Thursday, August 20, 2009

Atlantic City Air Show Review

Atlantic City August 19, 2009
Location: Atlantic City Boardwalk and Beach
Admission: FREE!
Parking: Commercial up to $20 for the day.
Value: Good because it is FREE


The flight line is along the beach and boardwalk and can be viewed from either. There are also paid viewing areas on the beach. Our recommendation is that one should get there early, plan for day at the beach (chairs, umbrellas, beach blankets, cooler etc.) and stake out a place on the beach.

This show is best described as a day at the beach with an air show in the background. Unlike the traditional show there are no static displays. The show consists primarily of flybys with some aerobatics. The featured performers were the Thunderbirds. The best though, was the formation demonstration of the "Horsemen" in their P-51 Mustangs. This was the first time we had seen the "Red Eagles" who were quite good.


Many of the scheduled performers were "no shows" so that the interval between performances was as long as thirty minutes. The weather was unbearable, hot and humid. Heat haze made photography difficult. Maximum focal length used was 400mm.


These items are a must:

Sunscreen
Wear light clothing
Snacks
Bottled water
Cameras and binoculars
Sunglasses
Beach attire including umbrellas, hats, and bathing suits
Earplugs for young children
Radios to tune into AM 1400 WOND for the Atlantic City Airshow broadcast or Lite Rock 96.9 WFPG for Gary Guida's broadcast from the Boardwalk.

As an airshow, we would rate it a 5/10. It is basically a marketing event for the Casinos etc.

The list of some of the performers at the show:

US Air Force Thunderbirds Demonstration
US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team Jump
US Air Force A-10A Thunderbolt ll Demonstration
US Air Force F-16 Viper East Coast Demonstration
US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team
US Coast Guard Joint Forces Search & Rescue Demonstration
New York Air National Guard Parajumper Demonstration
The Horsemen P-51 Mustang Demonstration Team
US Air Force Heritage Flight (P-51, A-10, F-16)
US Navy Legacy Flight (F4U & F-18)
US Air Force-Air National Guard 108th ARW KC-135R Stratotanker Flyby
US Air Force-Air National Guard 177th FW F-16C Fighting Falcon Flyby
US Air Force-Air Force Reserve Command 76th ARS KC-10A Extender Flyby
US Marine Corps CH-46E SeaKnight
US Air Force F-22 Raptor











Rating: 5 out of 10

Review by A.J. Warren, Photos by A.J. Warren and Joe Osciak
© 2009 www.airshowsreview.com All Rights Reserved.

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