The soaring flights and aerobatics will be part of an air show jointly organized by Air Show Networks and NASA's Ames Research center at Mountain View. The exhibition will celebrate 100 years of civil aviation and pay tribute to the astronauts of the space shuttle Columbia.

This year's show is unique because exactly a century ago, in 1903, the Wright brothers made aviation history when they built an aircraft that could actually fly.

Holding the aerial demonstrations at Moffet Field is also of special historic significance because the hangars there housed huge blimps and aircraft during World War II and there are only a few such hangars left in the country.

This is the third year the two organizations have ventured together to showcase the latest technologies in flight and space communication.

Many of the fighter planes performing at the show this year are returning from war zones such as Iraq, Afghanistan and various locations in the Middle East. One event that is expected to attract the crowds this weekend is the simulation of an actual battle scene, with combat rescue carriers rescuing injured soldiers from the ground.

In a huge tent with close to 20 exhibits, NASA will display some of its recent research projects in the fields of aeronautics, space science, information technology and its ongoing Mars exploration program.


The Planes

"This year we have a special exhibit called 'A Walk Through Time' that will display close to 20 historic aircraft from different periods in aviation history. We will have some of the most modern aircraft with the latest computer technologies to a few vintage models from World War I to the Korean War, including a P-51 Mustang, F-6 Hellcat and C-21 China Doll," explains Steve Teatro, executive producer of the show.

One of the highlights of the show will be the thrilling maneuvers and aerobatics performed by some of the top fighter planes currently used by the U.S. military.

The F-16 Falcon—flown by Sunnyvale native Major Lance Utne and his squadron during operation Iraqui Freedom—will be on display during the show. Utne is stationed near Washington D.C.

The Navy fighter aircraft the F-18 Hornet will deliver a Top Gun demonstration. The F-18 was in operation in Iraq and arrived at its home base in San Diego just over a month ago.

Another demonstration that's likely to attract attention is the combat rescue simulation by the H-60 helicopter and the C-130 aircraft. "These two carriers are used to rescue injured soldiers from the war zone. During the show we will simulate a war scene, with soldiers firing on either side, and show how the two rescue carriers transport the downed soldiers," adds Teatro. The H-60 and C-130 were deployed during the Afghan War.

Apart from the regular rolls and spins that dazzle audiences during air shows, the Air Expo this year will feature some historic "pair" flights.

The Air Force will have a "Heritage Flight" that will feature the F-16 flying alongside the P-51 Mustang, a World War II relic. Similarly, the Navy's F-18 will flow alongside the Sea Fury Mark II as part of the "Legacy Flight."


The Technology

In a separate display, NASA will showcase some of its historic and leading-edge technologies. "One of our brand new displays would be a section on some of the technology that has gone into sending two smart rovers to Mars," explains Jeff Cross, exhibits coordinator for NASA. In June and July this year, NASA sent the two rovers that will land on the surface of the red planet at the beginning of next year. The rovers will be responsible for collecting critical data and samples from the planet for analysis.

"This section will have a computer kiosk that will generate the map of Mars and display various landing sites for the rovers. This will show how NASA scientists decided on specific landing sites as compared to the rest of the planet. With the software NASA has created, a person can simulate the landing of the rover as it enters the atmosphere of Mars and parachutes down to the ground," adds Cross.

In the area of aviation communication, NASA Ames has developed a technology in coordination with the FAA that allows audio information coming from various sources at the same time to be heard from different directions rather than being a mixed-up bunch of voice data. "For example, a pilot who has to land a plane can receive data from ground control, other aircraft and even other sources. But with this software, each voice source will come from various directions such as left, right, center or the back. This helps the pilot to intercept and acknowledge the information more quickly and efficiently. And this particular software will be on display during the show so the public can grasp the huge implication of this development in aerospace communication," points out Cross.

NASA will have a separate kids' booth that will allow children to model and design paper planes and will have some educational software on the developments in aviation. The space organization will bring out one of its most precious collections—moon rocks—during the show. "The particular rock that will be on display was collected during the Apollo 15 mission and was brought to Earth during late 1971," says Cross.

The show will begin at 9 a.m. on both days and will go on till 5 p.m. For more details about the show, ticket pricing and parking, visit http://www.airshownetwork.com.