For 18 years, this has been a spectacular few weeks for major air shows in Southern California. Last week “AutoMatters & More” covered the 2023 MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station’s) Miramar AirShow — “America’s Air Show,” which was billed as “the largest military air show in America.” This week we’ll cover the following week’s Pacific Airshow Huntington Beach.
To accomplish that I drove back and forth between the greater Huntington Beach area and San Diego five times — not just to cover air show days but also to get my professional camera gear serviced by Canon in Costa Mesa and then return to pick it up, and also cover press events at the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana and at the t Forces Training Base (JTFB) in Los Alamitos — where we were treated to our own brief performances by the Thunderbirds and the Golden Knights. Add to that covering the massive event, editing some of the thousands of photos that I took and writing this for you. In addition, I wrote and edited photos for the MCAS Miramar AirShow column, covered the OC AUTO SHOW (in Orange County), and covered the day-long SAM (Storytelling Across Media) symposium and the new Popology (pop culture meets technology) at the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park. I’ll be leaving almost immediately to drive to Los Angeles to cover yet another event for you. SoCal is definitely the place to be for non-stop entertainment.
Pictures really do tell the story best about the Pacific Airshow Huntington Beach. but here is some context for those photos. Whereas the MCAS AirShow was primarily a huge military air show and extensive display of static, mostly military exhibits on the ground; the Pacific Airshow Huntington Beach was billed as “the largest airshow in the United States by attendance, attracting millions of spectators to Southern California every fall.” The massive crowd on the beach was surely a testament to that statement.
This pre-event press release sums it up well:
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA – September 8, 2023 – The Pacific Airshow (September 29 – October 1, 2023) today announced its best lineup yet, featuring world-renowned military and civilian aviators performing for three days in Huntington Beach. Now in its seventh year, attracting 3 million live spectators, the three-day spectacle in the sky will feature over five hours of programming each day, showcasing a wide selection of aircrafts pushing the boundaries of speeds and skills.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team and Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be headlining alongside F-15 combat pilot Tom “Lark” Larkin and the 122d Fighter Squadron F-15s from the Louisiana Air National Guard. Additionally, the Red Bull Air Race World Champion Matt Hall will be ed by Australian aerobatic pilot Emma McDonald for her United States debut, flying their MX and Extra 300 aircrafts. The U.S. Army Golden Knights and U.S Navy Parachute Teams will help kick-off the show followed by appearances by the Opener Blackfly and Red Bull Bo-105 Helicopter, flown by Aaron Fitzgerald.
“Every year we try to outdo ourselves, and we’re confident that 2023 will be our most incredible, action-packed lineup of all time,” said Kevin Elliott, Pacific Airshow’s Executive Director. “Millions of people look forward to the annual Pacific Airshow and we aim to make it an unforgettably epic experience for all.”
The Pacific Airshow Huntington Beach’s lineup of performers varied from day to day, as did the weather, so it was good to go more than one day. Whereas the air show was not located on a large airbase with plenty of onsite free parking, there was plenty of parking to be had (some of it free) in Huntington Beach. I ed street free parking on the way there. Of course, if you have a boat, there were also plenty of those off-shore where the engers could get a great view of the airshow, too. I would recommend purchasing some category of the ission, which will put you closer to show center and the loudspeakers, which will keep you informed.
This is a great annual event. For more information about the Pacific Airshow Huntington Beach and the Pacific Airshow on the new Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, visit https://pacificairshowusa.com.
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Copyright © 2023 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #811
