Central Coast Takes Flight At 2025 Air Fest
Jarrod Zinn
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Central Coast Air Fest took flight on Saturday, right on schedule as the crowds flooded in at 9:00 in the morning for good seating.
“Planes of Fame is heavily involved as the title sponsor of this event,” says Brian Finnegan, Planes Of Fame Air Museum’s director of Education Programs and Museum Development. “It features two days, Saturday and Sunday of air show activity.”
At 11:00, the first performance flights roared into the sky over the Santa Maria Airport.
“A good part of the collection that you’ll see flying is the Planes of Fame Air museum collection,” says Finnegan. “We have about 100 aircraft in our collection and about 40 of those have been restored to flight. And some of them are incredibly rare. They’re the last flying examples of their kind.”
There are only three rules that were established as families set themselves up as close to the featured planes as possible—wear sunblock, stay hydrated, and most importantly, have fun.
“Watching performers back in the day and then being a performer, you know, now is definitely full-circle type stuff,” says Anthony Oshinuga, a Central Coast Air Fest Performer. “I mean, being around these, these old airplanes that like the P-51 Mustang I grew up watching, like the Tuskegee Airmen and the history about that, the Red Tails and, you know, the Thunderbolt and all these airplanes out here, they’re here. And I’m like, wow, this is like a dream come true almost.”
Organizers felt the impact of the ongoing government shutdown when all military air performances were canceled.
“This year is a little unique because of the government shutdown,” says Finnegan. “Many of the military acts that would have been here, the F-18, the F-35 and so on, they were not able to make it because of the shutdown.”
But attendees didn’t have much of a chance to feel that impact, as the Planes Of Fame Air Museum took spectators on a flight into the past, featuring planes from World War II.
“So really, this year is unique in that we are turning back the clock to make this really a history, a show of history,” says Finnegan. “This is aircraft that helped win the second World War.”
The Air Fest continues through the weekend, and you can visit either the Planes of Fame Air Museum’s website or the site for the Central Coast Air Fest, by clicking their respective links.
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