Page 1 - Aerotech News and Review, September 18, 2020

Aerotech News
Aerotech News
Aerotech News

Journal of Aerospace, Defense Industry and Veteran News
and Review
and Review
Planning continues for October hybrid air show

by Stuart Ibberson
editor

When the global COVID-19 pandemic changed everybody’s definition of ‘normal,’
many locations cancelled their scheduled air shows for 2020.
Brig. Gen. Matthew Higer, the 412th Wing commander at Edwards Air Force Base,
Calif., decided, however, that the Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., air show would
transition to a ‘hybrid’ model.
At the time, no one was really sure what a ‘hybrid’ air show would look like, but
thanks to the hard work of a lot of people, Higer’s vision is beginning to take shape.
“I am really, really excited that we were able to take what was going to the first air
show on Edwards in more than a decade and take advantage of this unique opportunity
to highlight the Aerospace Valley and the Air Force.”
What is typically an in-person two-day air show is now a weeklong event that be-
gins on Monday, Oct. 5 with online STEM classes for K-12 students, and culminates
with flying displays on Oct. 9 and 10.
“We’re still going to have jets in the air over Edwards.” said Higer. However,
“we’ll not be doing any type of normal air show displays, but we’ll be flying routes
so people will get to see and hear the aircraft, and also learn and explore in a multi-
path environment on Friday and Saturday of air show week.”
Friday and Saturday, the air show will open just like any normal Edwards’ air
show — with the National Anthem, the Wings of Blue parachute team from the Air
Force Academy, and the breaking of the sound barrier.
“There will be an Olympic-style live broadcast each day,” said Maj. Thomas Stu-
art, the air show director. “General Higer and other senior leaders will be on hand to
give context to what the public is seeing in the air, what the students have seen over
four days of STEM instruction, and how it relates to the mission of the base and the
mission of the aircraft in the air.”
Marquette Moore, director of operations, Airfield Operations Flight at Edwards,
and Air Show Boss, shared the aircraft the public can expect to see, and what routes
they will be flying.
“For fighters, we’re going to have everything from F-16 Falcons, F-22 Raptors,
F-35 Lightning IIs and F/A-18 Super Hornets. For bombers, we’re going to have the
B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit and the B-52 Stratofortress; and for heavy lift, we’re going to
have the C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135 Stratotanker, KC-10 Extender and the new
KC-46 Pegasus,” Moore said.
There will be two routes, one for each day.
“On Friday, we’ll fly the West Route: Lancaster, Palmdale, Rosamond, Mojave,
Tehachapi, Bakersfield, California City and Boron,” Moore said. “And the East Route
will take place on Saturday — Lancaster, Palmdale, Hesperia, Apple Valley, Victor-
ville, Barstow, Fort Irwin, Ridgecrest, NAS China Lake and Rosamond.”

Online STEM curriculum
But perhaps the most unique aspect of this ‘hybrid’ air show is the STEM com-
ponent.
“We had already planned to do a robust virtual STEM buildup, but the weight of effort
has shifted to Monday through Thursday of air show week,” said Higer.
There will be four days of virtual, online STEM classes for elementary, middle and
high school students, as well as a class each day for Spanish language students.
As of Sept. 12, more than 7,000 local students had signed up for the STEM webinars.
See AIR SHOW, Page 3

AlwAys free Access!

Frequent Updates – Breaking News – Local • Regional • National

September 18, 2020 • Volume 34, Issue 17 Serving the aerospace industry since 1986 Use your smartphone to connect to
www.aerotechnews.com www.facebook.com/aerotechnews our Website.