The Miramar Air Show is hands down one of the most impressive events in San Diego. The energy, the aircraft, and the overall experience are on another level. Watching the jets--especially the Blue Angels--fly low and fast overhead is something you really have to see in person to appreciate. What makes this show stand out is the scale. It's actually considered one of the largest military air shows in the U.S., bringing in hundreds of thousands of people each year, and you can feel that excitement the entire time you're there. There's so much more than just the aerial performances too--being able to walk up to real military aircraft, check out exhibits, and even interact with pilots and crews makes it a full experience, not just a show. The Saturday night "twilight show" is a highlight with fireworks and the famous wall of fire--it gives the whole event a completely different vibe. It's family-friendly, exciting, and honestly feels like a mix between a festival and a high-adrenaline performance. Only thing to keep in mind: it gets crowded, hot, and loud--so come prepared and get there early if you want a good spot. But overall, it's 100% worth it. Definitely one of those events you should experience at least once if you're in San Diego. read more

Don't miss the Miramar Air Show September 26-28, 2025 in San Diego. There are many great shows and food trucks. If you're looking for a new career for yourself or adult children, there are many military and law enforcement recruiters passing information. Check it out! Happy Yelping :) read more

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MCAS Miramar hosted another amazing air show this year with the US Navy Blue Angels synchronized flying, artful smoke trails/streams, and explosions of kinetic energy enough to make my body vibrate and make me want to cover my ears. Parking lots helped streamline the crowds in an organized fashion. read more

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I have driven by the airshow many times over the past 15 years, and never attended. This year I went for the first time. It's simple to get to and there's an abundance of parking. And best of all it's a FREE show. You have the option of paying for premium seating, but it's actually not necessary. There are tons of vendors selling merchandise on the inside. It's 3 days long with something different each day. I went on the second day, which was a Saturday. The airshow was spectacular! I recommend some hearing protection for the little ones or if u have sensitive hearing. It's gets pretty loud. I definitely will Come again next year. read more

Miramar Air Show - C5 - Local Flavor Near Me - San Diego, California

The annual air show is a great free experience for all ages. The hardest part is the heat off the tarmac and the noise level. There is an indoor area that you can walk around in to get out of the heat. As for the noise bring earplugs, earbuds, or a headset. Since my kids were little if we forgot they sell great noise canceling headsets that fit over the ears and dampen the noise. (Helps for sensory issues with sound) The show has a published schedule and it stays fairly close to what is publicized. It is a lot of people and sometimes lines to see certain aircraft's. The staff is very helpful. There are golf carts if you need help getting across the tarmac from onside to the next. Do not miss the Blue Angels They are always last and spectacular. If you don't like crowds you can see the planes fly from different spots around San Diego. They did practice runs on Thursday, so you could see them in the sky then as well. read more

Miramar Air Show - Blue Angels - Local Flavor Near Me - San Diego, California

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The Miramar Air Show is absolutely massive in size and scope, with an incredible mix of aircraft displays, vendors, and interactive exhibits. Everywhere you look, there's something cool to see, planes of wars past, modern military jets, helicopters, and even ground weapons you can walk right up to. It's not every day you get this close to so much history and technology in one place. We opted for the VIP experience in the Semper Fi Chalet, and it was worth every penny. With food, and alcohol included, and one of the best vantage points to watch the show, it made the day extra comfortable. Throughout the show they also have big explosions and fireballs which replicate what a bomb strike might be like, the Chalet offers great views of these special effects. Sitting back with a cold drink while jets roared overhead with the explosions bombing, was something special. If it gets too hot, there is a giant tented area where you can escape the heat and drink a cold one while you eat. One of the highlights for me was interacting with the servicemen and women who were all respectful, gracious, and inspiring to talk with. Their passion really added to the day. A female service member captivatingly described, in broad, non-technical terms, how crews prepare and aim a giant field cannon for long-range firing, likely a 155mm howitzer, I was awestruck when she mentioned that gravitational pull factors into the equation. On the performance side, Aaron Deliu blew my mind with his aerobatic stunts. Hearing him talk live from the cockpit as he pulled off insane maneuvers was unforgettable. But the ultimate showstoppers were the Blue Angels flying their F/A-18 Super Hornets in tight, high-speed formations. WOW is all I can say, this was my first air show, but definitely not my last. The only negative, which is understandable, but the parking is sprawling and easily a mile away from the tarmac area where the show happens. Just be mentally prepared. read more

