it took flight at approximately 10:30 a.m. According to Wilkins, it’s one of the rare ones and the only opportunity for the general public to see one is at air shows such as this. Nicole White, of Menifee, brought her son Nolan to enjoy the awaited air fest. The duo attended both days, Saturday and Sunday, in order to experience all that the air fest had to offer. "You can't experience all of it one day," she said. While pushing Nolan in the stroller she added, “He fell asleep yesterday [Saturday] and didn’t get to see much, so today he gets to see everything.” As most spectators had their eyes in the sky, there was also plenty to see on the ground. One of the highlights, especially for the kids, was the robosaurus, the gigantic robotic-looking T-Rex that was displayed at the center of the event. It was as huge as it was strong; the demonstration included the destruction of an automobile including robosaurus eating the car and spitting fire out of its mouth like a dragon.