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Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, SC
hosted the 2010 Shawfest the weekend of May 8/9. Featured team this
year was the USAF Thunderbirds making their first appearance since 2005.
Always a crowd pleaser, this year’s team was no exception in their red
white and blue F-16s thundering across the blue skies in front of an
estimated 80,000 folks for the entire weekend. I attended the Saturday
airshow as well as the Thunderbirds practice show on Friday afternoon and
the team looked well practiced and flew close, tight formations with
excellent timing from my vantage on the ground. Their sneak pass never
fails to delight, or scare, the unsuspecting. Even anticipating it, it’s
still extremely
difficult to catch the pass on camera.
Good job Thunderbirds. Winds played havoc with the jumpers and I can only
imagine the aircraft themselves, but the US Army Golden Knights still were
able to do their jumps to open the show Saturday with a salute to our
country’s stars and stripes.
Along with the Thunderbirds and
Golden Knights, we were also treated to demo performances by the 20th
Fighter Wing’s Viper East F-16 Demo Team locally based at Shaw, and
several 4th FW F-15E Strike Eagles out of Seymour Johnson AFB,
NC. Static aircraft included a KC-135 from the 22ARW, McConnell AFB,
KS; a KC-10 from the 305AMW, McGuire Joint Base, NJ; a C-130 from the
169FW, SC ANG at McEntire JRB, SC and various trainers.
The USAF planned for the crowds
with plenty of parking from several lots, some included busing, lots of
airmen directing traffic, plenty of food and beverage vendors, and a good
supply of the essential port-a-potties. Weather was quite breezy for the
Saturday show that I attended. Since the Shawfest is an every other year
show, I certainly plan to be back in 2012. Thanks Shaw AFB for a great
demonstration of today’s military service at work.
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