Date: March 30-April 1, 2007
Location: Pt. Mugu, California
Story by: Rich Kolasa
Photography by: Rich Kolasa

Located about an hour and a half northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Pt. Mugu has a storied history as a Naval Air Station. Home of the famed VX-4 test squadron, Pt. Mugu was a very important missile test center during the Cold War. Airshows during the ‘70s there were some of the only shows to ever perform live AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air and Zuni air-to-ground rocket launch and bomb-drop demonstrations before an audience. Popular aircraft such as the SR-71 Blackbird and F-14 Tomcat, as well as the Navy’s Blue Angels have highlighted shows there in the past.

Unfortunately, Pt. Mugu's airshow seems to have almost as well known a reputation towards the negative side of the equation. Many airshows at this base have wound up having very little “air” to the show due to the infamous “marine layer” of the Pacific coastline. These have often curtailed most if not all of the flying. Sadly, the 2002 version of the show also cost the lives of the two man crew of a QF-4 Phantom when a flameout occurred during its performance.

This year’s show, however, had absolutely superb weather. After some morning “marine layer” problems, skies were nearly cloudless all through the weekend. Temperatures ranged from comfortably warm to slightly chilly when the ocean breeze kicked up.

The flying portion of the show was basically broken into civilian displays early, with military flying thereafter. Civilian performances included Michael Hunter’s Flight for Diabetes Laser, Bill Cornick’s Pitts S-2C, Rob Harrison’s Zlin, Spencer Suderman’s Pitts, the “Star Raider” jet-powered vehicle, and the spectacular Wall of Fire with the “FireCat” L-39.

The military aerial displays were solid, with arguably some of the most dramatic displays of vapor from the F-22 at an airshow yet. The Raptor flew twice; once before noon, then before and after the Heritage flight in mid-afternoon, which it also participated in. Every movement of the F-22s controls brought amazing visuals as vapor flowed off the Air Force fighter. The show’s only drawback was the Navy’s grounding of F/A-18F Super Hornets after Friday’s practice show, which ironically left the show with no Navy performers and some extra dead time.

The Heritage Flight aircraft from the military each performed individual demonstrations, plus numerous vapor evoking passes after the Heritage Flight itself, which was led by Bill Anders’ P-51D “Val-halla”. This version of the Heritage Flight was a four-ship, with the Mustang leading the F-22, A-10, and F-15E Strike Eagle.

Also flying in the show was the soon-to-be-retired F-117 Nighthawk, a C-130J from the California Air National Guard, and a bonus on Sunday of a Travis-based C-17 arriving during the Thunderbirds engine run.

(No photo captions supplied.)