Jon Melby will stop your heart

  • Published
  • By 452 AMW
  • 452 AMW
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  My name is Jon Melby and I am an airshow pilot with over 34 years of flying experience. Over the many years, I have flown dozens of aircraft types and currently perform in a highly modified Pitts S-1-11B bi-plane. I first learned to fly at age 8, when I created a pile of leaves in my Duluth, Minnesota lawn, climbed onto the roof of my 2 story home, and jumped like a bird into the leaves. You can see and meet Jon at March Air Reserve Base's AirFest 2010 on May 1 and 2. AirFest 2010 is open to the public and admission and parking are free. The base is located in Riverside County.

At the age of 12, I had the opportunity to meet the legendary airshow pilot Bob Hoover at a local airshow. Bob Hoover's sincerity and great personality gave me the inspiration to pursue my dream of flying. When I was financially able, I made it a goal to solo in a glider before my 16th birthday. In only 8 flights, I achieved my goal by riding a bicycle 45 miles, on hot Arizona July summer weekends, to the nearest glider airport!

It was this type of determination that inspired me to purchase an airplane at age 19, and then hired an instructor to learn to fly it! I received my pilot's license by flying every day for a period of 3 weeks, yet eventually yearned to do more in an airplane. After owning several Cessna passenger type aircraft, in 1996, I purchased a Pitts S2B Bi-plane and spent 3 months training to compete in aerobatic contests.

Gates open at 8 a.m. and the first performance is at approximately 9 a.m. The Patriot Jet Demonstration Team and the F-22 Raptor will be the highlight of the March Air Reserve Base air show. This will be the Jet Teams only Southern California appearance and their first appearance at the base. The Patriots L-39s electrifies spectators with fast paced formation flying, choreographed four-ship diamond formation aerobatic maneuvers and their signature "Tail Slide" where the aircraft actually slides backwards toward the ground, something not performed by any other jet demonstration team. The F-22, the Air Force's newest aircraft, returns to perform their precision aerial maneuvers which demonstrate the unique capabilities of the world's only operational fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

AirFest 2010 will also feature performances by five individual aerial acrobatics performers as well as military aircraft demonstration, historic aircraft performances and static aircraft displays.

For the full Air Fest 2010 schedule, visit http://www.marchfieldairfest.com/general-information/schedule.