Thunderbirds say 'yes'
By From staff reports
Published in News on December 10, 2014 1:46 PM
One word sums up the excitement over the announcement that the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds will return to Wayne County for the 2015 Wings Over Wayne Air Show, said Julie Daniels, chairman of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee.
Awesome.
The Thunderbirds announced Tuesday that they will perform at the two-day event that will be held May 16 and 17 on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
"We are excited," she said. "Obviously, they are a big draw to get people in the community ... on the base and to let them see what our airmen are doing every day.
"It is a headline draw that will bring in more people and make it a wonderful show. We are super excited to have them for our county."
The popular event that traditionally draws a huge turnout and generates millions for the local economy was canceled in 2013 because of budget cuts.
Since then, bringing Wings Over Wayne back has been a major focus of the MAC, the Friends of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base support group and the community in general.
But the Thunderbirds coming will not, alone, ensure a success.
There is still much planning to do, Mrs. Daniels said.
"This open house and airshow will be one of the biggest events North Carolina will experience in 2015," said Col. Mark Slocum, 4th Fighter Wing commander. "We'll have a world-class lineup of performers in the skies over Wayne County, demonstrating the awesome firepower our Air Force is known to deliver.
"Wings Over Wayne is Seymour Johnson Air Force Base's opportunity to say thank you to our community and state for all their incredible support, and we hope everyone will come out and enjoy the show."
The Thunderbirds and Seymour Johnson's own F-15E Strike Eagles will be featured during the show, with support from many other aerial performances that will be confirmed at a later date.
And dozens of the Air Force's most prominent aircraft will be on display for spectators to view up-close, including the F-35 Lightening II, F-22 Raptor and F-16 Fighting Falcon.
"With our partners from the USO and the combination of aerial and ground entertainment, it will be an awe-inspiring experience for our highly supportive North Carolina community," airshow director Maj. James Ladd said. "The show will feature entertainment for all ages. Our gates will be open to anyone and everyone for this highly anticipated event. The skies above Seymour Johnson Air Force Base will be full of action."
The theme of the event is "Seymour Johnson AFB salutes North Carolina, Celebrating Generations of Freedom."