Video: CAFB Preps for Weekend Air Show

[jwplatform uu0PgpCi]

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — After months of preparation, the air show at Columbus Air Force Base is almost here.

The Wings Over Columbus air show is this weekend, and airmen say this year’s show is especially a big deal.

Base officials tell WCBI the last time they were able to open up the base and bring in the public was four years ago.

They’re excited to be able to do it again.

“We all know that last year we weren’t able to have any air shows across the Air Force, so being back in at the front of the air show season this year, and allow everyone in the local community to see what it is we do here,” said Col. Jim Sears.

The Thunderbirds are headlining the show, and base officials say they’re expecting a good crowd for the big event – not just from this area, but from Alabama and Tennessee, as well.

“Usually it will take about a year’s worth of planning to put together an air show,” Col. Sears said. “This year with the budget cuts and with some uncertainty about funding, we’ve been able to put this together in actually four or five months – a big event, being able to bring in all these people.”

Sears says more than 30 aircraft will either be on display or in the air.

They’ve already had some of the displays arrive, but their main prep will be later this week.

“Thursday and Friday’s the culmination of a huge amount of training and practice and all of the planning that goes into an event of this magnitude,” he said.

Sears says they hope to do an event like this every couple of years. It’s good publicity for Columbus.

“There’s only four bases in the entire Air Force that do what Columbus does, so more than putting Columbus on the map is we’re looking to get people in here to see what it is that we do – to bring pilots, lieutenants into the Air Force, and make pilots out of them,” Sears said.

For more information about this weekend’s air show, go to http://www.columbus.af.mil.