SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- The biggest air show in the country is coming back with a boom this weekend.
All the explosions that make your face light up during the Miramar Air Show take months of preparation.
The Marine Air-Ground Task Force demonstration shows off the capabilities of the Marine Corps, as fighter jets fly overhead with combat vehicles full of Marines driving through plumes of smoke triggered by explosives.
The magic behind the smokey explosions is the Miramar Bomb Squad.
"Here we have a couple of the demolition materials we utilize for the air show," said Staff Sgt. Luke Thomas, an EOD tech.
Thomas has been a Marine for 11 years and has been an explosive ordinance tech for almost half of his career.
"When you come out to the air show on air show day there is going to be 800 feet of 5-gallon fuel bags,” Thomas said, referring to the famous “wall of fire.”
The same detonating cord will be used to set off the big bomb.
"Right now, the team over here they're cutting out the detonating cord so what they're going to do, is they're going to coil it up," he said.
It's his second air show, and Thomas said lots of planning goes into making sure people get the best experience possible.
"It's very rewarding. The first time I wasn't too sure what to expect but seeing the children, just how happy they are. The parents, they're active duty or civilian, just seeing what our country, our Marine Air-Ground Task Force, can offer," he said.
Future servicemembers will likely be in the crowd, and Thomas tells them not to be afraid and go for it.
"It's one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. I would not be where I am today, if I had not taken that initial step forward and I cannot ever see myself having done anything else," he said
Air show guests can meet the Miramar Bomb Squad at the event, as they will have a static display at the show.
For more information on the Miramar Air Show, which runs Sept. 27-29, visit https://miramarairshow.com.
