The Vought F4U is a rare World War II combat aircraft that flew missions in the South Pacific with the Marine Corps.
The Vought F4U is a rare World War II combat aircraft that flew missions in the South Pacific with the Marine Corps. Jack Dindia / Noozhawk Credit: Jack Dindia / Noozhawk photo

Residents, look up — you won’t want the Central Coast AirFest to fly past you this weekend.

The annual event, hosted by the Planes of Fame Air Museum, will take place at the Santa Maria Airport, 3249 Terminal Drive, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s event is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, and will include everything from early aviation to modern military aircraft.

General admission tickets cost $40, and attendees can purchase them online or at the entrance. Parking for the event is free of charge and will be located near the event’s entrance gate.

According to Central Coast AirFest marketing coordinator Lindy Linebaugh, every aircraft at the event is “extremely rare and unique.”

Aircraft featured at the event will include a P-40, a Corsair, a Bearcat and a P-38 Lightning, which there’s “only a handful left in the world,” according to Linebaugh. 

The headliner this year will be the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey Demonstration Team, which will be utilizing a tilt rotor aircraft.

The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber, and was the Navy's main carrier-based dive bomber from 1940 to 1944.
The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber, and was the Navy’s main carrier-based dive bomber from 1940 to 1944. Credit: Jack Dindia / Noozhawk photo

“They are going to showcase the incredible capabilities of this machine, and it’s really special. They can hover, they can act like a normal aircraft. Their crews are amazing,” Linebaugh said.

She noted that the pilots performing at Central Coast AirFest are the “best of the best.” 

One pilot, Gregory Colyer, will fly the T-33 Shooting Star. Colyer has been flying for more than 30 years and has more than 3,000 hours in flying the aircraft, meaning he has the highest flytime in the T-33 in the world.

Colyer noted that the T-33 began as the P-80/F-80, which was the first jet project for Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs.

Pilots perform a practice show in preparation for the Central Coast AirFest this weekend.
Pilots perform a practice show in preparation for the Central Coast AirFest this weekend. Credit: Jack Dindia / Noozhawk photo

“Not only was [the T-33] our first jet fighter, it was our first operational jet trainer as well, and it served for over 50 years with pretty much every Western country,” Colyer said.

In regards to the Central Coast AirFest, Colyer spoke not only on the quality of the venue, but the importance of honoring both military veterans and inspiring future generations to continue flying.

“[We’re] honoring the veterans and inspiring the youth, and [showing] dreams can come true,” Colyer said. “I was just used to dream about [flying], I never gave up my dream, and now I’m doing it. So, if you don’t give up on your dreams, you can make them happen.”

— Noozhawk staff writer Jack Dindia can be reached at jdindia@noozhawk.com.