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For the first time in nearly 25 years, a major air show is coming to what was once Norton Air Force Base.
The SBD Fest Air Show & Benefit Concert is scheduled to be held Oct. 17 at San Bernardino International Airport, said Mark Gibbs, the airport’s director of aviation.
The event, which is expected to draw between 10,000 and 12,000 people, will open with a ceremony commemorating the airport’s history as a military installation.
After that, the crowd will be entertained by the Patriots Jet Team, a six-plane ensemble similar to the Blue Angels that performs stunts while flying in formation at extremely high speeds.
Skydivers, a stunt motorcycle show and a helicopter demonstration will also be featured, and vintage military aircraft will be on display.
In the middle of it all, a country music concert featuring Cassadee Pope and Craig Campbell will be held.
Air shows at the former military installation became a thing of the past after the Air Force left in 1992, but there are still people in the Inland Empire who remember those shows fondly and would like to see something like them return, Gibbs said.
“Air shows are just fun,” said Gibbs, who helped persuade airport officials to host an airshow with the goal of making it an annual event. “You can bring your wife, your girlfriend, anyone. An air show is fun for the whole family.”
Besides raising money for local charities, the SBD Fest allows Inland residents to see how much work has been done transforming the airport into a civilian operation.
“This was a tired facility when the Air Force left,” Gibbs said. “We’ve done a lot of infrastructure improvements since then. The air show will be a good way for the community to get a look at all the work we’ve done.”
The event, which will cost about $200,000 to stage, is being sponsored by KFRG-FM, Stater Bros. Markets and Pepsi. For ticket and other information visit SBDFest.com.
