"We do this to both honor the loss of our four Airmen and also to pay respect to all service members who make the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms," said Col. John McMullen, 3rd Wing commander. "We hope our friends and neighbors throughout Alaska will come out and join us."
The Air Force expects more than 170,000 to come out for the free event, which starts Saturday.
A C-17 practicing for the Arctic Thunder show crashed about a minute after takeoff Wednesday evening, killing the three Alaska Air Guard and one active duty Air Force crew members on board, McMullen said.
The air show and open house are hugely popular. This year's announced headline acts are the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the Canadian Snowbirds. In the past, the air show has drawn the largest two-day crowds in Alaska.
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