Cheap Seat To The Air Show

Left: A small stunt plane at Mather Field trails smoke as it arcs over and spirals in vertical descent, as seen from a great distance away (from Bradshaw Rd. & Highway 50, 1:30 p.m., Saturday, March 15, 2008).


I was over on the east side of town on Saturday, picking up Sparky pills, when I heard on the radio that this week's big air show at Mather Field would be starting at 1 p.m. I needed to get the oil changed in my car, but I realized that if I went to the Jiffy Lube at Mather Park Road and Folsom Blvd., rather than my usual Jiffy Lube at Capitol and 30th Streets, I could both see the nearby air show and attend to the oil-change chore. After all, air shows aren't small spectacles - the planes would fill the sky, and I wouldn't have to pay an entrance fee! This was brilliant, brilliant multi-tasking on my part!

So, I brought the car in to the Mather Field Jiffy Lube, and as I waited, I gazed into the southern skies for jet aircraft and all manner of stunt planes to appear. Boy, this would be great!

Nevertheless, nothing seemed to be happening. The cloud-filled southern skies remained devoid of all aircraft, not just stunt planes.

A half-hour later, the oil change technician returned my car, and dealt me a vast surprise: he recognized my car. "I used to work at the Capitol Jiffy Lube, and I recognize this car," he said. "No way!" I said. "Way!" he replied.

So, I started driving home, but at Folsom Blvd. & Bradshaw Rd., I heard a plane in the distance. Apparently the air show was starting with small stunt planes. Way, way in the distance, a teensy-weensy little stunt plane did loop-da-loops....