Team Fairchild wraps up SkyFest 2026 weekend

After two days of thunderous aerial performances, expansive static displays, and deep community connection, SkyFest 2026 came to a successful close on Sunday, June 7, leaving thousands of Inland Northwest residents with a lasting impression of American airpower and military heritage.

While the weekend showcased the modern capabilities of the U.S. armed forces, the foundation of this year's event was firmly rooted in history. Falling on the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day landings, SkyFest served as a living bridge between generations of service members.

This profound connection was cemented during the opening ceremony, which featured a special tribute to two highly decorated World War II veterans in attendance: Joseph Patrick “Pat” Tully, 105, and Willis Charles “Bill” Beckstrom, 99.

As the announcer read their histories over the flightline, the crowd was reminded of the sacrifices that paved the way for the freedoms enjoyed today.

Tully, a U.S. Army Signal Corps veteran who celebrated his 105th birthday in February, landed in France shortly after the Normandy invasion. Serving with the 980th Signal Company, he and his unit maintained critical radio communications all the way to the liberation of Paris, where they famously placed communications equipment atop the Eiffel Tower. His service stretched through Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and eventually to the Pacific Theater.

Beckstrom, who turns 100 in November, began his military journey right here in Spokane at age 16, repairing battle-damaged bombers at Geiger Field before enlisting in the Navy. Serving aboard the USS Curtiss, he survived a kamikaze strike off the coast of Okinawa in 1945, an attack that claimed the lives of 35 of his fellow sailors. Last year, he was finally presented with a long-overdue Purple Heart for wounds sustained in that attack.

The stories of Tully and Beckstrom resonated deeply with the SkyFest crowd, not just for their wartime heroism, but for their lifelong ties to the region. Both men returned from the war to build their lives in Eastern Washington, both enjoyed marriages spanning seven decades, and remarkably, both spent their civilian careers working for Pacific Northwest Bell (later AT&T).

They represent the very fabric of the Inland Northwest—the same community that showed up in droves over the weekend. An estimated 60,000 guests walked the flightline across Saturday and Sunday, interacting directly with the Airmen who execute the 92nd Air Refueling Wing’s global mission every day.

“The support we saw from Spokane and the broader Inland Northwest community this weekend was absolutely phenomenal,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Chad Cisewski, 92nd ARW commander. "We couldn't do what we do without the incredible backing of this community. Opening our gates is our way of saying thank you, and seeing the excitement on so many faces this weekend—and honoring heroes like Pat and Bill—is a powerful reminder of who we serve. The partnership between Team Fairchild and the Inland Northwest truly is second to none."

As the final Patriots Jet Team formation roared overhead to close out Sunday’s aerial lineup, the focus on the ground immediately shifted to the massive logistical effort of wrapping up the event.

Hosting an air show requires thousands of hours of unseen labor. Security Forces defenders managed traffic and crowd control, medical personnel ensured attendee safety, and maintainers worked tirelessly on the flightline. As the crowds departed Sunday evening, those same Airmen immediately began the transition to restore the flightline to normal operational status.

Capt. Jessie Reeves, SkyFest 2026 ground operations air boss, reflected on the dedication of the base personnel working on the ramp.

“Transitioning an active flightline into a public venue and back again in a matter of days is a monumental task,” Reeves said. “The coordination between our maintainers, defenders, and airfield management was flawless. Seeing the crowds enjoy the statics is great, but watching our Airmen safely execute this massive logistical puzzle is what I’m most proud of. Now, it's time to flip the ramp back to our daily mission.”

That transition culminates Monday morning as the entire installation conducts a wing-wide foreign object debris walk. This systematic sweep of the flightline ensures that even the smallest piece of trash or debris left behind by the weekend's festivities is cleared, guaranteeing a completely safe environment for the wing's KC-135 Stratotanker fleet to resume takeoff and landing operations.

With the flightline cleared and the echoes of the weekend fading, the 92nd ARW seamlessly returns to its primary objective: providing the rapid global mobility and unmatched air refueling capability that extends the reach of American airpower, proudly carrying forward the legacy of the veterans who stood on the very same tarmac just days before.