Dyess opens gates to public for 2015 Dyess Big Country Airfest

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Autumn Velez
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Dyess Air Force Base opened its gates to the public for the 2015 Dyess Big Country Airfest May 2-3.

The airshow served as an opportunity for Team Dyess to present America's airpower to friends and neighbors in from the local community and beyond, showcasing the core missions of the Air Force and other branches of the U.S. military.

The event kicked off with the playing of the national anthem and cadets from the Air Force Academy's Wings of Blue demonstration team parachuting onto the flightline carrying the American flag.

Various Air Force aircraft performed high-caliber acts throughout the day, highlighting the Air Force's core missions.  Dyess' own B-1B Lancers and C-130J Super Hercules participated, each demonstrating their unique capabilities.

The 317th Airlift Group's C-130Js showed off their mission set to the public using several cargo airdrops.

B-1 aircrews displayed dominant combat airpower by performing low-level flyovers similar to what they would use to show force while in a deployed environment. B-1 aircrews also gave the audience an inside look at what the military does on a daily basis, using a joint capabilities demonstration to simulate a real-world combat scenario. During the demo, a B-1 flew with U.S. Army AH-64 Apaches and a UH-60 Black Hawk as Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers organized an imitation evacuation of friendly forces.

"The joint capacities exercise gives folks a good idea what we are doing downrange," said Maj. Jeff Strange, Air Operations Officer for the 2015 Dyess Big Country Airfest. "There are deployed B-1s, Apaches, Black Hawks and JTACS in the air or on the ground right now doing exactly what we showed the crowd."

Department of Defense partners were also incorporated into the show by performances from the U.S. Army's precision parachuting team, the Golden Knights, and a U.S. Marine Corps Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier.

Yet another high point in the show was a surprise three-ship formation fly over performed by a B-1, B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress, which celebrated the B-1 and 7th Bomb Wing transition to Air Force Global Strike Command taking place later this year.

The airshow also featured a collection of performances by Warbirds, including a Vietnam-era enactment, as well as exciting aerobatic performances by Adam Baker from Playful Airshows, Jason Newburg of Viper Airshows, and Andrew Wright representing Carbon Fiber Airshows.

In addition to the flying acts, there was an assortment of more than 40 static aircraft that airshow attendees were able to view up close, including two F-35A Lightning IIs and an F-22 Raptor, the Air Force's latest fifth generation fighters. Patrons of the event had the opportunity to step inside a C-17 Globemaster III and admire the A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-15E Strike Eagle, KC-135 Stratotanker, RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, T-6 Texan II, T-1A Jayhawk, T-38 Talon and more.

"We presented America's airpower with outstanding joint capabilities demonstrations in the air and nearly every Air Force airframe and mission set was represented on the ground," said Maj. Kevin McGlone, 2015 Dyess Big Country Airfest director.

Static aircraft displays weren't the only entertainment on the ground; the event also featured a surface-to-air threat display, the Air Force Rapid Strike Simulator as well as a kid's play area and plenty of food, beverage and souvenir vendors.

To bring the show to a close, the Air Force Thunderbirds performed, displaying pride and precision during their hour-long demonstration.

In total, more than 26,000 people attended the Airfest.

"The Dyess Big Country Airfest may be complete for this year, but the mission sets we demonstrated continue daily throughout the world," McGlone said. "This weekend showed the public how we are able to be the strongest military force in the world, and that's a mission worth fighting for."