Thunder Over The Boardwalk 2009
By Wyatt Earp | August 25, 2009
F-16 Falcons trailing a tanker.
Last Wednesday, I took Kyle and Erik to Atlantic City to see their annual Thunder Over the Boardwalk air show. The show took place over the beach, and was witnessed by close to 600,000 people – according to unofficial accounts. They were probably correct, since everyone was elbow to elbow. It was mega-crowded, but still a great time. The event began with an incredible Golden Knights parachute drop, which landed about 100 feet from our position:
US Army Golden Knights
The Air Force Thunderbirds were the day’s headliner, but since I already saw them last year with Captain America, I wanted to see the Warthogs. An A-10 demonstration came on early, and I captured this cool (although distant) footage:
I’m sorry, you can have your Raptors and Hornets. I want me a Warthog. The boys, for their part, wasted to see the Raptors, and we were treated to a very low (and ridiculously loud) flyover by four of them. They loved that, but for some reason, they enjoyed the stunt biplanes more. I caught some of that footage, too:
Don’t get me wrong; they were cool, but if they aren’t armed, what’s the point? Heh. We also got to see a Coast Guard rescue demonstration, and this photo gives you an idea of how crowded it was on A.C.’s tiny beach:
Yeah, it was hot and crowded. Just like Lindsay Lohan’s bedroom. I would have captured more images and video, but dumbass that I am, I forgot to charge the camera battery beforehand. The battery died moments before the P-51 Mustangs came by. Dammit.
After about two and a half hours, the kids had had it. And in all honesty, so had I. It was too hot and we couldn’t really catch a swim, since Atlantic City’s beach was completely disgusting. It was dirty and covered with dead, washed-up crabs and mussels. Even daredevil Erik didn’t want to go in there, and that’s saying something. So, we packed up and made the four-block walk to our parking spaces, content with seeing Warthogs, Mustangs, Biplanes, and Falcons.
Good times.
Topics: The Boys, The Troops | 8 Comments »
August 25th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Great video footage!
It is a shame it was too gnarly out for you all to stay.
Glad you got see a good show, though.
August 25th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Do they have this every year? If so, I’m goin’ next year.
August 25th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Ha! That’s MY KC-10 up top there!
Well, not really – I’m just a Reservist aircraft maintainer out of McGuire. But that’s where that KC is from.
Glad you enjoyed it! BTW, it’s a law of nature that airshows are on the hottest, wettest day of the year.
August 25th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
RT – Thanks. If I had remembered to charge the damned battery, I would have captured some F-16 action.
Randal – They do, and announced that here will definitely be a show in 2010. McGuire AFB had one last year. That had room for static displays, where you could walk right up to an F-14 Tomcat. Awesome stuff.
Macbrun – First, thank you for your service. Second, thanks for reminding me that it was a KC-10. I didn’t write everything down like I usually do. When I went to McGuire last year, it was sunny, but the temp on the tarmac was about 900 degrees.
August 26th, 2009 at 12:49 am
A quibble. The Army’s parachute team is the Golden Knights, West Point’s is the Black Knights. Minor I know, but where I work, some folks would have a fit.
August 26th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Deadcenter – Jesus, I’m sorry. Consider it fixed.
August 26th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Oh, I am such an idiot. That’s a KC-135 in the picture, though we did have a KC-10 at the show! The -135 is likely from the Air National Guard side of the base at McGuire and the -16s are likely from the Atlantic City Air Guard.
August 26th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
You should check out the Reading Air Show. It is an annual event on a weekend near the 6th of June (to commemorate D-day).