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America's Air Show!!! I have been coming to the Miramar Airshow since I was a kid and now I bring my kids. HIGHLY recommend this yearly event. And it's doable for all, no matter what your financial outlook is like. General Admission is free and you can bring in your food as long as you follow the bag policy. You can bring your chairs and not spend a single dollar if you don't want to. On the other hand, I HIGHLY recommend the box seats. The views are incredible. You can enjoy the show, walk around and not have to worry about saving a spot or lugging around are your gear. read more

My first time at this Airshow and it was pretty awesome! It's definitely a whole day event with the Blue Angels for the grand finale. I didn't expect parking to be such a huge production but we drove around the base to get to the lot and then had to walk 45 minutes to the air field. Once at the airfield there were interesting sights to see including the airshow. Also plenty of food vendors and different giveaways. read more

Miramar Air Show - Local Flavor Near Me - San Diego, California

First off, a big warning. Parking is a huge mess. It took us two hours to get into one of their many free parking lots so we were late to the show and it took us 2 1/2 hours to get out of the parking lot. It is a cluster mess parking wise. If you don't have the patience which we barely did to sit through that, you might want to go to a different airshow Otherwise, once you get in, it is lovely. Lots of food, vendors, souvenirs, lots of people, lots of wonderful airplanes, helicopters. An amazing air show. We bought the Semper Fi tent tickets. Totally worth it. Had an amazing view and very good food in the included lunch. We had our own Porta potties in the simper fi tent. And free unlimited drinks. If you can splurge for those tickets, I would highly recommend it. I'm not sure what the answer is with the parking. It actually might be faster to park on the street or across the street at the mall and walk. If you are able to walk that long distance. I think the problem is is that anyone can go into the airshow without tickets, but in order to sit in the viewing areas or grand stands or the tents, you have to buy tickets. So I guess a lot of people go and they just watch from the place where all the vendors, food vendors, etc. are. Very strict security at the entrance. They even asked why we brought medicine. No outside food or drink are allowed. They also have a separate entrance for foreign visitors, who were checked extremely thoroughly. read more

Miramar Air Show - Local Flavor Near Me - San Diego, California

Thank You Thank You Thank You Not only to the Awesome Pilots for those Incredible Displays of Speed Precision and Raw Power, but to all The Men & Women who made our experience yesterday Sunday the 28th of Sept. Freeking Awesome!!! So Smoothly from arrival at 11 a.m. to the end of The Show. Flawless We So So Appreciate our Military here and as I say Thank You for your Sacrifice, not just the Dedication of your Service to Our Country but the selflessness you perform everyday keeping us Safe. Blessings to All our Military Members Be Safe Be Well Mike Sirota San Diego read more

First time attendee. Here's a few tips for future newbies: Get there early. Traffic backs up to get onto the base/parking lots and the show entry points. Bring ID. It's a military installation. Bring sunscreen. Minimal cover unless you're fortunate to be in a tented space (more later) Clear plastic bags for your belongings. Hydrate I attended the show this year ('23) as a guest of the U.S. Navy - also thanks to a friend who brought me as her +1. After parking and hopping on the shuttle to ferry us to one of entrances, we presented ID's, were cursory searched and then we hopped onto one of the golf carts and were taken to the tent areas. There are corporate sponsors or areas where guests get to enjoy the show under cover of the sun, with seating and in some cases, with food and drinks. There are also bleachers and areas where you can also bring your own seating on the tarmac. Exhibits to see and vendors offering food and goods for sale. Lots of staff around offering assistance and lots of Porta Potty's around. I felt the event was well organized and family friendly. And the show was awesome. read more

