HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico (KTSM) — The Legacy of Liberty Airshow at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico returned on Sunday, June 2, and welcomed thousands of people to enjoy the free event.
People were treated to aerial maneuver demonstrations from some of the finest aerobatic pilots, featuring military aircraft from past decades to the present, such as the F-16 fighter jet.
The highlight of the event, of course, was the aerial demonstration by the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron “Thunderbirds.” The squadron put an immaculate display of the F-16 Fighter Falcon.
People were also able to enjoy static displays of military aircraft like the F-16 Viper fighter jets and the MQ-9 Reaper aircrafts from Holloman.
On display, as well, was one of the Air Force’s latest fighter jets, the F-35, which was flown in from the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona by an Alamogordo resident, who’s following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
Capt. Steel Shoaf & Retired Lt. Col. Thomas Shoaf
Air Force F-35 Fighter Jet
“That’s all credit to my dad because that’s the whole reason I got into this in the first place,” said Capt. Steel Shoaf, who lived a majority of his life in Alamogordo. “I grew up around this. There’s nothing else I really ever wanted to do. So getting to grow up around it, I was lucky to have an in to it, know what was going on, and what I needed to do to be successful in this career field.”
“I’m second generation connected to Holloman Air Force Base,” said retired Lt. Col. Thomas Shoaf. “My son Steel, also known as Mac, is third generation. My father came through what was then Alamogordo Army Airfield in 1943, en route to Italy as a B-24 belly gunner. So we’ve got a long history.”
Capt. Steel Shoaf spoke on the significance of the airshow, and the opportunities created by opening the Air Force base to the public, besides the fun and enjoyment of the aerial demonstrations.
“Showing younger people, people in high school, in any community, that this is something you can do. Myself, being from this community specifically, people can come talk to me, talk about what you need to do to accomplish this. And definitely the Air Force is a place where we want to get as many people out trying to be pilots, trying to be fighter pilots,” the younger Shoaf said.
Earlier in the week, both pilots, father and son, shared a special moment.
“Friday was unique, I flew in, so we were able to luckily meet up in the airspace,” Capt. Shoaf said. “He was flying a T-38 and he had a wingman for that. And then I came out here with another F-35. We got to do some tactics, fought each other two vs. two in the air, and then we came back to Holloman as a four ship all together. So definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for that.”
The free event is held every other year, and also features food vendors and interactive displays from the military and other organizations.
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