Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show returns — General Aviation News

Lost Coast Warbirds brought the North American TB-25J Mitchell “Sweet Dreams” to the 2025 show.

Northern California aviation fans kept their fingers crossed for the 31st annual Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show, a popular event that has been canceled four times over the last five years.

The 2025 show, held April 27, did happen, but Mother Nature decided not to cooperate. Lingering low cloud cover discouraged many visiting aircraft from attending, limiting the number of static aircraft displayed to less than two dozen at the airport in Half Moon Bay.

Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show returns — General Aviation News Africa Flying — Panorama of static display aircraft at Half Moon Bay. There was room for many more had the weather cooperated.

This event is not an air show. Organizers call it “Half Moon Bay’s Festival of Magnificent Machines.” Imagine a fly-in, blended with a custom car and boat show.

It had been six years since I last attended and I was looking forward to the event.

The show felt familiar, but also not, with the perennial sight and sound of biplane rides being absent. A Robinson R44 showed up halfway into the event to offer helicopter rides around the traffic pattern since the clouds obscured much of the scenic coast.

The vast majority of the display aircraft were residents, but there were some notable ones I hadn’t seen before, like a Kitfox 4 with the wings folded back. An uncommon French Socata Tampico caught my eye, along with a Piper Aerostar.

A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter would be the sole government agency representative.

Drone logistics company Zipline was on hand to inform folks about its progress in delivering essential medical supplies to remote and underserved areas in Africa.

Warbird turnout was super light, limited at first to a solitary P-51 Mustang, a pair of Yak-52 trainers, and an ex-Royal Jordanian Air Force Scottish Bulldog.

After a few hours I gave up hope for any new arrivals and was halfway back to my vehicle when the sound of twin radials announced the arrival of the Lost Coast Warbirds’ TB-25J Mitchell “Sweet Dreams.” The Mitchell enthralled the crowds with multiple passes before landing.

A major fundraiser for the Coastside Adult Community Center, this event is worthwhile and I do hope the show returns to a stable condition for future years. Too many good fly-ins and air shows have gone extinct and I would hate to see this one end up that way. Remember to support your local air shows!

Half Moon Bay’s Eddie Andreini Sr. Airfield (KHAF) is located right on the coast approximately 20 miles south of San Francisco. Originally built for the U.S. Army in 1942, it was acquired by San Mateo County in 1947.

For more information: PacificCoastDreamMachines.com