Miramar Air Show - Local Flavor Near Me - San Diego, California

Such an amazing air show! I usually go to the Pacific air show in HB but Miramar is so much more interactive with lots more to see. Great day to spend with the family. It is on a base so you cannot bring in any bags etc unless it's in a clear bag. They sell them at the door for $5 if you forget or don't have one. You can buy tickets to the grand stand or sectioned off seating or in the tents. If you don't want to do that, you can bring your own chairs and sit and watch the show in designated areas. The lines to the concession stands are long but go by pretty fast. Only porta potties so be prepared. (By the end of the show, there was no more water to wash your hands- but there are sanitizers) Bring sunblock bc you'll be out in the sun for a long time! Definitely will be back next year! read more

Miramar Air Show - Local Flavor Near Me - San Diego, California

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Fun day of watching jets zoom by, performing daring tricks, and touring stationary aircraft on the ground. The entry and exit lines were long but we'll organized by the military personnel. There were plenty of food and drink options once inside, and ample shade thanks to the shadows under the parked aircraft wings. Be sure to bring folding chairs and sunscreen, and pack everything in transparent materials since opaque bags are not allowed. Also don't forget ID--mandatory to enter. Every SD resident needs to check this event out at least once. read more

Miramar Air Show - Local Flavor Near Me - San Diego, California

First time going to the show, and absolutely loved it! Couple of tidbits: the show is free, but if you want a seat on the grandstand, you do have to purchase tickets in advance. They do sell out several days prior to the event, so plan accordingly. Parking does take about 20 to 30 minutes due to the long lines getting into the Miramar base. There are a lot of food, vendors, and Porta potty's for all your humanly needs. We definitely didn't wanna be there the whole day because it is very hot and there's no shade. So we showed up early afternoon due to that the shows we wanted to see were in the afternoon. There was so many cool, military planes, trucks, tanks, boats park there for you to look at. And many of them allows you to walk through them and see the inside. There was at least one if not two military staff add each location answering all your questions and giving you short explanation of what you're looking at. Of course, the planes were the coolest there. There's air shows throughout the day, you can pick up a copy of the free program at one of the information stations. Or you can check it online. We saw the F 22 do crazy maneuvers in the sky, that was impressive. and of course, no airshow is complete without the blue angels performing I've seen them a few times in the past, but that is always a crowd pleaser. Highly recommend for children and adults alike. Guaranteed a good time, just remember to stay hydrated. read more

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I wanted to rejoin the military after seeing all the cool S#$%t we have. Amazing airshow with so many planes, vehicles and exhibits! But.... Let me start with the bad. So busy! I failed to get here early and paid the price. Getting to the parking lot took 15 minutes. No shuttles near or they were so slow and backed up. Walked over a mile from the orange lot to gate 2. Gate was backed up with about 300 people waiting to enter the flightline. Walked to the next gate, silver gate? and we couldn't get in without a shuttle. So the last gate, finally let us in. Then we had to walk all the way east on the flightline to get to the show. After the hour or so to get in, the show was pretty F'ing cool. I have attended before and worked here a few times. This was the first time I came as a civilian and it wasn't as fun. LOL Still, the amount of reps there from fire and cops to all branches of service, was awesome. Marine Raiders had their own booth! That was awesome. MCRD had a booth and will killed the pullup challenge! Got a free water bottle. Lots to do here and makes for an inspirational fun day. They just need to work on the logistics a little more and this would be a great event. read more

Miramar Air Show - Marine Raiders! - Local Flavor Near Me - San Diego, California

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Who doesn't like a good air show at the home of top gun fighter school? So glad that it was back in 2022 and their is a free general admission option. They don't make it easy on photographers since no bags or backpacks are allowed unless they are small and see through but you can bring a wagon to haul your stuff and they allow tripods. The various performers put on great demonstrations and of course at the end it is the us navy blue angels. I think the announcement said at 1 point they are 18 inches away from each other. Wow, talk about precision and skill. Great way to see live action of the planes and helicopters it also plenty are parked on the ground so you can get close and personal. There are food vendors and portapottys unless you pay for one of the tickets to the nicer areas. read more

