'I love it the most': Augusta Air Show showcases stunt jets, helicopters and more

Miguel Legoas, Augusta Chronicle
·2 min read
Scott Yoak flies a P-51 Mustang during the inaugural Augusta Air Show at the Augusta Regional Airport on Saturday. The P-51 is painted to honor branches of the U.S. armed forces.
Scott Yoak flies a P-51 Mustang during the inaugural Augusta Air Show at the Augusta Regional Airport on Saturday. The P-51 is painted to honor branches of the U.S. armed forces.

Over the weekend, Augusta Regional Airport had something way cooler than commercial planes flying overhead.

Thousands of families lined a huge stretch of runway for the Augusta Air Show to see a diverse and talented group of aerial performers take to the skies.

Both the Saturday and Sunday shows featured all manner of death-defying stunts like helicopters doing loops, biplanes spiraling straight downward, and fighter jets becoming thunderous shadows in the clouds including the famous U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

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Some of the shows were so loud that people had to clap their hands over their ears, but young Alex Truelove, 9, was fine with it Saturday.

"The barrel roles, the Thunderbirds, the jets, I love it the most," Alex said.

His grandfather ,Tante Leal, echoed those thoughts.

"It's great," Leal said. "I'm glad they're having it here because our grandkids have not seen anything like this."

But the fun wasn't just above the ground. When guests weren't watching from lawn chairs or picnic blankets, they were walking around enjoying the many booths. There was plenty to eat from half-pound burgers and Italian sausage to gyros and chicken tenders. A ton of souvenirs were also on sale so attendees could have a memento besides hundreds of photos.

There was also a heavy armed forces presence through out the event. Salutes were made to service members, several military Jeeps and other vehicles were available for photo ops, and the Air Force was on site offering physical challenges and virtual reality entertainment. Prior to the start of the festivities, Augusta Air Show Spokesman Chris Dirato said a major mission of these shows is to motive recruitment.

The United States Special Operations Command Parachute Team, or SOCOM Para-Commandos, parachute in to start the inaugural Augusta Air Show at the Augusta Regional Airport on Saturday. Hundreds turned out to watch demonstrations from the F-16 Viper Demo Team, the Red Bull Helicopter, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and more.
The United States Special Operations Command Parachute Team, or SOCOM Para-Commandos, parachute in to start the inaugural Augusta Air Show at the Augusta Regional Airport on Saturday. Hundreds turned out to watch demonstrations from the F-16 Viper Demo Team, the Red Bull Helicopter, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and more.

"One of the primary reasons the Air Force is here is to inspire the youth of America and let them know there are careers available," Dirato said.

During a preview for the show earlier in the week, Thunderbird Maj. Jake ”Primo” Impellizzeri described how he loves playing a part in that.

“Seeing those little kids out there, especially after the show when we go to the autograph line … if we can get that one kid to give the best portion of himself to something bigger than himself, then our mission is accomplished,” he said.

This was the third stop on the touring Air Dot Show with the next scheduled for next month in Ocean City, MD.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta Air Show flies jets, aerial stunts at Augusta Regional Airport