Normally, the vernal pool grasslands at Mather Field are pretty quiet this time of year. The Western Meadowlarks, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Killdeer are no longer singing to attract mates or defend nesting territory. Insects, such as cicadas, crickets, and katydids have become much less active. Since the vernal pools have been dry all summer, you’re no longer serenaded by Pacific Chorus Frogs. The only sounds you’re likely to hear on your walk will be the crunching of dry grasses under your feet.
The weekend of October 1st and 2nd was very different though! The tranquility of the area was shattered because Mather Airport once again hosted the California Capital Airshow! Although the wildlife of the vernal pool preserve probably didn’t appreciate the incredible noise from the aircraft, the decibel levels certainly didn’t deter the crowds of people who gathered beside and behind the Splash Center to watch the festivities.
After the planes take off in front of the crowd at the airport, they bank to the left to circle around for another pass by the airport. As they’re circling around, the aircraft literally pass right over the Splash Center, which is only half a mile from the runways at the airport! Despite the noise, it is truly exhilarating to watch these planes at such close range!
Some of this year’s highlights included the old WWII P-38 Lightning, the amazing U-2 spy plane, the iconic P51 Mustang from WWII, the fierce (and loud) E/A-18 Growler, and a team of heavy cargo planes such as the C-5 Galaxy, one of the largest planes in the world! There was a demonstration of a KC-135 Stratotanker, which acts as a gas station in the sky, allowing jets to refuel midflight without the need to touch back down. There was also a water drop demo by a California Air National Guard C-130 aircraft, which can drop up to 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant! The grand finale each day of the airshow was the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, which seems to defy the laws of physics with its raw power and astounding maneuverability!
Although there was a large crowd around the Splash Center each day of the airshow, everybody was very respectful and tidy. Splash wishes to thank our local law enforcement agencies for their presence near the Splash Center, keeping everything under control and helping to protect the nearby vernal pool grassland habitat from being trampled.
Once the airshow was over, the critters in the vernal pool grasslands resumed their normal routines and the Preserve is once again a place of quiet, undisturbed peacefulness.