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I remember going here as a kid in the 90s. Being an adult now, I had a chance to go for a work event. I learned this is a free event to attend. You just gotta deal with all the people and parking. Luckily I got in before the crowd showed up. Seeing the air power the U.S. military has is impressive. One forgets often the power of our military and the skill showed by the pilots to perform all the stunts and tricks these mighty military planes and jets can perform. There is a ton of vendors for food, employers, and lots to see on base. There is also a ton of law enforcement and military personnel circling the show so it's a family friendly and safe event. I'd be down to go again next year as this was a lot of fun. read more

I've been coming here the past few years and it's great for the kids. They love seeing all of the jets and getting to climb inside all of the military vehicles as well. The jets are EXTREMELY loud as well which I don't mind because I have my ear buds in because my ears are sensitive to loud noises. They do have a few cons tho. The walk from the parking area can be far. It's usually hot around this time of year so the sun is usually beating down on you all-day because there is no shade. They do have a few food options but I feel like they should have a bit more. The lines for seeing the vehicles and the airplanes can be a bit lengthy sometimes as well as the food lines so be prepared to wait. Regardless of the cons my kids still like to go so I will continue to take them until they grow out of it. read more

The best air show in America! Lots of fun activities for the whole family! I would highly recommend coming here with the family to enjoy all the festivities! read more

Miramar Air Show - Local Flavor Near Me - San Diego, California

We had a great time taking pics of all the aircraft, tanks etc and enjoyed the tech expo. Couple of suggestions for those who may go next year- know it will be hot so make sure you have sunscreen (they have sunscreen there) a hat, sunglasses, and ear protection (which they sell there for 2 bucks). Lots of drinks, food and icecream which was yummy. Parking was easy with a slight walk to admission. We took clear bags that we purchased from amazon which worked perfectly for us. Cant wait for next years. read more

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Where was handicap parking?? It was so difficult to find parking for my mother and my son with special needs.

People live under these loud planes that interfere with lives . The noise is excessive and unreasonable for a show . Completely inconsiderate and ridiculous read more

It's the Airshow again! Once a year the MIRAMAR MARINE BASE holds an Airshow and the Base is open for the public to watch this show. This 2022 the Airshow is on Sept. 23 to Sept .25 from 8 am to 4 pm. We love coming here every year, we see a lot of Aircrafts displayed on the ground and for some of them we can go inside the Aircraft. Their aircraft exhibition in the Air is spectacular. We love the BLUE ANGELS!!! They are the Highlight of the Airshow! We didn't have a hard time going into the Miramar Base, there was no traffic at all when we parked our car and when we lined up to the Shuttle in order to get to the Main area for the Airshow. Just a reminder that when going inside the Airshow area there is a bag inspection and only CLEAR BAGS or CLEAR plastics are allowed with you to carry your belongings, or if you can put your things in your pockets. A Few years back if your bag was small you were okay to go, but this time your bag needs to be a CLEAR BAG. If u don't have any Clear bags they sell some on the premises. The SHUTTLE will not drop you off exactly at the main entrance, you need to walk a bit more in order to get in. Going in is Fast, but when we were going home it took us 1 hour just to get to the shuttle that goes back to the parking lot where everyone's car was. Maybe it took that long 'coz we went home when the Airshow was closing. Other than that we enjoyed the show, the Aircraft Displays, and a few of the stands of souvenirs and food. Tomorrow, SUNDAY SEPT. 25, is the last day of the Airshow this year, so come down to the MIRAMAR MARINE BASE and enjoy the Airshow! read more

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We did not attend the air show. The thought of mingling with 100,000 people, lots of cement & asphalt, in 100 degree weather was not our jam. But, we did have a party at our house for those who did not want to go to the airfield. We had a perfect view of all the demonstrated flights by different jets, and the Blue Angels came up close many times. We had a great time bbqing, drinking, and lots of conversations! read more

