50th anniversary Dayton Air Show ready for crowds, heat, aerial adventures
Jun. 22—Hot or not, the CenterPoint Energy Dayton Air Show is set to take flight Saturday at Dayton International Airport, marking its 50th anniversary of turning heads and showcasing flight in some of its most captivating forms.
Gates to the show grounds off North Dixie Drive opened at 7 a.m. to dozens of early bird photographers who paid for the opportunity to capture airplanes before general admission crowds were admitted.
The show will open at 9 a.m. to general admission ticket holders, allowing crowds to revel in "static displays" of airplanes such as the historic B-52 Stratofortress, from Minot Air Force Base, and the MQ-9 Reaper drone, whose presence this year is a show first, courtesy of Holloman Air Force Base.
Old favorites like the C-5 Galaxy and the C-17 Globemaster ― from nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base — and newer attractions like the F-35 Lighting II, were also waiting to be explored.
Andrew Anderson, of Vandalia, and Gerry Anderson, of Harrison Twp., were among the first general admission ticket holders waiting in line early Saturday.
"We were first in line last year, same spot," Gerry Anderson said from his canvas chair near the show's main gate.
"We actually come here so we can get a good spot, close to the flight line," said Andrew Anderson, Gerry's nephew. "We like to be as close to the action as possible."
"I've loved aviation ever since I was about nine years old," he added. "Our dad paid for us to go up in an airplane. I've loved airplanes ever since."
Chris Kurka made the trip to Dayton from Cleveland. He said he was looking forward to the show-capping performance expected from the Navy Blue Angels jet team.
"I just love aviation," he said.
Aerial performances typically begin around noon, weather permitting. A drop by the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team is often among the first events.
Aviation shows in the Dayton area go back to spectators watching in awe as the Wright-Brothers honed their flying skills over Huffman Prairie in northwestern Greene County more than a century ago.
But this show traces its lineage to 1974, when a "General Aviation Day" was held on a Sunday at the Montgomery County Airport, now the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport in Miami Twp.
By 1975, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Dayton Aviation Department brought military and commercial aircraft to the James M. Cox International Airport, expanding the event to an entire weekend.
Visitors this weekend can look forward to headline performances by the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron Saturday and Sunday afternoons, weather permitting.
They'll also see the Air Force F-16 Viper demonstration team, based out of Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina; the T-34 Association, making its Dayton debut; the Tora, Tora, Tora! reenactment of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and much more.
Weather watchers expect heat and possible storms this weekend. The National Weather Service predicted a high of 98 Saturday, with a high temperature Sunday expected to reach 91. Showers were thought to be possible Sunday.
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How to go
When: Saturday and Sunday. Gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Air show organizers ask visitors to arrive early. Expect large crowds and heavy traffic.
Tickets: Go to daytonairshow.com. There is no call booth. Tickets include general admission parking.
Where: East side of Dayton International Airport: For general admission parking, take the Northwoods Boulevard exit from Interstate 75 and follow the signs.
