You might hear them before you see them this weekend.
The famed U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are performing at the first air show in Augusta since 2000.
The six pilots flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon are headlining the show that runs this Saturday and Sunday at Augusta Regional Airport for a reason: they will fly as close as 18 inches to each other, go as fast as 1,000 miles per hour and fly as low as 100 feet off the ground.
The city is expecting about 25,000 to 26,000 people each day of the two-day event, said Chris Dirato, spokesman for the Augusta Air Show.
“This show is going to draw in people from everywhere,” he said.
General admission is $33.50, but higher-priced ticket options are available, according to the event website.
Other acts scheduled include the F-16, which can climb three miles in less than 10 seconds, and the Red Bull Helicopter, one of only a few helicopters in the world that can do aerobatic tricks, such as barrel rolls, loops, nose dives and flips. The pilot, Aaron Fitzgerald, has flown helicopter stunts for over 100 films and TV shows.
Gates open at 9 a.m., with flight performances starting at noon and lasting until about 4 p.m. on both days.
The 45-minute Thunderbirds show will start at 2:15 p.m. on both days. They will perform approximately 20 formation and solo maneuvers, including loops and inverted rolls.
The Thunderbirds’ final maneuver, the “Bomb Burst,” features a four-jet diamond that pulls up before each of them breaks off in separate directions while a solo jet goes straight up. They then fly back toward the center and cross each other at speeds that are near 1,000 miles per hour just a few hundred feet off the ground.
The sequence of flights for Saturday 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
Tips for the event:
No re-entry is permitted.
Bring ear protection, sunscreen, water, a personal umbrella and chairs.
No outside food or beverage is allowed.
No tents, awnings or canopies are allowed.