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Awesome air show with lots to see. Be sure to wear lots of sunscreen and wear comfortable shoes, because there'll be a ton of walking, and bring plenty of water and earplugs. The infamous Blue Angels never cease to impress. It might take a bit of time to get on base and off base due to the crowds, but it's definitely worth it. There's metal detectors and they search your bags when you first enter. read more

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**Know before you go** - You need to bring an ID otherwise they won't let you into the event! I had no idea (but makes sense given its on a military base) - Also bring SO MUCH SUNSCREEN, hats - I'm not sure if it's allowed (you'll need to check the website), but if possible, bring umbrellas for shade and chairs to sit on (unless you are purchasing a physical seat ticket) Despite living in San Diego my whole life, I've never been to the Miramar Air Show! And I was delighted to find out that it can be accessed entirely FREE! That is so great for kids and families. We had actually bought VIP tickets to get front row seats, but you don't *need* to buy seats. However buying seats will let you into the actual show area and will give you the best, unobstructed views. But obviously, since it's an air show, you can see 90% of the show even if you are not in the actual show seating area. I will say, it is pretty brutal that it is during the beginning of September when it is still peak summer. It was so so so hot and I got sunburned so badly T_T read more

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This air show was amazing! Thanks to every person who was working there in that incredible hot weather! We got the most expensive tickets and believe me it worth every penny we spent! We been there for 8 hours, the gate to our sitting opened at 9 am, we had a breakfast/lunch/drinks included, the food was good and they had plenty choices of drinks and it's all unlimited. They also had own restrooms for us. So much stuff to see around! We got some free presents ( including hats, bracelets and some more little things ). EVERY ONE! PLEASE MAKE SURE TO BRING SUNSCREEN WITH YOU! The show? OMG! It was amazing!!!! We enjoyed every little thing of that show! And blue angels was a great finish of the show! Thank you guys so much for your service! I'll be back for sure! read more

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WE LOVE OUR MILITARY! The Miramar Air Show is a huge San Diego tradition that dates back many decades. I used to come with my dad, and now I bring my son to the air show. The air show is much more than a simple airplane display. It is very festive and fun with lots of displays to try out. There is a ton of food, beer, and wine with unique things to do like test drive a fast car. You can sit inside a modern tank. You can look inside a B-29. You can't beat the price. It was free parking and free entry. The military staff was very courteous and professional. We tried the Semper Fi Chalet at the center front part of the flight line. This VIP Chalet includes unlimited sodas, water, beer and wine. Also, they had several buffet stations for a continental breakfast and hearty lunch. Lunch was pulled pork BBQ sandwiches, hot dogs, pasta salad, salad, chips, and desert. There was great staff there. We loved the experience and will definitely do it again next year. You get to watch the show with nothing in your way because you are in the front. You're in the shade under the large tent and you have refreshments close to you. Private port potties are a nice touch. Although, its expensive... you get preferred parking and unlimited food and drinks. We thought it was well worth it for any aviation fans. read more

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It was hot, crowded, and a long day.... but it was all worth it. The Air show was super fun with a ton to do. We paid a lot extra for the shade tents and buffet, but spent more than half of the time out in the full sun for the best views. I would not go that route again. I would go much later and just stay for the last few hours. I would then go check out the offerings and planes while everyone else is in a massive rush to leave. The planes did not disappoint. It was really something else to witness the skill of all of the pilots. There was also a lot more merchant offerings than I imagined there would be. It's huge. Plus they have many planes and weapons on display. Kids can experience the vehicles first hand. There is a little kids play area. We did not go in, but I saw a lot of kids there doing trampoline, bounce house, zipline, etc... I'm happy my son has outgrown this phase because you miss the show while taking your kids there. Overall a 5 star experience!!! read more

We have attended this airshow frequently since 1998. This year was by far the worst organized show. - Very little signage on how to get in or out of the event. - Parking resulted in a 45 minute walk, just to wait inline for another 30 mins to get through the entry gate - Marines literally barking / shouting at the attendees. I've never seen that in the many years I've been attending but this year it was horrible to see that. - Big red EXIT sign over Gate 1 only to be barked at once again that Gate 2 is the way out. Then why on earth put up a big sign on Gate 1 ??? read more

