COMMENTARY>> Welcome to the air show

By Col. Brian Robinson
19th Airlift Wing commander

On behalf of the men and women of Team Little Rock, including 8,100 Airmen, 1,200 civilian Airmen, 54,500 retirees, 15,800 dependents and our amazing community partners; I would like to invite YOU to the 2012 Little Rock Air Force Base Open House and Air Show, held 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s open house and air show will be nothing short of spectacular and our Airmen and families look forward to showing the people of Arkansas our mission as the world’s largest C-130 base and home of “Combat Airlift.” You will see a glimpse of how our mission impacts operations in Southwest Asia during the C-130 capabilities exercise, entitled “A Day in Afghanistan.” Both days will also feature awe inspiring demonstrations by the world famous U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

Also included in the air show portion of the day are demonstrations by the Canadian Forces CF-18 team the U.S. Navy F/A Super Hornet demonstration team, precision parachuting by the Army Special Operations Jump Team Black Daggers and the Canadian Skyhawks; daring aerobatics by Mike Rinker and Pink Floyd; and nostalgic B-25, F-4, P-47 and P-51 heritage flights.

The airfield will feature ground demonstrations including a security forces K-9 demonstration, static aircraft displays, a Kidz Zone play area, an Air Expo entertainment center, informational booths and many more activities.

There will also be plenty of food and refreshments for purchase. With free admission and parking, all you need to do is bring out your lawn chair, sunscreen and have a great Air Force afternoon.

Our goal is a safe, fun and interactive weekend. That means fighting the elements with plenty of fluids and sunscreen. And as always, there is a no tolerance for drinking and driving.

Gates will open to the public at 8:30 a.m. We recommend arriving early and carpooling to beat the afternoon rush for the headline performers.

For the latest open house updates, visit the base’s official web page, www.littlerock.af.mil, or follow the base on Facebook, www.facebook.com/LittleRockAirForceBase.

Again, I want to personally say thank you for your unrivaled support of our Airmen and families. I look forward to hosting you at our open house and air show.