By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The 2025 Beaufort Airshow flew by in a weekend full of airplanes doing daring aerobatic stunts, beautiful spring weather, static military and civilian displays, exotic cars and of course a flight demonstration from U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.
Around 70,000 people descended on the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort (MCAS Beaufort) over the two-day free air show. So many, in fact, that the Air Station reached capacity well before the Blue Angels demonstration began on Saturday, April 12.
While the Beaufort Airshow, which happens every two years, is always a popular event, this year there was a factor that added to the draw for those local to Beaufort, as one of the Blue Angels is a Beaufort native.
USMC Maj. Brandon Wilkins, who flies Blue Angel No. 3 F/A-18, was born and raised in Beaufort and currently lives here with his family.
“It’s surreal to be able to land here, where I grew up, where I flew as a junior officer and be able to fly for the community,” Wilkins said. “I honestly don’t know that I have the right words, it’s just super special to me and I am very thankful for the opportunity.”
Wilkins said that his favorite part of the show is seeing the crowd and going to the crowd line to meet those who have come out to see the Blue Angels.
“I was that kid, a million years ago, at this air station,” Wilkins said. “It is very special to me.”
Wilkins joined the Blue Angels in September 2024 and has accumulated more than 2,300 flight hours and has 331 carrier arrested landings.
According to his biography on the Blue Angels website, he has earned three Strike Flight Air Medals, the Navy and Marine Commendation Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals among various personal and unit awards.
Wikins said that he was excited to perform in Beaufort also because not only did he grow up here, but he has lived here as an adult as well.
“I’m pretty sure the entire flight line is someone that either I or my wife knows,” Wilkins joked.
The son of a retired USMC Lt. Col., Wilkins was born at Naval Hospital Beaufort and lived the first 10 years of his life in the Lowcountry before he moved away with his family.
He attended Thomas Heyward Academy when he lived here, and he returned to South Carolina when he attended The Citadel.
The next airshow will take place in 2027.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
