Starting out the aerial show was the U . S . Army Golden Knights Parachute Team performing a demonstration during the opening ceremonies . The crowd at Mather got to witness the precision maneuvers by the Army sky jumpers as they performed various stunts with their parachutes . The team went back up in the air later during the show to showcase even more performances . Unlike previous years , this year featured only one aerobatic performance flown by Mike Wiskus in his Lucas Oil Pitts biplane . Joining him during his aerial display was Bill Braack in his Smoke ’ n ’ Thunder Jet Car . The two raced across the runway and got excited spectators on their feet to see who would win . In the end , Wiskus won one of the races while Braack won the other .
During the warbird performances , the crowd got to witness some rare aircraft take to the skies . Starting