Lauderdale Air Show Hits The High Skies
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Planes will soar over the skies of Ft. Lauderdale Beach and audiences will be blown away by acrobatic acts at the 2012 Lauderdale Air Show Saturday through Sunday.
Amazing Air Show Acrobatic Antics
The Navy Seals Leap Frogs will kick off the Air Show Friday as they jump from their plane and land onto a giant bulls eye on Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa's private beach.
After the Leap Frogs make their entrance, the public will be able to meet the show's pilots and join the poolside festivities at the hotel's Sea Level Restaurant & Ocean Bar.
The air boss, the man who makes sure all the planes straighten up and fly right, is Kevin Sullivan.
Sullivan coordinates with the air towers at Miami International and Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood to re-route thousands of planes around the show.
"My job is to do a lot of coordination before the show and then to coreograph the air show," said Sullivan. "Safety is number one...zero mishaps and then put on a good show so folks can enjoy it."
It's a show families like the Metz's have been missing.
They brought their twins to the beach Friday to watch the rehearsal for the show.
"It's amazing to see the kids excited. To see the Navy Seals coming down, not something you experience everyday," smiled Sofia Metz.
Her son Derek gushed seeing the air rescue dramatization.
"It was awsome when he was pulled up to the helicopter!" said Derek.
Chief navy Diver Eric Wilson who says his team practices tirelessly to make it look easy, said, "Accuracy is what counts. That's why we train to make it look easy."
The air boss Kevin Sullivan says he's as excited about this event as he was when he started the first one eighteen years ago.
"I just got needles on my arms seeing what we are able to do for the people," said Sullivan.
The show hits the high skies Saturday and will be headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and will include the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles Flag Jump, the U.S. Navy Seals Leap Frogs and demos by the U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue Team, as well as the Black Diamond Jet Team and the Red Bull Air Force One.
2012 Lauderdale Air Show Guide
Roads along A1A and Sunrise Boulevard have already been closed due to the weekend's festivities.
Click here for a complete list of road closures.
There are multiple ways to enjoy the show. For the optimal Air Show experience, audiences can purchase VIP tickets, boat owners can purchase a WFTL 850 Air Show Radio and watch the show from the shore line, and families who want a view of the show can arrive the day of and find a spot at the Family Zone at no cost.
Click here to purchase tickets.
