UPDATE: An official with Luke Days 2024 told ABC15 that this weekend's event will proceed as planned regardless of the Federal budget deadline.
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Luke Air Force Base’s premier air show is making its return for the first time in years this weekend.
"I love it. It is the best job in the world, it really is,” said Lt. Col. Shawn "Motor" Walsh, the air show director of Luke Days 2024.
After a six-year hiatus, Luke Days is jetting back into the West Valley.
The air force base’s air show was one of the first to cancel at the start of the pandemic. Continued closures stalled an attempt to restart in 2022.
Walsh is now helping bring back the event this year.
"We have more flying acts than we ever had in the past. We have four different demonstration teams when most bases only get one," said Walsh.
While the air show is going to be a lot of fun for kids to see, it is also going to be an opportunity for Arizona State University to showcase STEM careers, which the Air Force has plenty of.
"It's not just about flying planes, but it's about what do you do to make the planes, to build the planes, to build the scientists and the human capital to make it happen?” said Dr. Chris Howard, the executive vice president and chief operating officer at ASU.
ASU spends nearly $800 million in annual defense-related research. Partnerships with Luke AFB are key.
For the Air Force, air shows like this showcase their strength and opportunities. And with tens of thousands expected this weekend, it is a chance to inspire that is worth flying for.
"I think when people come out at a younger age and get to see the excitement of flying fighter jets up close and personal, I think it's really great for people making that decision for the future," said Walsh.
Luke Days 2024 is free for general admission. Gates open at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24. A parking pass is $40.
For more information, click here.
