As part of Air Force Week, the California Capital Air Show invaded Mather Airport over the weekend for two days of power and patriotism.

"It is an exclusive honor to be selected to host Air Force Week and we are one of the only civilian airshows in the country to do so with our partners Travis Air Force Base and Beale," said Abby Lacheur, the "air-tern" (intern) to California Capital Air Show executive director.

When the air show first began five years ago, it consisted of only static displays of aircraft. Throughout the past few years, organizers added actual air demonstrations and it has since grown to the massive event it is today.

The audience of around 100,000 people per day was treated to demonstrations by two jet teams, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and The Patriots. Attendees were also treated to aerobatic performer Gene "Mr. Airshow" Soucy, wing-walker stuntwoman Teresa Stokes, and demos by the prestigious and rarely seen F-22 Raptor.

The Raptor, known for its precise maneuvering skills and war-fighting abilities, is a component of the Global Strike Task Force and gave the audience an eyeful of sharp turns and unbelievable rolls that made the 43,340-pound jet look almost weightless.

While the majority of jets performing throughout the weekend were part of service flight teams, the Jelly Belly plane and the GEICO Extra 300, were navigated by civilian pilots.

The highly anticipated Patriots, three of whom used to be Thunderbirds, flew their team of four L-39 jets midway through the show. In true American spirit, the jets had colored red, white and blue smoke billowing from them. On Saturday, the flight team took a prospective addition to their crew up in the air to test his flying skills.

One of the main highlights of this year's show and a more somber moment in the midst of the performances was the "Heritage" tribute flight by the F-22 Raptor, P-51 Mustang and F-86. Performed in honor of the Air Force's 50th birthday in 1997, the flight was dedicated in appreciation of the soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines serving our country as well as the many veterans who were in the audience throughout the weekend.

"On top of the airshow being a fun event for the family, it is also a chance for us to show appreciation to the military and armed forces that ensure freedom that we sometimes take for granted," Lacheur said.

Continuing the theme of patriotism, the Thunderbirds dedicated their performance to the nation's deployed airmen.

The final team to perform, The Thunderbirds gave a jaw-dropping performance with impressive maneuvers like the "Delta Formation," where six jets rolled simultaneously through the air with their wings mere feet from each other.

The elite Thunderbirds team is world reknowned for their precision, reflected both on the ground and in the air. Every minute detail is performed in sync with one another, from removing the chock blocks from the planes' wheels to navigating the planes through the skies. Pilot of Thunderbird 8, Major Tony Mulhare, narrated the carefully choreographed flight demos as the crowd watched in awe as the jets stole the show.

In addition to the show in the sky, attendees were invited to tour the interiors of Air Force C-17A, Coast Guard C-130 and U-2 Dragon Lady Spyplane. Flight simulators were set up so that people could realistically feel what it's like to navigate the skies in a jet, and pilots were on hand at each display to visit with their fans and sign autographs.

Lacheur said this year's show was bigger and better than any of the previous years' shows. "The most exciting thing is having eight decades of aviation on a single runway for people to touch and feel..." she said.

Air Show is big business by Suzanne Hurt

Capital Air Show gearing up for you by Ed Fogle

To see the complete album of the Capital Air Show photos, click here.  Check back for more. 

Photos taken by Maverick Photographers: Kirk Davies, Fred Jennings, George Murray, Dottie Cashero, Ed Fogle