THE RAMONA AIR FAIR IS BACK THIS SATURDAY! OCT. 15

By Gig Connaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

October 11, 2016 (Ramona) - Picture this — you’re chasing down your flapjacks with Mexican cuisine, standing next to a two-story-tall Smokey Bear balloon when an expert flight team performs a perfect close formation flyby above you in the glinting sun and cloudless sky.

That’s right. The annual Ramona Air Fair & Fly-in is back!

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, visitors to San Diego County’s Ramona Airport will have the chance to get close-up looks at vintage WWII airplanes, experimental aircraft, helicopters and firefighting air tankers and tour the airport’s air tower. They’ll also get to watch the Red Eagles Formation Display Team fly at noon and listen to the Del Rio Band play country and southern rock music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event and parking are free. A pancake breakfast, Mexican lunch and other food fare will be available for a fee.

There will be free face-painting and balloon-animal making for kids, and raffles to win products and services from Ramona merchants. Visitors can also tour the Classic Rotors Helicopter Museum, the U.S. Forest Service’s helitack base and the CAL FIRE air attack base. Most flight schools and business at the airport will be open as well.

Ramona Airport is one of the County of San Diego’s eight airports. It is the oldest CAL FIRE air attack base in California. The state’s fire service started flying missions out of the airport 59 years ago, in 1957.

For more information about the airport, go to the County Department of Public Works’ Ramona Airport Web page.