Pacific Air Show CEO Kevin Elliott, joined by other air show officials, attended a pre-show welcome ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, citing economic gains and showcasing NASA technology, including a brief flight of newly designed “Skyfall” Mars helicopter.
The preview kicked off the 10th anniversary of Pacific Air Show Huntington Beach, which this year coincided with the nation’s 250th birthday. Over the course of the afternoon, organizers, local officials, NASA representatives and international performers made the case that the show has outgrown its beach-town roots.
Elliott opened with economic impacts.
He cited an economic impact study in Huntington Beach that put consumer spending at more than $70 million and the air show’s net economic community benefit at more than $120 million.
Extrapolated across Orange County and the broader region, Elliott claimed the show’s impact could top $1 billion over 10 years.
He also pointed to the show’s growing contribution to STEM education programs. Last year’s Students with Altitude Day brought thousands of students to the beach free of charge for the show, said Elliott.
Photo by David Smithson
“Essentially,” he said, “this is the largest field trip in the history of Southern California, as far as I know,” noting that he expected even more students to attend this year.
This year’s Pacific Air Show ended Sunday, marking its 10th annual show, and while attendance figures and other data are still being calculated, Elliott said, in the presence of education officials, that there is little doubt about the show’s impact on students.
Elliott also told the large crowd gathered in the JFTB hangar that the event has also become international.
Pacific Air Show Gold Coast in Australia has now completed its third run, and Elliott said it is the second-largest event in that country, behind only Formula One. “I’d like to put them on notice that we’re gaining quickly,” he said.
Elliott said he first attended the Huntington Beach show in 2016 as a local resident who grew up flying remote-control airplanes. “And here I am,” he said, “combining my passion and my profession.”
Elliott thanked the Huntington Beach City Council, saying it “has never wavered in their support for Pacific Air Show, in spite of the difficulties and the challenges that we’ve had.” Mayor Casey McKeon, Mayor Pro-tem Butch Twining and former Mayor Pat Burns were in attendance at the base.
McKeon, who said he and Elliott are both “local HB kids,” relayed that pilots he met that morning told him the Huntington Beach show is the best in the world. He said the city expected more than a million people over the weekend, and that 90% of attendees surveyed say they will return to Huntington Beach outside of the show.
The Huntington Beach mayor even floated an idea to expand the show. McKeon said he spoke with representatives of Mach Industries, a defense company based in Huntington Beach, about working with the show on a defense and aviation convention in the days before the air show.
“When that F-35 big boy rips over the hotels and over the pier, and the hair stands up on your neck, and your spine tingles with that American patriotism, there’s nothing better,” Mayor McKeon said.
Los Alamitos Mayor Tanya Doby, who presented Elliott with an award on behalf of her city council, called the base a vital part of the city’s history and identity and a key asset for the region, state and nation.
“There’s something truly special about watching these aircraft take to the skies right here from Los Al,” she said, “knowing that just minutes later, hundreds of thousands, no, millions, of spectators along our beautiful SoCal coastline will look up.”
Elliott also thanked the airfield staff, including Rob Wilson, Jeff Sibley, Steve Garcia and Lupe Mora, saying the show “would just simply not be possible” without the base. He also thanked Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who represents the First District, as a longtime supporter.
Elliott singled out the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, who are marking their 55th anniversary. He said the Huntington Beach show will be their second-to-last performance in the Tutor jet. He also credited the team with helping the show through last year’s federal government shutdown, which kept many U.S. military performers on the ground. “You saved us last year when the government shut down,” he said.
NASA flew in F-15 and F-18 aircraft from Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force, with the F-15 painted in a special Stars and Stripes livery for the nation’s 250th birthday. NASA test pilots, including one flying the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft, were made available to media. The Mars Skyfall presentation drew the closest attention of the day. Will Pomerantz, head of space ventures at AeroVironment, which co-developed Ingenuity with JPL, said the Mars mission is scheduled to launch in 2028.
Rather than land first and fly later, Skyfall’s three helicopters will deploy while the spacecraft is still descending under its parachute, thousands of feet above the Martian surface and the specially built helicopters will fly themselves to the ground.
Unlike Ingenuity, the Skyfall helicopters will carry dedicated science instruments: wind and temperature sensors, a radiation sensor to help prepare for human missions, cameras including near-infrared imagers, and ground-penetrating radar, which Pomerantz called the top of the wish list for nearly every planetary scientist he has spoken with.
The Royal Air Force Falcons parachute display team jumped from 10,000 feet over the base, trailing smoke forming their signature carousel.
Without explanation, California National Guard officials were not present at the hanger for the event nor did Base Commander, Lt. Col. Jubilee Satele, appear at the preview ceremony as scheduled