By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Are you a fan of airplanes?
Looking for a fun family event for the weekend?
Well, you are in luck. The Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort Airshow is back.
The show, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23, at MCAS Beaufort, is free for the public to attend, and tickets are not required.
However, there are special seating and VIP tickets available for purchase in advance if you want to be closer to the action.
The event will feature a demonstration by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.
You may see, and hear, the Blue Angels practicing for the show later in the week.
The airshow will also include performances and demonstrations by Clemens Kuhlig with Chefpitts Air Shows, Extreme Flight, an F-35B, Gary Rower with Rower Air Shows, Kyle Fowler, Kyle Franklin with Franklin’s Flying Circus, Chris Thomas, Patty Wagstaff, Rob Holland, the MCAS Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), the SOCOM Para-Commandos and Precision Exotics.
Kuhlig will be flying the Pitts Special, “an iconic airplane that lends itself well to beautiful rolling, curving lines, snap rolls and excellent outside capability,” according to the MCAS Beaufort Airshow’s website.
The F-35B will demonstrate it’s speed – it can accelerate past the speed of sound in flight – and it’s ability to make a vertical landing like a helicopter.
Rowler will be flying his 1942 PT-17 Stearman airplane. His performance is “filled with giant barnstormer loops, hammerhead turns, slow rolls, a Cuban eight, inverted flight, snap roll and one of his favorite maneuvers, the Outside Humpty Bump,” according to the MCAS Beaufort Airshow’s website.
Franklin will perform an aeronautical comedy act as Ben Whabnaski, an annoying drunk who wants his airplane ride that was promised to him.
Thomas, Wagstaff, Holland and Fowler are all renowned pilots; Wagstaff is the first woman to claim the title of the U.S. National Aerobatic Champion, winning it three times.
The event will open at 11:30 a.m. with the opening ceremony featuring the SOCOM Para-Commandos and will end with a 3:00 p.m. demonstration by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
In addition to the featured performances in the air, visitors can also explore the many aircraft that will be displayed on the ground.
There will also be many exhibitors onsite, as well as concession stands throughout the spectator area.
If you are a VIP invited guest, VIP parking pass holder, military and Department of Defense authorized vehicle or a vehicle using handicap parking, you will need to enter through the Main Gate.
All other guests will need to enter MCAS Beaufort through Gate 3 or Gate 5.
There will be traffic signs and law enforcement to direct traffic toward the correct gates.
Parking is free and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additional parking is available on Shanklin Road off of U.S. 21, but shuttles will not be available to take people from Shanklin Road.
Keep in mind, tailgating will not be allowed and no outside food or drinks will be permitted at the airshow. Only coolers with medically necessary items and infant formula or breastmilk will be allowed.
Bags and purses are permitted, but all bags will be inspected before entering the airshow.
MCAS Beaufort recommends that all spectators, especially young children, should bring hearing protection to the show.
Pets will not be allowed at the show, only service animals will be permitted.
The show will begin around 11 a.m. and will end at 4:30 p.m., but gates will open at 9:30 a.m.
The MCAS Beaufort Airshow will be held rain or shine, so be sure to check the weather in advance. Performers will be grounded if there is lightning within 5 miles and will continue once they can safely do so.
Tickets for premium seating will not be available for purchase at the airshow.
The shows on Saturday and Sunday are the same, so keep that in mind if you plan to attend both days.
For more information about the 2023 MCAS Beaufort Airshow, go to www.beaufortairshow.com.
Airshow Afterparty
Make sure to check out the Airshow Afterparty on Saturday, April 22, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Port Royal. The party, which will be held at the corner of Paris Avenue and 8th Street, will feature the Parris Island Marine Corps band, food trucks, beer wagon and a tap truck
Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She spent six years as a videographer and photographer for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette before leaving the Lowcountry in 2018. After freelancing in Myrtle Beach and Virginia, she joined The Island News when she moved back to Beaufort in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com
