McGuire Air Force Base to host annual open house BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer They'll be flying high, those magnificent men and women in their flying machines, as the McGuire Air Force Base 2007 Air Expo and Open House gets set to roll off the runway. McGuire Air Force Base is on Wrightstown-Cookstown Road (Route 616), in Wrightstown, Burlington County. The open house will be held May 12-13. Gates to the base will open at 9 a.m. Admission is free. "The Air Expo is our way of saying thank you to the public," said Maj. James Greathouse, executive director of the open house. "We rarely get to open our gates and introduce our communities to all of the great equipment and people providing our nation's defense from right here in New Jersey. We hope to display the amazing advancements in technology through heritage flights, aerial demonstrations and side-by-side displays of World War II aircraft and today's modern weaponry." About the only thing that has not changed in the last 60 years in the Air Force are the dedicated and professional airmen, Greathouse said. Members of the USAF Thunderbirds, the U.S. Army Golden Knights, the Canadian Skyhawks, the A-10 Demo Team, the F/A-18 TAC Demo team and the 305th Air Mobility Wing, which is hosting the event, will thrill audiences throughout the weekend. There will also be P-51, C-17 and F-4 demonstrations, as well as KC-10/KC-135 and C-17 flybys. Audiences will get to see the AF Dream Machine, the GEICO Skytypers, Dan Buchanan's Flying Colors, Dr. Smoke's Marchetti SF-260 and the CJ-6 Acro Formation Show. There will be F-117 flybys and on May 13 audiences will be able to see extra added attraction Patty Wagstaff. Static displays this year are expected to feature the famous B-17 Memphis Belle, along with a C-47, C-45, AN-2, Staggerwing, T-28, Nachang CJ-6, Stearman, TBM and Australian Gippsland. If there is some extra time at the end of the day, visitors can also see a C-206, C-182, Diamond DA20 and DA40, as well as a C-54, C-17, KC-10, KC-135, T-1, B-52, F-18 Hornet, F-15E and UH-60. All will be on display until the end of the day. And whether you're an aircraft buff or a plastic or wood toy model builder, you will also be able to view the famous F-16 and the C-5, along with a B-25, F-22, A-10 X 6 and C-21. Performances will start at about 11 a.m. and continue until 4:30 p.m. The static displays will remain open until 5:30 p.m. "This year's theme, 'Heritage to Horizons: Commemorating 60 Years of Air and Space Power,' will highlight the many Air Force traditions Team McGuire embraces as America's premiere joint base community," Greathouse said. Refreshments will be available during the open house. Security measures will be in place to ensure the safety of all attendees. Any person or vehicle entering the base property is subject to search. For more information visit http://www.305services.com/main/airshow07/ or call (609) 754-1919 for directions.