It was my third year attending the amazing Aviation Nation in Las Vegas. Veterans Day 2012 was extra special for me.
This is one of the best free annual family orientated events that people can go to in Las Vegas. Usually, getting onto an Air Force Base takes a lot of time and you have to know someone to get in. With free parking and bus shuttle service, there really isn't a reason not to go.
The amount of technology in some of the airplanes can not be matched anywhere else on the planet. The Thunder Birds are key to the entire weekend show. They are based out of Nellis Air Force Base and perform over 50+ shows around the country every year. It was announced on Sunday November 11, that it was their 61st and final show for the season. If you've ever seen the Blue Angels, you must see the Thunder Birds.
Their aerial acrobatics are choreographed like something you might see out of a Cirque Du Soleil show. There are always surprises and new things to discover. This year they had on display several unmanned drone aircraft equipped with ordinance. Last year I saw a stealth bomber up close.
Aviation Nation air show in Las Vegas, is the only way to get access to this amount of aviation's past, present and future!