Thunderbirds highlight air show at Joint Base Charleston (2024)

FAQs

How long is the Charleston air show? ›

Gates open at 9 am, Show begins at noon (12 pm), show expected to end by 4 pm. The Charleston Airshow is a thrilling aerial event that showcases a variety of aircraft performances, demonstrations, and displays.

The pilots perform approximately 30 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including ground and air, runs about an hour and fifteen minutes. The season lasts from March to November, with the winter months used to train new members.

B-29 Doc will be a static performer at the 2024 Joint Base Charleston Air Show, April 20-21, 2024. Air show attendees will have up-close and personal access to B-29 Doc, one of only two B-29 Superfortress aircraft still airworthy and flying today.

The squadron includes six pilots, who fly with the team for two years (half the pilots are replaced each year), and some 135 support personnel. The squadron, which practices and performs 50 weeks a year, is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas.

Are tickets and parking passes free? Yes. The show is completely free to the general public.

Joint Base Charleston celebrated U.S. military aviation past and present with the Charleston Airshow on April 20-21. Opening to a large crowd of over 65,000 attendees, the “Heroes of Flight” themed event celebrated aviation heroes with thrilling displays.

Some of their maneuvers include both solo aircraft at once, such as opposing passes (passing in close proximity to each other) and mirror formations (two aircraft being flown back-to-back in the calypso pass or belly-to-belly). In mirror formations, one Thunderbird must be inverted, and it is always number 5.

The two solo aircraft highlight some of the extreme capabilities of the F-16 executing maneuvers as low as 100 feet off the ground and some at speeds of over 700mph. During the high speed maneuvers the shock cone is sometimes visible as the jet teeters on the edge of the sound barrier!

The main attraction – the USAF Thunderbirds, renowned for precision and skill, will showcase the F-16 Fighting Falcon's capabilities at the 2024 Charleston Airshow.

How to buy air show tickets? ›

Tickets and registration for the event can be done online on the official website. While business tickets will be priced at Rs 5,000 for Indian nationals, it will cost $150 for foreign nationals. These ticket prices have been kept the same as the last edition.

The average Thunderbird Aviation salary ranges from approximately $47,845 per year (estimate) for a Line Service Technician to $160,017 per year (estimate) for a Pilot.

06 | Why don't the Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds fly together? Current Department of Defense policy states the use of military aviation demonstration teams is for recruiting purposes; therefore, the teams usually do not fly within 150 miles of each other without special permission.

Created 68 years ago in 1953, they are the third-oldest formal flying aerobatic team (under the same name) in the world, after the French Air Force Patrouille de France formed in 1931 and the United States Navy Blue Angels formed in 1946.

The air show will be held on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, along the Atlantic City beachfront. Performances will begin at 11:30 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m., and the event is free to attend. Pilots began practicing on Tuesday, giving a sneak peek of what to expect on show day.

The 2024 airshow at Joint Base Charleston is slated for April 19 to April 21. Friday, April 19 is a Friends and Family Day, where the airshow is exclusive to service members and their loved ones. For Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, the airshow is free and open to the public, according to the base.

A Blue Angels air show is typically an all-day event spanning about eight hours. Civilian acts and other military performers take to the skies throughout the day leading up to the final event: the Blue Angels.

Top questions about CHS Airport

How early should I get to CHS? We recommend getting to the airport 3 hours early for international travel.