People line up inside the belly of a C-17 cargo plane on display at the 2018 AirFest at MacDill Air Force Base. There will be loads of vintage and new aircraft to tour and see when the AirFest returns Friday and Saturday, March 29-30, 2024. (Luis Santana, Tampa Bay Times/TNS)
(Tribune News Service) — The Tampa Bay AirFest returns to MacDill Air Force Base this weekend with the Air Force’s Thunderbirds in the sky and tours of vintage and spanking new aircraft on the ground.
Pay attention this year, because it will be a couple more years before another AirFest flies over Tampa.
Because of construction needed to expand its hangars for the new KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft coming to MacDill Air Force Base, there won’t be another AirFest until 2027 at the earliest, said Lt. Laura Anderson, a public affairs officer for MacDill.
“We almost canceled AirFest, but decided to squeeze one more in before construction starts,” Anderson said.
To replace its aging tanker fleet, the Pentagon has ordered 24 new KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft to be placed at MacDill. You can see them up close since the KC-46 will be on display at the AirFest.
They are among the many vintage and new aircraft that will be available for tours and up-close encounters.
MacDill is home to U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command and it plays a critical role in national security. So the base itself is an attraction. And since this is a free day of fun, more than 150,000 people typically show up for the two-day AirFest.
Here are some tips to make the day easier to navigate.
Getting there
The entrance to MacDill for the public can be found at the Dale Mabry, MacDill Avenue and Tanker Way gates. Department of Defense ID cardholders should enter through the Bayshore Gate only.
For the first time ever, the 2024 AirFest will be a Friday and Saturday show, “so that you can enjoy AirFest, and keep your Easter Sunday,” its Facebook event page states.
Getting there early, when the gates open at 8 a.m., is the best way to avoid the usual traffic bottleneck getting into a base that has a limit on parking.
Pro tip: There are several public parks not far from the base such as Gadsden Park on MacDill Avenue and Ballast Point Park on Interbay. Park your car there and then hop on your bike and you can cruise right past all those idling cars. But wear your helmet because the base requires all bicyclists to have them. Unless you want to leave your bike at the gate and hike into the event, wear your helmet and cruise over to the festivities. When the day is done you can breeze past the many cars waiting an hour or more to get out of the parking lot.
Another alternative is to watch the air shows from the water. There are some limits to getting too close to the base, but boaters are welcome to drop anchor and watch from the water.
Tips for the day
Dress like you are going to the beach because there is little shade. You’ll need sunscreen, hats and water bottles. (There will be refill stations set up throughout.) You can bring chairs to watch the air shows, but no umbrellas.
Hearing protection is recommended, especially for little ones.
Have snacks, toys and things to do for the kids while you are stuck waiting in the car to get in or out of the event. It may be a while.
Service dogs are allowed, but no emotional support animals.
Schedule
Gates open at 8 a.m., opening ceremonies are at 11:30 a.m. and flying starts around noon.
Pilots and crew will be on hand to chat, and you can take pictures in the pilot’s seat. Displays that are free to tour throughout the day include:
A-10, F-16 and F-35 aircraft
Tankers C-17, KC-10 and KC-46
Strategic transport aircraft C-5 and C-130J
Vintage and civilian aircraft such as the iconic AT-6 Texan World War II aircraft seen in the Pat Benatar music video for “Shadows of the Night” and the light Army aircraft known as the Grasshopper used in the 1940s.
Performers
You can see a full list and background history of aerial performers at tampabayairfest.com. Among those in the sky this weekend:
Para-commandos from the U.S. Special Operations Command’s aerial parachute demonstration team.
Warbird Thunder Airshows, with a 12-minute airshow performance featuring the North American SNJ Texan, a former WWII Navy advanced training aircraft.
Michael Goulian and Melissa Burns, two of North America’s most decorated aerobatic pilots.
Firewalkers International, an air show pyrotechnics team with a loud, hot and safe pyrotechnic that performs worldwide.
The Air Force Thunderbirds close out the day at 3 p.m. both days before the festival ends at 5 p.m.
If you go to Tampa Bay AirFest
The airshow and display of aircraft at MacDill Air Force Base is free and for the first time is being held on Friday and Saturday because of Easter weekend. Gates open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Flying begins at noon Friday and Saturday.
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