When people start gathering around the Huntington Beach Pier on Friday, Sept. 29, for the city’s annual air show, they won’t be waiting long for the thunderous roar of jet engines to kick off the festivities.
“The first thing they’re gonna see is four F-15 Strike Eagles at 10:30 a.m. coming in to rip up the sky and wake everybody up,” Pacific Airshow Director Kevin Elliott said. “So, it’s just going to be absolutely everything brought to the next level.”
The popular three-day air show will feature new fighter jet demos, aerobatics and parachutists performing right off the coast in Huntington Beach.
This year’s event runs from Friday to Sunday, with performances each day starting at 10:30 a.m. and flying until 4:30 p.m. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather to watch the aircraft. Some highlights to see this year include an F-22 Raptor demonstration, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
“For many years, the most common comment that we receive on our social media and through all of our social networks is ‘Where’s the F-22?’” Elliott said. “That is the pinnacle asset as far as single-ship demos. It’s the most advanced fighter airplane on the planet, and we’re gonna see it run through all of its paces in Huntington Beach for the very first time.”
Beginning today, residents should expect to hear jet noise throughout the week. Work is already underway to build the expanded ticketed areas on the beach, which extends from the pier to Beach Boulevard.
Huntington Beach leaders throughout the summer said repeatedly that this year’s air show wouldn’t happen without the city paying the air show organizer almost $5 million to settle a lawsuit. Pacific Airshow sued Huntington Beach after the city canceled the final day of the 2021 air show when an oil spill was reported offshore.
That settlement led to a litigious summer, from a legal challenge after City Attorney Michael Gates refused to…
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