Thunder in the sky

Fabulous Thunderbirds thrill 90,000 in Waikiki air show

STORY SUMMARY »

Awesome!

The superlative was repeated endlessly as an estimated 90,000 people jammed the Waikiki beachfront to watch the Air Force's Thunderbirds perform aerobatic excellence yesterday afternoon.

Spectators crowded the beach and delighted in the air show, with center stage at Fort DeRussy Beach Park.

Overcast skies and a light drizzle accompanied the heavy humidity, forcing the expert aviators to perform at a lower-than-usual altitude.

It was the Thunderbirds' finale after two practice sessions, as part of Air Force Week Honolulu, which celebrates the Air Force's 60th anniversary.

It was the last of six nationwide performances celebrating the anniversary, which is Tuesday.

---

FULL STORY »

Spectators crowded onto the beach and delighted in the roar of jet engines yesterday during the Air Force's Thunderbird air show at Fort DeRussy Beach Park.

"It is awesome, particularly when the planes go overhead -- schew! I just like the sounds," said McCully resident Leonard Kryston, 68.

"It's a wonderful thing to do," he said. Kryston tried to catch a shot of the six red, white, and blue F-16 Fighting Falcon jets on his camera phone as they zoomed across the sky.

It was the Thunderbirds' grand finale, following two Thursday practice sessions, as part of Air Force Week Honolulu, which celebrates the Air Force's 60th anniversary. It was the last of six nationwide performances celebrating the anniversary, which is on Tuesday.

An estimated 90,000 people showed up for the show, from Ala Moana Beach Park to Sans Souci State Recreational Area, according to Honolulu police Capt. Jeff Richards, executive officer for the Waikiki substation.

To provide security for the event, the Police Department worked with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Coast Guard, Honolulu Fire Department, Hawaii Air National Guard, FBI, Emergency Services Department and Navy SEALs, he said.

"We did good," he said, adding that he wasn't aware of any major incidents during the performance.

"It was a total team Oahu effort," said Lt. Col. T.J. Stull, Hickam's air boss in charge of the Thunderbirds show. "We couldn't have done it without our community partners."

Stull wasn't aware of any violations or aircraft entering the "show box," an area below the performance area, as happened during a Thursday practice when two aircraft entered the area.

But poor weather forced the jet fighters to alter the show to a lower-altitude performance. The jet fighters have three show profiles: "high" for good weather, "low" for poor weather and "flat" for bad weather.

"They did a flat show with some low maneuvers," Stull said. Skies were cloudy during the show and a light rain fell toward the end.

In a high-altitude show, pilots will fly about 8,000 to 10,000 feet high, but yesterday pilots performed maneuvers about 3,000 to 5,000 feet high.

The jet fighters did the lower-altitude show for the safety of the air crew and spectators, Stull said. However, they performed about 30 maneuvers in the 30-minute show.

The show ended a few minutes early because it started to rain, Stull added.

"It was a great show. Obviously we would have liked the weather to cooperate better," he said. "I think the spectators and local community were happy with it."

Mike Meyer, 40, an aviation enthusiast, came with friends to see "the best of the best." He wasn't disappointed.

"The energy and everything," he said. "It's awesome. It's a good crowd. It's awesome watching the precision, the flying. It's really something to see."