The California Capital Airshow will take to the skies this Saturday and Sunday at Mather Airport. The airshow features live aerial performances, static air vehicle displays, along with food vendors and other local organizations.

The live aerial acts include a number of stunt aerobatic performances, fly-overs, and a Heritage Tribute flight.

In addition to the performances in the air, attendees can also get up close to the dozens of static displays on the grounds. The public will be able to walk through some of the larger aircraft.

Larger aircraft are available for touring on the airport grounds. (Image by: Ron Nabity)

The featured aerial performance on both days will be the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Jet Demonstration Team.

On Thursday, the USAF Thunderbird pilots were available for interviews. I spoke with Major J.R. Williams; he is the Lead Solo for the Thunderbirds and he flies in the #5 jet.

Major J.R. Williams has been in the Air Force for over 11 years. (Image by: Ron Nabity)

Curiously, the numeral 5 is appears upside-down on his jet and his uniform. This curiosity is explained below.

Williams was born in Marfa, Texas, a small town of about 2,000 people. Williams told me he got his start in aviation through his father. He said, "My dad was a pilot for the United States Border Patrol and he still is a pilot today, and so, like a lot of people, my hero has always been my dad." Williams said he had trouble with airsickness as a youngster. He continued, "Once I got in high school, I had a lesson or two and I was hooked. It was sparked at a very young age and it can all be tied back to my father."

Williams described his first solo flight at the age of 16 years. "I felt every emotion you could feel in a three-minute time span. I was scared, nervous, I was proud that my dad was soloing me out. Everything under the sun. It was absolutely incredible," he said.

Williams has been in the Air Force for over 11 years and has flown 68 combat missions in Afghanistan. His rotation with the Thunderbirds is a two-year assignment. After his time is done with the Thunderbirds, Williams will return to combat duty.

The Thunderbirds perform in F-16 Fighting Falcon jets. The F-16 is a single-engine multi-purpose combat jet that has been described as "sitting on a rocket." Williams said the top speed is about Mach 2 which is the equivalent of travelling about 20 miles per minute. During maneuvers, Williams said he will experience up to 9-g forces.

During the performance, the Thunderbirds will fly in close formation and perform several high-speed passing maneuvers. The stunts are coordinated mostly through visual techniques. Williams said, "The jet is really great in that, we don't fly with radar or auto-pilot, but the jet has ways to tell us where the jet is going at any point in time."

Two Thunderbirds pass within a few feet of each other. (Image by: Ron Nabity)

Williams stressed that safety is their top priority, saying, "The show that we have is all designed around safety, not only safety from each other but safety for the crowd. We have a pretty strict set of guidelines with how we attack each different maneuver. It takes a lot of practice to get all that down, but at the same time it makes for an outstanding show."

On Friday, the aerial performers took turns practicing in the sky over Mather Airport.

The Team Oracle plane flown by Sean Tucker cuts a ribbon across the runway. (Image by: Ron Nabity) The USAF Heritage Flight pairs a vintage P-38 Lightning airplane and F-16 Falcon jet. (Image by: Ron Nabity) The Thunderbirds ground crew clears the way for take-off. (Image by: Ron Nabity) The Thunderbirds complete a loop. (Image by: Ron Nabity) J.R. Williams flies upside down several times during the performance, making his numeral 5 look right side up. (Image by: Ron Nabity) The West Coast RaVens formation team flies overhead. (Image by: Ron Nabity) The Geico stunt plane is flown by Tim Weber. (Image by: Ron Nabity)

The California Capital Airshow runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM both days. Ticket, parking and show information is available on the Airshow website.

More photos from the practice day at the Airshow can be viewed here.