June 22 – Hot or not, the CenterPoint Energy Dayton Air Show will kick off Saturday at Dayton International Airport, marking the 50th anniversary of turning heads and showcasing flight in some of its most captivating forms.
The gates to the show grounds off North Dixie Drive opened at 7 a.m. to dozens of early bird photographers who paid for the opportunity to capture aircraft before the general crowd was admitted.
The show opens at 9 a.m. to general admission ticket holders, allowing the public to enjoy “static displays” of aircraft such as the historic B-52 Stratofortress, from Minot Air Force Base, and the MQ-9 Reaper drone, whose presence This year there will be a show for the first time, thanks to Holloman Air Force Base.
Old favorites like the C-5 Galaxy and the C-17 Globemaster – from nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base – and newer attractions like the F-35 Lighting II were also waiting to be discovered.
Andrew Anderson, of Vandalia, and Gerry Anderson, of Harrison Twp., were among the first general admission ticket holders to wait in line early Saturday.
“Last year we were first in line, in the same spot,” said Gerry Anderson from his canvas chair at the show’s main entrance.
“We actually come here so we can get a good spot, close to the flight line,” said Andrew Anderson, Gerry’s cousin. “We want to be as close to the action as possible.”
“I’ve loved aviation since I was about nine years old,” he added. ‘Our father paid for us to get on a plane. I’ve loved airplanes ever since.’
Chris Kurka made the trip from Cleveland to Dayton. He said he is looking forward to the spectacular performance expected from the Navy Blue Angels jet team.
“I just love aviation,” he said.
Aerial performances typically begin around noon, weather permitting. A U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team drop is often one of the first events.
At air shows in the Dayton area, spectators watch in awe as the Wright Brothers honed their flying skills over Huffman Prairie in northwest Greene County more than a century ago.
But this show has its roots in 1974, when a “General Aviation Day” was held one Sunday at the Montgomery County Airport, now the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport in Miami Twp.
In 1975, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Dayton Aviation Department brought military and commercial aircraft to the James M. Cox International Airport, expanding the event to an entire weekend.
Visitors can look forward to headline performances this weekend from the Blue Angels flight demonstration squad on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, weather permitting.
They will also see the Air Force’s F-16 Viper Demonstration Team based at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina; the T-34 Association, making its Dayton debut; the Torah, Torah, Torah! reenactment of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and more.
Weather watchers expect heat and possible storms this weekend. The National Weather Service forecast a high of 98 degrees on Saturday, while temperatures were expected to reach 91 degrees on Sunday. Showers would be possible on Sunday.
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How to go
When: Saturday and Sunday. The gates open at 9am on Saturday and Sunday and close at 6pm. Air show organizers ask visitors to arrive early. Expect big crowds and heavy traffic.
Tickets: Go to daytonairshow.com. There is no telephone booth. Tickets include general access to parking.
Where: East side of Dayton International Airport: For general admission parking, take the Northwoods Boulevard exit from Interstate 75 and follow signs.
