20th anniversary Atlantic City Airshow wows crowds on the beaches
Planes, helicopters and parachute teams delighted the crowds on the beaches of Atlantic City Wednesday.
ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Planes, helicopters and parachute teams delighted the crowds on the beaches of Atlantic City Wednesday.
It marks the 20th anniversary of the Jersey shore airshow, which began in 2003.
It's become a tradition for many families.
"Incredible. You cannot see another show like this. We've gone to Virginia Beach. We've been to Dover, Willow Grove," said Linda McElroy of Mayfair. "There's nothing like the Atlantic City Airshow. They turn, they go sideways, in between the casinos, it's crazy. It's just awesome."
Pilots with the New Jersey Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing love the chance to show off the training they do all the time.
"It takes an incredible amount of effort to create a combat mission-ready pilot," said Aaron Dunn, vice commander of the 177th Fighter Wing. "And there's a support cast of probably 1,100 people behind those handful of people that fly the F-16s every day."
Planes did loops and barrel rolls in the air, delighting the crowd.
As always, the grand finale was the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.
"It's just like - you don't expect it," said Luke Mascione of Levittown, Pa., who loved watching the Thunderbirds. "It just comes over you like, oh my gosh. It's crazy."
The heart-pounding demonstration shows off the precision of the pilots and the power of the F-16s.
Weather - specifically cloud cover - delayed the Thunderbirds by about two hours, pushing the show later into the afternoon.
For local veterans in the crowd, they appreciate the show's salute to the military.
"Highly trained people out here doing very dangerous stuff and giving us appreciation for what the men and women do to defend this great nation of ours," said U.S. Marine Corps veteran Tom Hoesch of Boothwyn, Pa.
"Bless the military. Every branch. I love 'em all," said Air Force veteran Rick Koshute of Hatfield, Pa. "They're brothers."
The airshow brings a big mid-week crowd to Atlantic City, giving a boost to businesses.
"It brings in between $50 and $75 million in economic impact in a single day. With 500,000 people in town, we're the largest event in the state," Michael Chait, director of the Atlantic City Airshow and president of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber.
Organizers say it takes about two years to plan the airshow, and have just started conversations with the Thunderbirds for 2025.