If I could I would not leave even a 1 star review. First time going and I don't know if I'll ever be back! Came and they would not direct where handicap parking was. We finally parked and when walking to the gates every gate we went to they said we could not enter through and redirected to previous gate we had already tried to get into. We finally decided just to leave because we had been walking around for 30 mins! This was not just a problem for me but for many people as well. We at the end just decided to leave since there was never clear directions of where to go. read more

It's an awesome experience to stand there and watch them fly by!! Hearing them break the sound barrier is so awesome.

Fantastic!....that's what I was saying about this year's Marine Corp Air Station Air Show at MCAS Miramar,San Diego California! This is THE US Marine Corp Air ops base in Miramar-featured in the latest "Top Gun-Maverick" feature film by Tom Cruise! The Marines hosted this year's show with military aircraft displays such as the latest fighter aircraft The F35 Raptor,VTOLs,transport and military personnel deployment aircraft,ground assault,weapons demonstrations,vendors,kids action and fun slide zones,great food,great weather and more! The Blue Angel's were also on hand performing their world famous precision air show to everyone's delite! The air assault team's from Marines,Navy,Army, were on hand and dropping in on target zones for the public as well! This entire USA military event is huge and is absolutely free,including parking,all provided by MCAS Miramar! Going on now through Sunday! . . . . #mcas #miramar #marines #marinecorp #usa #seetheusa #tomcruise #topgun #topgunmaverick #godisgood #navy #army #coastgaurd #navyseals #armygoldenknights #frogs #militaryshows #airshow #yagottago #devildogs #usa1 #sanding #blueangels #ilovetheusa #hoorah #oorah #yourcorp #mycorp read more

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This review is for the Semper Fi chalet and not the air show itself. The air show is 5 stars all the way. My husband loves the blue angels. But I wanted to leave a review for the Chalet since I was researching all over the internet for pics and reviews for this VIP experience before I plopped $155pp on this. First off. Cons; -No preferred parking included this year that was available previous years. -don't expect good seats with shade if you're even an hour late. Everyone reserves the shaded seats and no one sits on them the rest of the day. You can sit inside the tent, but it's pointless since you can't see anything. People are also rude about sharing spaces, even when no one is sitting there. Not really the Chalet's fault but people are just more entitled since they paid for a ticket I guess. My set up in the free section is more comfortable. -food was ok, not worth $155. You can spend $155 pp on vendors at the show and would end up with an amazing array of meals and snacks and drinks. Way better options. PROS; -you're definitely show center. We were able to see parts of the air show we haven't seen sitting in the free section -all you can drink, includes beer and wine We're not drinkers, so we only took advantage of the soda and water. Not really worth the cost of our ticket. If you drink, this may be worth the cost. They only let you order 2 drinks at a time -your own porta potty section, so no long walks to bathroom and no waits -you don't have to bring much with you since you'll have all your seats, food, and drinks provided. OVERALL: I think the experience was not worth the price they charge of $155pp. You can set up a better situation for yourself with a lot less. I think the tickets for the stands which is better viewing and then just getting your own food and drinks is gonna get you better set up. I would sit at the top to and bring an umbrella. I added photos to help with the visuals read more

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Such an amazing air show! This was our first time here, on Friday we checked out the airplanes, tanks, and merchandise, and then on Saturday we checked into the Devil Dog Chalet (worth the money) the food was amazing, and I was not expecting anything good, as I thought it would be typical buffet food, with no flavor, but I sure was wrong. Even the porta potties were top-notch, the ones on the outside were like the standard ones. Just remember you are going onto a military base, so clear bags and NO tobacco of any kind. This is listed everywhere as well as online, however, two people at two separate times had their tobacco taken away at the security check-in (and they were not happy) I am sorry, but why would you think it's ok to smoke or chew tobacco and spit on the floor. The military personnel were of course very professional, but the two people had attitude. There is so much to see, and the military personnel are so helpful and kind, answering all questions and interacting with people. Be patient with parking, there are a lot of cars. I am told you can get an Uber, however its a long walk to the air base so keep that in mind. We will be back next year for sure. AWESOME read more

A lot of crowd. Well organized shows. Long lines and strict security checks on non citizens.

