Air Shows Take Flight in Ocean City Saturday and Sunday

Stunt pilots will perform a two-hour air show over the beach and Ocean City Boardwalk 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16.

The annual  is free to spectators and can be seen best anywhere along the oceanfront between Fifth and 14th streets.

The show will feature individual aerobatic performances and groups flying in formation. Featured performances include:

• Twin Tiger Skywriters and Aerobatic Team
• Gary Ward MX2 Aerobatics
• F16 Four-Ship Flyby
• Kevin Russo SNJ-6 Aerobatics
• U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dauphin Rescue Demonstration
• North East Raiders Flight Demonstration Team
• Andrew McKenna T-6 Aerobatics
• SNJ T-6 Formation Flights
• Jason Flood Pitts Demo (A year after a near-fatal crash, Flood is back in the cockpit.)

The Twin Tiger Skywriters — Buck Roetman and Mark Sorenson — will sky-write a welcome to introduce the show. The U.S. Coast Guard will demonstrate a rescue at sea. Jason Flood, who was injured several years ago during a banner pick-up here, has come back to become a stunt pilot and will perform.

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The 27th annual  is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat., Sept. 15 at the , 26th Street and Bay Avenue.

The airport’s grounds will be packed with unusual airplanes on display. There will be an awards ceremony at 2 p.m. for the most outstanding aircraft.

One highlight of the ground display will be a rare Mitchell World War II B-25 bomber that gained fame for its flexibility and durability during the war. It was brought to national attention in April  1942 when General James "Jimmy" Doolittle led 15 B-25s from the aircraft carrier Hornet in the first U.S. attack on mainland Japan.

The B-25 will take off from the airport at the conclusion of the festival at 3 p.m. It was made available to Ocean City by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum.

From 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., the N.J. Pine Barrens RC Club will present an model airplane exhibition with some of their miniature jets reaching speeds of 100 mph while performing maneuvers.

An advertising banner pick-up is also scheduled for noon. The Ocean City Board of Realtors will present a Bubblemania spectacular, a peaceful explosion of bubbles of all sizes to benefit Shore Memorial Hospital’s Pediatric Wing at 1:30 p.m. 

Among the many other features of the event will be a kite display by  of Ocean City on the airport’s runway. Various stunt kites will dance in the air assisted by Doug Jewell and his team of kite enthusiasts.

The event will be child-friendly with a paper-airplane-making and flying contest. There will be different age categories for children 12 and under. First place winners will receive a free ride on a real airplane, The Red Baron. The event also will include face-painting for children, antique cars, music, food, airplane and helicopter rides for a fee and more.

For information, call the Ocean City Public Relations Office at 609-525-9223.