Auburn Air Fair 2014
Auburn Municipal Airport
The Auburn Aviation Association presented Thunder in the Sky
at the Auburn Municipal Airport on September 27, 2014.
UNICOM Services were provided and the air show was awesome!
to reveal the Full Size Photo
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The weather cooperated even though there was rain the night before. Temperatures were very comfortable. We were set up on a flat bed trailer outside the perimeter ropes. Electricity was provided and we decided the shade structure wasn't needed. Working air traffic as Unicom was lots if fun. Mark Lambie and Lee Gardner did most of the work this time.
Behind a conference room building we parked the trailer. There was a 20 amp outlet to supply my coffee pot and microwave in the morning, and my electric blanket at night. It wasn't far from the "Tower" and show spectators had no reason to go back there. It was out of sight, therefore out of mind and I felt safe there. Mark Lambie, my supervisor from the Fresno Tower joined me this time along with Lee Gardner, a trusted pilot and Unicom Operator from Burning Man. Besides doing an excellent job, they allowed me to supervise, handle paperwork, and attend the operations meeting with the Air Boss. It was a real pleasure to have them both on board. Training was almost minimal, just familiarity with the local airport and traffic pattern reporting points. All of this information was either supplied weeks before the event, or found online. We make a good team.
The Operations Briefing is a necessary thing. Everyone SHALL be on the same page. It's for safety first, organization and continuity. Ken Dwelle, the Air Boss conducted the briefing. His father Tom Dwelle had a lot of good input also. The order and timing of the performances are discussed, safety crews discuss their concerns, and I represent the concerns of Unicom.
We started operating UNICOM at 7:00 AM on Saturday Sept 27. Many aircraft showed up the previous day. The Air Fair included static display and flight demos. There were no aerobatics, as a TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) was not in place. But we had fly-bys of some vintage and exotic aircraft! These photos don't do justice to the experience or their history.
