New Layout Makes Jacqueline Cochran Air Show a Must See
The 5 th Annual Jacqueline Cochran Air Show returns to Thermal on Nov. 1, and changes to this year’s layout should give fans of the roaring jets and acrobatic stunts a better viewing experience, making it a must-see event in the Coachella Valley.
The free event, featuring performances by the U.S. Air Force and Navy, runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., filling Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport with families eager to watch military planes performing maneuvers and fly-bys for the crowd, as well as stunt pilots, wingwalking, skydiving, a kids’ zone and more.
A new layout will provide more space for attendees and for the display of aircraft. It also should bring air show attendees closer to the action and reduce the effects of sunlight and glare, according to air show manager Daryl Shippy.
“The sun will be on our shoulders, not in our eyes,” Shippy said. “It re-invents the entire show with a new layout.”
This year’s event also includes a new location for parking and tram service between the parking area and the event. Parking also is free, as is the tram service. Easy-to-follow signs at the event will direct patrons to the parking areas.
The air show has a special significance for Air Force Capt. Russell Piggott, who has been a member of the demonstration team from Hill Air Force Base near Salt Lake City for nearly two years.
The event will be Piggott’s next-to-last show before he returns to regular duty. He also will be flying in the same show as his father, John Piggott, who lives in the Bay Area.
“It’s going to be real nice to be back,” said Russell Piggott, a nine-year Air Force veteran. “ It’s one of our favorite shows to do.”
Russell Piggott flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a small, lightweight fighter jet that is known for its maneuverability, during the team’s 15-minute routine that involve numerous loops, rolls and evasive maneuvers. John Piggott has been flying in air shows for 25 years and currently flies a Sukhoi Russian aerobatic plane.
Russell Piggott called his father “really the biggest reason I am doing what I am doing today.” His father feels the same way.
“I just burst my buttons with pride,” John Piggott said. “It’s an honor for me to be able to fly in the same air show with him.”
The air show also has special significance for Margaret Stivers of Silver Wings Wingwalking. The Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport is the first place she wingwalked, an acrobatic ballet performed on and around the outside of an in-flight plane, back in 1991.
“It’s a great airport to have an air show at, from a performer’s perspective,” Stivers said. “ With other airports, you have to go out further to turn around, but at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport we can do everything right in front of the crowd.”
Stivers does a two-part performance, in which the first part involves her wingwalking around the plane. In the second part of the 12-minute performance, the plane pitches up and Stivers raises the American flag. There also is time to meet with attendees before and after the performances.
“I love walking the crowd line and talking to people,” Stivers said.
More information about the event and sponsorships is available at www.jacquelinecochranairshow.org