Hometown hero touches sky

Published May 16, 2014
By Senior Airman Charles V. Rivezzo
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Not even a high-speed police chase can match the shot of adrenaline Solano County Sheriff's Deputy Jackson Harris received when Maj. Tyler Ellison flicked his high performance F-16 Fighting Falcon skyward in a near vertical climb to 16,000 feet over Northern California May 1.

With his family watching from the Travis flightline, his 4-year-old son pointed toward the sky and said, "The black dot up there, that's our dad in there."

Described as the "ride of a lifetime," Harris was selected to serve as the "Hometown Hero" for the 2014 Travis Air Expo when the Air Force's premier aerial demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, came to town May 1 to 5.

The idea behind the program is to honor heroes like Harris for their service to the local community as well as to promote the Thunderbirds' mission.

Recognized earlier this year as the 2013 Deputy of the Year by the Solano County Sheriff's Office for his eight years as a patrol officer, bailiff and Coroner's Office detective, Harris' nomination was well-earned.

Lasting nearly one hour, the backseat flight in one of the Air Force's most high-performing aerial platforms consisted of many of the maneuvers executed by the team during their actual performances.

"It's such an honor," Harris said to reporters upon landing and climbing out of the jet. "This was the chance of a life. I'm never going to forget it."

As his family and friends rushed to the aircraft, his 4-year-old son wittingly asked if he had made it to outer space. His father said he at least got to "a little bit of outer space."

Ellison, the pilot on Harris' flight, said he successfully rode through all the maneuvers that would be accomplished for that weekend's air show, including a 360-degree turn at 7.5 Gs.

"He did spectacular, by far one of the best passengers I've had," Ellison said. "It was truly an exceptional experience to take him up."

Harris also was presented a photo signed by the entire Thunderbirds team and had the opportunity to shake each one of their hands.

Prior to his flight, the closest Harris jokingly said he had ever come to this "was flying Southwest Airlines" and that he relied on the training he received before take-off to remember breathing properly so he wouldn't black out.

"This is something I can tell my kids and their kids about for the rest of my life," he said. "The experience was truly once in a lifetime."