Day Trip to Atlantic City Air Show

As we go through a season filled with kite festivals and hot air balloon festivals, here is yet another uplifting day trip idea to look forward to – and look up to – next month: the annual Atlantic City Air Show. To say that the air show is most likely Atlantic City’s most popular annual event would be an understatement. The world-class day of daring demonstrations, with its tremendous showcase of military aviation and aerobatics, attracts up to one million attendees and is one of the largest air shows in North America. It is usually held on a Wednesday and the 17th Annual Atlantic City Air Show is no exception, scheduled this year on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

The free event takes place in the skies and the waterways along the famous Atlantic City, NJ beaches and boardwalk, thrilling spectators of all ages. The incredibly skilled and apparently fearless pilots provide heart-stopping displays, with flybys soaring as dizzyingly high as 15,000 feet in the air or as precariously low as 50 feet over the water. There are synchronized parachute demonstrations and racing speedboats. Together, the exciting roar of the collective engines explains why the event is dubbed Thunder Over the Boardwalk.

Perhaps the air show team most familiar to many people is the USAF Thunderbirds, who soar through the skies in Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons. Officially known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron and originally activated in 1953, they are trained to present breathtaking aerial maneuvers in modern, high- performance aircraft, with a mix of formation flights and solo routines that highlight the jets’ maneuverability and precision.

The US Army Golden Knights, officially known as the United States Army Parachute Team, traces its history to 1959, when 19 Airborne Soldiers from various military units were gathered with the goal of competing internationally in what was then the new sport of skydiving. Within three years, the team had earned its nickname from the gold medals it had won and its knightly mission to conquer the skies. It has since been awarded thousands of gold, silver, and bronze medals and broken nearly 350 world records. The Golden Knights have elevated falling from aircraft to an art form with their spectacular synchronized jumps.

Another team to look for is the GEICO Skytypers, whose pilots fly a modern version of the SNJ aircraft that was designed in 1940 and served as training for most of the Allied pilots in World War II. Affectionately known as “pilot makers,” the versatile planes nimbly perform rolls, loops, and spins that never fail to delight air show onlookers.

Special guests at this year’s Atlantic City Air Show will be the Royal Air Force Red Arrows, visiting from the United Kingdom on what will be their second United States stop on a 10-week North American tour. Officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team and performing since 1965, they have not appeared in the US for more than a decade. Considered one of the world’s premier aerobatic display teams, the Red Arrows pilots fly distinctive Hawk fast-jets. Watch for their trademark “Diamond Nine” formation and their combinations of close maneuvers.

Not all of the action at the air show will be airborne. The Miss GEICO Offshore Race Team will provide thrills on the water, as well, with daring powerboat displays that rival the speeds of the aircraft. The team holds numerous world speed records and has earned many national and world titles since being established in 2005.

If you’d like to race down to Atlantic City for a day trip to the air show, you’ll find great viewing locations all along the free beaches and expansive boardwalk, plus any outdoor venues that face the ocean.  There will also be limited handicap accessible viewing space at Montpelier Avenue and Boardwalk Pavilion. Bring your blankets and beach chairs, slather on the sunscreen, and don’t forget your sunglasses, cameras, and binoculars to see all the action that much better. Remember to take a portable radio and tune in to WPG Talk Radio 104.1 FM or 1450 AM to hear commentary throughout the show.

For those arriving by car, parking will be available throughout the city; parking rates are subject to change and space availability may vary. The Borgata Hotel Casino, located in the marina district, will provide complimentary air show park-and-ride service to the beach for hotel guests and the public, with continuous departures from the hotel to the beach from 10 am to 1:30 pm and the last shuttle returning to the Borgata at 4:30 pm.

Are you planning to spend the day on a boat? You may view the air show from the ocean, but there will be a “no boat zone” restricting anyone other than the US Coast Guard, police, and other marine units from approaching too close to the Atlantic City beach.

For those who would prefer to enjoy a premium viewing location with special amenities, the Flight Line Club is the only VIP experience on the beach, right in the middle of everything at the show center. It will be set up in a private beach area under a shaded tent with tables and chairs, high-quality sound and event narration, as well as restrooms nearby. It offers guests unlimited non-alcoholic beverages and water, plus an all-you-can-eat lunch with hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, fruit salad, pretzels, peanuts, potato chips, and ice cream. The Flight Line Club opens at 10 am and seating is unreserved, available on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are $55 per person and are available online. Last year, they sold out well in advance, so you may want to consider planning early. If tickets remain, they will be sold on the day of the air show.

For more details and updates to help play your day trip to the 17th Annual Atlantic City Air Show, visit https://airshow.acchamber.com/.