Once every two years the bastion of Fairchild Air Force Base swings open its gates and welcomes the residents of Spokane, Washington, and the Inland Empire to come on base for a weekend of displays and flying.
Over June 22-23, the base’s two major flying units, the active-duty 92nd Air Refueling Wing (ARW) and the Air National Guard’s 141st ARW, showed off their classic KC-135 Stratotankers on the ramp and in the air for Skyfest 2024.
They were joined by military aircraft displays, including a Boeing B-52H Stratofortress and a new KC-46 tanker, plus civilian air show acts and the Air Force’s A-10 demonstration flight, making its farewell circuit of air shows this year before standing down.
A C-17 from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Tacoma also showed its capabilities in flight.
A highlight in the static displays was the World War II Catalina amphibian flown in from Eugene, Oregon, by the Soaring By the Sea Foundation.
It’s a rare example, assembled by a Boeing facility in Vancouver, BC, in 1943 with parts shipped from the Consolidated Aircraft Co. in San Diego. Flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force in combat as a Canso A, this aircraft is compatible with the U.S. Navy’s Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina version.
Coy Pfaff and his father Ray were on hand to describe the work they and their team have done to restore this amphibian to its wartime configuration, following decades of post-war civilian use and modifications.
When recovering the fabric rudder, they discovered an old bullet hole patched in the underlying aluminum structure.
This warbird’s claim to fame is the sinking of German submarine U-342 southwest of Iceland on April 17, 1944. Less than two years later, this Canso was put out to pasture, and began a long life as a civilian transport, firefighter, and occasional film star.
Civilian fliers at Skyfest included Jon Melby’s Fear Boss routine, Brad Wursten in his MXS aircraft, the Yellow Thunder two-ship Harvard flight, the Undaunted Airshows team in Van’s RV-7 and RV-8 aircraft, the Ace maker T-33 jet demonstration, and the Wings of Blue USAF parachute team.
Fairchild’s public affairs office said the two-day event drew more than 80,000 visitors, reflecting the long-standing relationship between the base and the community since it was a World War II overhaul depot, followed by Cold War years as a strategic bomber base.
For more information: Fairchild.af.mil/Skyfest-2024
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