Aviation lovers descended upon Augusta this weekend for the third of seven air shows being put on across the country in 2023 by AirDotShow.
The organization doesn’t keep track of crowds but anticipated about 25,000 attendees on Saturday and Sunday for a total of about 50,000 viewers, said Chris Dirato, spokesman for the Augusta Air Show.
This is Augusta’s first air show since 2000 and its first time hosting the Thunderbirds, which are headlining Saturday and Sunday’s event.
The Thunderbirds started their act at 2:15 p.m. and flew for about 40 minutes.
The Thunderbirds fly the Air Force’s premier fighter jet, the red, white and blue F-16 Fighting Falcon, in air shows across the U.S. to help with recruiting and to create goodwill for the American government.
The Thunderbirds’ six demonstration pilots perform approximately 20 formation and solo maneuvers. They can fly as close as 18 inches to each other, as fast as 1,000 miles per hour and as low as 100 feet off the ground.
Part of the show features four pilots flying in formation while the two remaining pilots perform solo maneuvers.
Pilots for the Thunderbirds, which began in 1953, fly for two years each, meaning half the pilots are replaced each year. They are stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas.
Sanjeev Singhal.
Patrick Grady, a Georgia Tech student pursuing a Ph.D. in robotics, and his brother, Adrian, who flew down from Chicago, said they had to see the Thunderbirds in person.
“Our dad really got us into airplanes and took us flying a few times,” Grady said. “I have my pilot’s license now. It’s easier to get than people think.”
Another eye-catching act was the Red Bull Helicopter, which Aaron Fitzgerald flew in barrel rolls, loops, nose dives and flips. It’s one of only a few helicopters in the world that can do aerobatic tricks.
Fitzgerald, 53, said he started internal training in 2016 and performed his first season of shows in 2018.
“I wouldn’t change one thing about my job,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s the best possible job. If you asked me to dream up my perfect job, I wouldn’t be so audacious as to dream of this.”
Fitzgerald, who lives in Los Angeles and has flown helicopter stunts for over 100 films and TV shows, says he’s given nearly unlimited practice before air shows, which helps him feel confident.
“I don’t get scared, but I get a thrill because I feel the energy from the crowd,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s like the energy levels before a big sports game. It’s not nervousness so much as it is excitement.”
The Red Bull Helicopter, flown by Aaron Fitzgerald, is one of only a few helicopters in the world that can do aerobatic tricks. Photo by Sanjeev Singhal.
The Red Bull Air Force performs more than 60 demos each year, including at air shows, NFL games and NASCAR races. Photo by Sanjeev Singhal.
Fitzgerald said the weather was perfect for flying on Saturday.
“We flew well,” he said. “Any mistakes would only be things noticeable to us. We are always chasing perfection.”
But the best part of the job is connecting with people, especially kids, that attend the shows, he said.
“It’s a huge privilege to help promote the aviation industry,” he said.
Julian Hutchins Jr., an internal medicine doctor from Macon, brought his two boys, Julian, 8, and Walker, 6, to the air show along with his dad, Julian, a retired flight surgeon who used to fly on an F-4.
“I wanted to bring them because they’ve never seen anything like this outside of ‘Top Gun,'” he said. “I haven’t been to an air show since the last one here in 2000.”
Mike Davis was one of many hobbyist photographers at the show waiting to take some winning shots of the performers.
“I’m mostly here for the Thunderbirds and the F-22,” he said.
Davis, who lives in Hilton Head, said he’s also gone to shows in Beaufort and Charleston. He said the Augusta show seemed a little smaller than others he had been to, and he noticed the planes took off out of sight of the crowd, unlike at other shows.
Sanjeev Singhal.
The gates to the show opened at 9 a.m. on both days so attendees could observe the planes on display on the grounds before the performances started at noon.
The list of acts that performed at the event is below:
SOCOM Para-Commandos Flag Jump
Buck Roetman aerobatic preview
Quicksilver P-51 Mustang Demo
Red Bull Air Force
Red Bull Helicopter
Kevin Coleman
Army Aviation Heritage Demo
C-17 Globemaster III Demo
Greg Koontz
F-16 Viper Demo
Air Force Heritage Flight
Buck Roetman
Air Force Thunderbirds
