Clouds part for Salinas Airshow success

SALINAS >> Thousands of guests were at Mother Nature’s mercy Saturday afternoon as they waited for the clouds to part during the 43rd annual California International Airshow.

Once the sky opened up, the planes took to the air and the Airshow began. Since 1981, the airshow has brought ground and air entertainment to the community and raised over $9 million for local charities.

The festivities were delayed by about an hour as pilots waited for nearby hilltops to be exposed in order to comply with safety regulations but spectators didn’t seem to mind. Patiently waiting in lawn chairs throughout the Salinas Municipal Airport, the crowd cheered as Airshow Hall of Famer Sean D. Tucker got the weekend started flying the Bob Hoover Academy’s T-6 Texan.

John Manning was one of those spectators patiently waiting, but for him it was to see his cousin, John “Bordz” Posson perform with the U.S. Patriots Jet Team. The Jet Team performance was a nearly 30-minute routine with six L-39 jets in formation flight. The infamous Wall of Fire also made an appearance during the performance.

Careful not to spoil the performance, all Manning could say was it would be “as good as, if not better, than the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds.”

Spectators sat out on lawn-chairs near the AC-130 cargo plane to watch the 43rd annual California International Air Show. (Andrea Valadez – Monterey Herald)

The team consists of six dedicated pilots: Dean “Wilbur” Wright, retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot; Rob “Stache” Hutschison, competitive aerobatic pilot; Posson, commercial pilot and instructor, Paul “Sticky” Strickland, retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and former Thunderbirds pilot; Scott “Intake” Kartvedt, newest Patriots pilot and former U.S. Navy first Commanding Officer; and Randy “Howler” Howell, aerobatics and formation instructor.

Greg Tessier drove down from Santa Cruz and returned to the airshow this year after a years-long hiatus.

“I’m most excited to see the P-51s,” said Tessier. “Our area is kind of tough this year for airshows with the weather, so that’s kind of a bummer, but I think this is a great thing. We should have more.”

Tessier and the rest of the crowd were treated to an impressive P-51 display, consisting of four of the WWII vintage Mustangs.

What inspired Tessier to come back this year? “Airplanes are just cool in general,” he said.

Donna Martin grew up watching her father fly in similar airshows. Major Chris Patterakis was the commander/leader of the Thunderbirds in 1975-76 and flew the T-38 Talon.

“We try to come to every area show that we can,” said Martin. “The excitement and how professional these pilots are … they are just phenomenal pilots and the maneuvers they do are stunning. Their wings are 18 inches apart when they fly. It’s amazing.”

Aerobatic flying has remained a part of Martin’s life, as the Patriots Jet Team is based in Byron, just minutes away from her home in Discovery Bay in eastern Contra Costa County.

“It’s just a very exciting event and we love coming down here to Salinas,” said Martin. “I think it brings people together. It’s a happy time.”

Each year, volunteers run the event. From directing traffic, ticket sales, admissions, ushering and more, hundreds of Salinas locals work together to keep the airshow a success.

“I have to congratulate the volunteers here,” said Martin. “This community comes together and makes it happen. It’s a lot of work.”

Even though the fog eventually passed, the cloudy skies did interfere with Brad Wursten and Jon Melby’s plans to perform their new duo routine. To the crowd’s delight, the pair still managed to perform individually once the sun came out. Melby returned to Salinas after a two-year hiatus and flew his Pitts S-1B Muscle BiPlane for a high-energy aerobatic performance.

Wursten and his 1,300-pound MX 2 gave the crowd lots to marvel at during the stunt-filled display. While signing autographs and taking photos with passersby, Wursten said the people he meets at airshows are always the highlight.

Along with everyone he gets to meet, Wursten’s favorite part of the job is all the new places he gets to visit and fly over. “It’s all just at your fingertips.”