LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - This weekend, for the first time in six years, Little Rock Air Force Base is opening its gates for an air show. Some of our military's greatest air weapons will be on display in what is expected to bring in a massive crowd.
"It's been a while since we've had a show of this size," Major Jared Jones said.
The C-130J pilot is used to performing under pressure. He's used to crowds.
"It's basically our job to be the bus drivers and truck drivers," he said, "and moving people and things around the combat environment."
For the past year, he's been working out how to move people around LRAFB.
"It's a lot of logistics," he said. "We're expecting upwards of 100-150,000 per day, 300,000 over the weekend."
That's enough people to fill War Memorial Stadium six times. All for Thunder Over the Rock.
"It's your chance to come up and kick the tires. We call it 'petting the jet,' the large-scale petting zoo at the air show," he joked.
But this is much more than your ordinary zoo, or air show.
This Saturday and Sunday, you can climb onboard the workhorse of the United States Air Force, the C-130. These are much different than those that first landed here in 1970.
"This is the newest of the C-130 fleet," he explained. "You can see the glass cockpit, this aircraft uses a heads-up display like you see in some of the fighter jets."
Speaking of fighter jets, this is your chance to get close to one that most of us have never seen in person. "We've got two F-35s scheduled to be on the ramp and on display, those are a little more hands off. You can look but not touch."
You can look at those, and you can listen to The Thunderbirds. A crowd favorite, with their acrobatic achievements. And if airplanes aren't your thing, there's a brand new STEM Festival.
"We have over 230 STEM professionals, scientists and engineers," he said,
It's so big, it will fill up this half-million-square-foot hangar. It's packed with things to do.
"The robotics, video games, virtual reality, almost every aviation advancement has happened because of STEM," he said. "It's such an amazing experience so we hope they'll take away that hunger and drive to pursue it, and become a stem professional."
The airshow is free, parking is free, although you can buy an upgraded experience.
Major Jones suggested people carpool because there is limited parking.
For more information, and the complete schedule of events you can check out Thunder Over the Rock and Facebook.
