MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Although MacDill Air Force Base, Florida lacks the joint base designation, aircraft and service members of all branches of service flooded the flightline throughout the second week of May, in preparation for Tampa Bay AirFest 2018.
The event was open to the public, Saturday and Sunday, May 12-13 to offer attendees an exciting outing for Mother’s Day weekend and witness firsthand the capabilities of the armed forces.
Setup was similar to past AirFests; however, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, headlined this year’s air show. Efforts from across the entire 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill’s host unit, assisted to make this event one to remember.
“We are always proud to be a member of this team, but this weekend MacDill knocked it out of the park,” said Col. April Vogel, commander of the 6th AMW. “The outstanding demonstrations of air power made the event second to none.”
After a practice show on Friday, May 11, 15 aerobatic performers took to the stage for the weekend, to raise the eyebrows of approximately 150,000 people. On Saturday, all 33,000 parking spots allotted on base were taken by 1:30 p.m., an hour and half before the Blue Angels were set to take flight through the overcast skies.
Crowds perused more than 30 static displays from both military and civilian assets such as the MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned aerial vehicle from Creech AFB, Nevada, the C-5 Galaxy, the largest aircraft in the Air Force’s inventory, as well as the U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon and vehicles from Florida’s Highway Patrol, just to name a few.
Sunday’s show mirrored that of the previous day, but a forecast of a storm moving into the Bay raised concerns for the spectators and show staff. Fortunately, the Blue Angels were able to finish their demonstration and land just as the notification of the storm sounded across the flightline.
“This year’s AirFest was a huge success, and each time it gets better and better,” said Maj. Ryan Garlow, 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander and director of Tampa Bay AirFest 2018. “This weekend was an opportunity for MacDill to give back to the great community that shows us so much support.”