America's Block Party
4/20/2006 10:42:46 AM by Scott Snay
Air & Sea Show, Fleet Week USA promises to be biggest ever
The week-long combined event will be highlighted by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Demonstration Team and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
What’s more American than boats, beer, bikinis, barbeques and bombers? In short: The 5th Annual McDonald’s Air & Sea Show and Fleet Week USA. It’s an incredible block party of events to help celebrate America’s military service heroes who serve at home and abroad. It’s held annually in Fort Lauderdale, and it gives boaters a great opportunity to see the show on the water.
The Air & Sea Show is scheduled Saturday and Sunday, May 6-7, and is part of Fleet Week USA, which runs May 1-7.
The flyby patterns the military aircraft and civilian stunt teams use will be set along a four block stretch of A1A, between Las Olas and Oakland Park boulevards. Just offshore is an ideal anchorage for boaters, who come from as far south as Miami and as far north as Palm Beach to watch the spectacle. This year promises to be the biggest yet, and the list of participants has grown.
The week-long combined event will be highlighted by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Demonstration Team and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
All the armed forces will have aircraft on display, which will include the B-2 Stealth Bomber and F-15 Strike Eagle, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force, a Harrier close support ground attack fighter and the V-22 Osprey used by the U.S. Marines. The Osprey is a particularly interesting aircraft, as it’s almost a hybrid of a helicopter and a conventional airplane; and promises to be the future of Marine Corps aviation.
There will be civilian air stunts and demonstrations in between the military display. These acts will include some well known stunt pilots, such as Team Oracle’s Sean Tucker, who performs in a specially modified Pitts aerobatics plane, and the Red Barron Pizza Squadron. And, no air show would be complete without a blimp, and Goodyear will have one on hand.
The McDonald’s Air and Sea Show will also recognize the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the first all-African American fighter squadron in WWII. The Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 sorties in their distinctively marked red-tailed Mustang fighters during that war, often serving as escorts for American bombers.
For those going by water, there will be increased security at Port Everglades, and many boat ramps may be closed during the event. There will be police and U.S. Coast Guard boats and auxiliary vessels on the water, as usual; so boaters should have the required safety gear such as PFDs, signaling horn, life jackets, and signal flares on board and up-to-date. This doesn’t mean boaters can’t get out there, but the channel will be closed during the event. There are plenty of public ramps such as Baker’s Haulover, the 14th Street ramp in Pompano Beach, and others in the Fort Lauderdale area. Boaters can anchor out overnight if the weather is good. It’s the best way to get a good spot, and makes for a nice weekend with friends and family.
The best place to be to view the show for those on land will be the four block area between Las Olas and Oakland Park boulevards. The Navy and Marines will stage a joint exercise “Invasion of the Beach,” and this area will be the best for viewing. The shows run both Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will also include a parachute demonstration by the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team.
Things to do with sailors and marines
There will be several events for residents and civilians to mingle with sailors and marines, including and the events cover most anything, from nightclubs to golf:
• An open invitation to celebrate with visiting sailors at the “All Hands on Deck” at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Monday, May 1.
• The Fleet Week USA Golf Classic to benefit Cystic Fibrosis on Tuesday, May 2, at the Fort Lauderdale Golf and Country Club from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Liberty Call party at Beach Place on Tuesday, May 2, from 6-10 p.m.
• The Anchors Aweigh party, to be held Wednesday, May 3, at the historic Downtowner Saloon from 6-10 p.m.
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quicksplash What to see It wouldn’t be Fleet Week USA without ships, and those will be at Port Everglades. With increased port security, the ships won’t be open for public display. Student groups and ROTC groups from high schools will be allowed to tour after background checks are approved. The visiting ships will include: • USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), Guided Missile Destroyer • USS Boone (FFG 28), Guided Missile Frigate • USS Shreveport (LPD 12), Amphibious Transport Dock • USS San Antonio, Amphibious Transport Dock • USCG Elm, Coast Guard Cutter • Fast Attack Submarine, HMCS Preserver (ADR510), Canadian Auxiliary Oiler/Replenishment Ship • HMCS Halifax (FFH 330), Canadian Frigate (helicopter carrier) |