Riverside Air Show: Military Planes, Aerobatic Stunts and More!

RIVERSIDE, CA - Parachute jumps, jumbo jet flybys and a variety of aerobatic stunts are planned Saturday for the 25th annual Riverside Air Show.

More than 90,000 people are expected at the event, which gets underway at 9:30 a.m. and goes into late afternoon at Riverside Municipal Airport.

"The Riverside Air Show is a great family event that showcases the airport as an amazing place for pilots and aviation enthusiasts," Mayor Rusty Bailey said. "For many Riversiders, the air show is a spring ritual and a great opportunity to get out an enjoy a wonderful community event."

The Menifee-based Just In Time Skydivers will welcome spectators with a parachute jump from the back of a transport plane, with two groups sprawling across the sky to deploy an American flag on their way down.

Thirty minutes later, a U.S. Air Force KC-135 from nearby March Air Reserve Base will make low passes on the airport.

Between 10:30 a.m. and noon, John Collver will perform hi-jinks maneuvers in his T-6 Texan, while Vicky Benzing will do a little stunt flying in her Boeing Stearman, and Jon Melby will power up his Pitts muscle bi-plane for a series of snap rolls, loops and dives.

Benzing, Collver and Melby will be doing encore performances in the afternoon.

A U.S. Air Force C-17 from March will be performing touch-and-goes, followed with a first-time appearance by a U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey, running through vertical takeoffs and high-speed flybys, according to air show organizers.

Pilots from the Commemorative Air Force will be formation flying in P-51 Mustangs, C-47 Skytrains and other classic warbirds.

A Riverside Police Department chase simulation on the airport tarmac is scheduled, using the agency's Air 1 helicopter, a K9 team and several patrol units.

A car show, aircraft static displays and military vehicles will be available for visitors to see up close until 5 p.m.

The air show is free to the public. Parking will be available at the airport and in surrounding lots owned by local businesses.

More information is available here: http://www.riversideairshow.co... .

– By City News Service / Image via Riverside Airshow