Saturday the 26th of April 2008 marked Charleston's bi-annual airshow. With crowds anticipated at over 100,000 airshow enthusiasts, the expo featured some of the best acts in military and civilian aviation. Headlining this year were the US Air Force Thunderbirds with their F-16C models celebrating their 55th anniversary, and representing the US Army were the Golden Knights Army Parachute Team.

  Some of the military aircraft doing demos this year included the new F-22 Raptor from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB. Also representing the USAF was the F-15E Strike Eagle Demo from the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB. These two types in combination with a P-51 Mustang put on the day's USAF Heritage Flight which was a crowd pleaser blending old with newer aerial resources. The Navy was not to be outdone with a rambunctious display of military power put on by one of it's F-18C Hornets, also known now as a Legacy Hornet, from VFA-106 Gladiators based at NAS Oceana. Charleston AFB put some of it's local based C-17 Globemaster IIIs into the air and also dropped paratroopers over the airfield around midday with a low altitude airdrop.

  Early in the day while many enthusiasts, myself included, were fighting stop and go (mostly stopped) traffic between I-26 and the base gate, various warbirds were buzzing the airfield for those lucky attendees already inside the show. A T-33 also did it's maneuvers to the delight of us stuck in traffic. Civilian acts were numerous and good, highlighted by the always impressive flying skills of Patty Wagstaff. The Red Bull BO-105 helicopter entertained the crowd with un-helicopter like stunt flying. Amazing to watch.

  Plenty of static aircraft were lined up inside the crowd lines for very up-close viewing, and served as shade on the rather hot afternoon. Those included a FedEx 727 and a Boeing 747 Dreamlifter, one of only 2 in existence. The Dreamlifter is a huge aircraft that has a cavernous interior and will haul the largest of cargoes. It makes even the C-17s based at Charleston AFB look a tad small in comparison. Other statics included a KC-135 from Seymour Johnson AFB's 916 Air Refueling Wing, "the Spirit of Goldsboro". A KC-10 from McGuire AFB's 305 Air Mobility Wing and a WC-130J Hurricane Hunter from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron based at Keesler AFB in Mississippi were also on the ramp. Sitting nearby were several F-15Es from the 333rd FS, 334th FS, and 336th FS at Seymour Johnson, two F-15C models from the 95th FS at Tyndall AFB (with Mr. Bones painted on the tail). This squadron teaches new F-15C pilots. An F-16C from the South Carolina Air National Guard's 157th Fighter Squadron, the "Swamp Fox" was in attendance, also a C-130 from the 934th Airlift Wing, the Flying Vikings from Minneapolis-St. Paul, two A-10s from the Arkansas Air Guard Razorbacks which recently transitioned from F-16s to A-10s.

  Aircraft big and small were there, from Lee Graves beautiful Pitts S2C to a Special Air Missions C-40C which is similar to a 737 and is painted regally in the Air Force One colors and based at Andrews AFB.
 
  Flying and static acts were both numerous and enthusiastically received by a very patriotic crowd. Charleston AFB did a good job mixing the military and the civilian flying, and bringing together a nice heritage flight.

  Traffic flow and parking directions were hit and miss, I was 2 miles from the base one hour after gates opened and it still took me another two hours to get inside the gates, then another hour to be parked and thru security. I image the actual crowds were more than anticipated and planned for, but I still am happy with the day's aerial events. A drive down to Charleston's waterfront known as the Battery made for a complete day, and for me it was all a daytrip from central North Carolina. I believe I spent approximately 10 hours in the car this day, crazy perhaps, but I am an airshow junkie.