Up in the sky! Thunder Over the Rock this weekend at Little Rock Air Force Base

Give your neck muscles a workout by looking up, up, up this weekend as the Thunder Over the Rock Air and Space Show takes to the skies above Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville.

The wild blue yonder will be filled with fighter jets, C-130 planes, parachutists, vintage aircraft and other flying machines during the two-day event, which is free to the public.

"We haven't had an air show of this scale since 2012," says Maj. Jared Jones, the show's director of operations. "This year we're really excited to have the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds headline the show."

Along with the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's elite fighter jet demonstration squad, there will be performances by the Twin Tigers aerobatic team, the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team and U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue Parachute Jump Team, as well as Shockwave Jet Truck, C-130 capability demonstrations, World War II dogfight re-enactments, a STEM Fest and more.

The show schedule is the same Saturday and Sunday, with gates opening at 8:30 a.m. the show starting at 11:30 and ending at 4:30 p.m.

Along with everything happening skyward, attendees can kick the tires and get a closer look at up to 60 aircraft -- from war planes and helicopters to cargo carriers -- displayed on the ground.

"This is a time to show off to the public our capabilities and our readiness," says Jones, a C-130 pilot and assistant director of operations for the operational support squadron at the air base. "These open houses are our opportunity to open the doors to the community where we live and work and show them what we do. And it's not only our airmen. We'll have local resources from Camp Robinson that will show off some of the Army's capabilities as well."

Closing the show each day will be the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the squadron of pilots flying red, white and blue F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets in precision formation.

"They really draw the crowds," Jones says. "We are excited to have them. They are basically the cream of the crop, the top pilots."

The Army National Guard will take part in a demonstration of its Black Hawk and Lakota helicopters, and a familiar site in central Arkansas skies will also get a chance to shine over the weekend.

"Little Rock is the home of the C-130, so we will have a combat demonstration from the C-130s," Jones says. "We'll have air drops of Humvees, up to 200 jumpers from the ­Army's 82nd Airborne as well as our container delivery system, which is a way we deliver supplies to austere fields. There will be up to 300 parachutes in the sky, including heavy equipment and jumpers."

The workhorse C-130s will also be put through their paces on short takeoffs and landings, which are part of the aircraft's specialties.

"It will be a great way to show what we do here as the home of combat airlift," says Jones, who coordinated aerial events at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The air show isn't just current military might.

The Twin Tigers, a pair of pilots in identical, orange Yak-55 planes, will pull off precision aerobatics and stunts.

Tora! Tora! Tora! is a re-enactment of the Dec. 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor, complete with pyrotechnics and a wall of flames 500 feet wide.

Jones says there will also be a simulated dogfight between a German fighter plane and an American P-51 Mustang aircraft.

On terra firma, but no less thunderous, the Shockwave Jet Truck will fire up its 36,000-plus horsepower and hit speeds of over 350 mph.

"These are can't-miss events," Jones says.

Getting all those planes off the ground and keeping them in the air takes a lot of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, which is where the air show's STEM Fest comes in.

"Not only in the military, but also in civilian industry, STEM is a big focus," Jones says. "This is our opportunity, because we have such a large space and a captive audience, to bring out some of the region's top scientists and engineers to give kids the chance to meet the people behind the technology in the aircraft that we fly. It fits together so perfectly."

Thousands of K-12 students from across the state will see the STEM Fest on Friday during field trips, and will also get to check out air show performers as they practice.

The festival, which is open Saturday and Sunday, will also include student robotics and coding competitions along with drone demonstrations.

"There's a strong aviation theme because of the air show, but we have everything from the weather sciences, medical sciences and others," Jones says. "We want it to be something where everyone can enjoy and learn together."

Along with civilian exhibitors, airmen will exhibit Air Force STEM career fields such as civil engineering, jet aircraft mechanics and others.

In a news release, Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Castleberry, 19th Civil Engineering Squadron superintendent of operations engineering, says the festival is "... about hosting educational and career opportunities for the entire state and surrounding areas."

Organizers are expecting up to 250,000 people for the air show over the weekend, and shuttle transportation will be provided for overflow parking lots. Food trucks and other vendors will be on site for hungry attendees.

Lots of planes flying around all at once make a lot of noise, and ear protection is recommended. There will be a limited number of ear plugs available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Chairs and blankets are allowed, but tents and umbrellas are prohibited.

For a complete list of what is and isn't allowed on the base, see the FAQ list under the Guest Information tab at thunderovertherock.com.

"Come early to get a good parking spot," Jones says. "Because this is a military base, security is a big concern, so lines will be long. Traffic will be difficult, but it will be worth it. This opportunity does not come that often, to get to peek over the fence and see what happens at the air base."

Style on 10/23/2018