The California Capital Airshow brought aerial highlights to the Mather Airport on Saturday and Sunday. Thousands of specatators walked through aircraft on the ground and watched performances high above at the airshow which featured numerous patriotic tributes. The airshow opened Saturday when skydiver Kent Lane delivered a huge American flag to a group of Air Cadets on the ground during the National Anthem and Opening Ceremonies. A tribute to the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 closed the event on Sunday afternoon. Each day also included a re-enactment of the "infamous" attack on Pearl Harbor nearly 70 years ago. Numerous military and civilian aircraft flew above the crowd on both days, demonst

One hundred and fifty planes from across the Unites States and Canada will be wowing crowds expected to be upward of 150,000 this weekend according to California Capital Airshow Executive Director Darcy Brewer. The sixth annual airshow – and biggest show to date – will be honoring the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the 100th anniversary of naval aviation and the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11. The 2011 California Capital Airshow will take place from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Mather Airport, 3745 Whitehead St. in Mather. People came from seven different countries last year to see the show, and Brewer said they are expecting those numbers to continue to grow. “It really is a

Every year, the Sacramento County Airport System creates 11,000 jobs with a payroll of $442.5 million and contributes approximately $4 billion to the local economy, according to the Airport System’s most recent economic impact study.  The results of the study were delivered to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The study includes data from Sacramento International Airport, Mather Airport and Executive Airport. “The Sacramento County Airport System is a bright spot in this slowly recovering economy,” said Interim County Executive Steven Szalay, “and the new terminal opening later this year at Sacramento International Airport will ensure that our region has an airport r

Sacramentans can see everything from the ultramodern F-22 Raptor to historic World War II aircraft and the Patriots Jet Team as more than nine decades of aviation will be celebrated this weekend at the fifth annual California Capital Airshow. “It’s unbelievable,” said California Capital Airshow Executive Director Darcy Brewer. “We have over five hours of entertainment and aerobatics soaring overhead.” Brewer said one of the show’s highlights is the gathering of P-38 Lighting aircraft from World War II. Only 15 of the “Fork-Tailed Devils” remain, and of those, only seven are still airworthy. “We’ve invited six of them to come to the show,” Brewer said. “It’s the one thing this show has t

A United Airlines passenger jet makes a landing yesterday just to the west of the new expansion project, The Big Build,  at Sacramento International Airport. According to a press release, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded an $8.6 million Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant to Sacramento International Airport the first week of April. It is the second installment in the seven year $59 million FAA Letter of Intent (LOI) funding program for the Big Build at Sacramento. AIP funds support construction of terminal aprons, taxiways and overnight aircraft parking for the Big Build project. “On a project as large as the Big Build, funding is a critical piece of the overall

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 t

The California Capital Airshow will bring more than Thunderbirds, Raptors and historic warplanes to the Sacramento area. The show is expected to draw at least 70,000 spectators and an estimated $7.4 million to the local economy, which would be on par with last year. The fourth annual airshow will be held Sept. 12 and 13 at Mather Airport, the former U.S. Air Force base. Organizers decided to schedule the event in late summer after last year's show was held on a cold, blustery March weekend. This year, Air Force Week. will be held in various locations around Sacramento the week before the airshow. Pilots and airplane enthusiasts aren't the only movers and shakers behind the airshow. The