City Council Briefed On Next Month's Air Show

OCEAN CITY - The Ocean City Air Show is just one month away, and according to event organizers, the show is coming together as planned and promises to be an exciting first year for the Ocean City Air Show.

The Ocean City Air Show will be held Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11 from noon-3 p.m. A rehearsal day is scheduled for Monday, June 9 as well as an open house at the Ocean City Airport. The majority of the event is centered on 16^th Street, with ground displays along 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th streets from the Boardwalk to Baltimore Ave. Displays will also be set up in the Inlet parking lot, and visitors will have a chance to view the planes and talk to pilots at the airport.

Organizer Bryan Lilley presented the Mayor and Council with an updated list of performers this week, ensuring the council that the show is coming together as planned.

'We are in the home stretch, we come to you with very good news,' reported Lilley.

Lilley announced the addition of the United States Air Force F-16 and F-15 demonstration teams as well as its Heritage Flight Program, which features the fighters flying in a close formation with World War II, Korean and Vietnam-era fighters, such as the P-51 Mustang, explained Lilley.

The F-15 and the F-16 will partner with the US Army Golden Knights as the headlining performances for the event.

Two additional flyover teams have also been confirmed. Flyovers from Dover Air Force Base will be seen with the massive C-5 and C-17. A P-3 research aircraft from NASA at Wallops Island will also be performing a flyover.

The recently added demo teams will join the US Jet team, a three-jet aerial demonstration team, the US Army Golden Knights, a skydiving aerial demo team and the US Air Force Reserve Biplane.

The Geico Skytyper Demonstration has also signed on to the event and will be sky typing massive letters across the sky prior to and during the event. Sky typed letters are roughly the size of the Empire State Building and can be seen from 400 square miles, said Lilley.   'It's probably the biggest billboard we could get on the beach,' he said.

 Lilley reported that, to date, $45,650 in sponsorship has been raised, through a large variety of local sponsorship mixed with national sponsorship as well.

'Hats off to you, you've done a great job. I think this is going to be a great event for Ocean City,' said Councilman Jim Hall.

'I think this is going to be an event which is really going to become a key stone event for Ocean City,' said Councilman Jay Hancock.