The BEST airshow experience ever. Full line up of aircraft with lots of great vendors and experiences. I recommend paying extra for the chalet experience. You need to bring sun protection. read more

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Lack of respect from marines. Need some serious restructuring. Very disorganized as well. Felt more like an exodus than a show.

Horrible arrangements on 28th Sept 2024 Saturday. We met huge lines everywhere. A huge queue of cars to enter from East Gate. Were made to park in a side street by the solder on duty. It was a long way off. Walked half a mile to the 'Green and Yellow' shuttle area. Its not a bus, but a pickup with two open seated trailers. Waiting time for the shuttle pick up was one hour, in the sun. Old people were waiting under trees, in the sun. People muttering under their breath at the lack of speedy transports. The soldiers took and inordinate amount of time to slowly bring around the trailers, then pack away the lawn chairs, strollers, and wheel chairs in the back of the pick up accompanied by much shouting and hand gesturing. Then slowly the trailers wound up to the airstrip. There was no supervision and everything is left to junior marine recruits who keep laughing and joking and ignore the waiting people. From the trailer drop off point it took another 10 minutes walk to the airstrip where another huge line awaited people, with chaotic scenes by shouting soldiers that citizens line up here and 'foreigners' no less here. Another half hour to 45 minutes in the line, before we got onto the airstrip which was packed with people. We had entered the base at 12:30 and managed to reach the airstrip at 3:30 pm. THREE EXCRUATING HOURS IN QUEUES. The static displays were ok. Old aircraft lined up. The Blue Angels show was the hallmark of the events. Very skillful and well thought out. Kudos, and it was an icing to the whole show. But spending four hours in line for a 45 minute show gives one, something to think about. The return journey from the airstrip was horrendous. There were huge lines snaking around for the pickup, trailers. We spent a full one and a half hour, in the queue. The marines boys and girls standing there were joking and laughing while the public was made to wait for one slow pickup pulling two trailers, before the entire jing bang of loading the pickups was repeated. After some time the pickup stopped coming altogether. Most probably the soldiers were having a snack break in between. People women, children and old men were left standing shivering in the cold for the pickups. There was no supervisor around and the entire matter was left to a few junior recruits, laughing and joking. Perhaps the commander of MCAS thinks everyone is as fit as him. Don't know. When one pickup appeared the public clapped in frustration and cheered, but the marines were just not understanding and taking the hint, that they had to buck up and arrange transportation quickly. When ultimately our turn came for the 'Blue and Green' line pickup everyone rushed to the trailers and the soldier started screaming for people to get back in line. Ultimately we reached back to the drop of point in the pitch dark, while the bored marines could be overheard saying "cant wait to go home!'. From there we trudged back to our car half a mile away, missing several turns before we found it in the dark. CONCLUSION: If MCAS is so disinterested in the public's welfare, why host the show. At least some kind of officer supervision on the field is required for the visitors welfare and such an important matter should not be left in the hands of beardless boys in uniform, who are least interested in the drudgery. At least that was my impression. read more

If I could leave zero I would. Whoever the event planner was for this show needs to be fired. First complaint. I brought my veteran grandfather to watch this show as he has always wanted to see the blue angles perform. Paid for seating just to turn around leave once to the gates because it was still another 30-40 min wait for ID and bag checks. Now, back to grandfather, your planner really couldn't have came up with a better solution to get people from the parking locations to the front of the gates, especially knowing the amount of vetern to possibly show up? And then all bathrooms are locked except one porta potty spread here and there. Now, to the long, hot horrible walk, no one thought about maybe adding vendors so people could have water or refill stations? I've been to a few shows back in KY and was so excited to have my papa see this show just for it to be a disaster. read more