This past weekend we found ourselves attending a couple of automotive events, trying desperately to cling onto the last vestiges of summer. After getting a small taste of the wonderful combination of cars and planes last weekend in Chino, we thought it would be fun to throw some helicopters into the mix. We stopped by the seventh annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo, which again took place at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, California. As the name implies, the show features not only cars, but airplanes, jets and helicopters, as well. The Goodyear blimp even did a few flybys.

The first cars we saw when we got there were a collection of vehicles that had been Overhauled by Chip Foose on his hit TV series. After spending an hour or two checking out the 500 or so hot rods and muscle cars on display we also got to check out a couple dozen military aircraft. While the C-17 was by far the biggest thing around with a tail several stories tall, we spent more time in the shadows of the F-16, AH-1Cobra and Skyraider. As if that weren't enough, there were also dozens of vendors hawking everything from T-shirts to Tiki Totems. Visitors could even take a spin in one of several planes and copters for hire. It's a pretty incredible show not just for its enormous scope, but for the Fourth-of-July-like atmosphere. Thousands of families, all showing their American pride, reveling in supporting our military and savoring our very American pastime of cars.


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