South Padre Island hosts its first air show ever Aug. 27-28 as Roar by the Shore comes to town, featuring modern jet fighter demonstrations as well as aircraft from across the decades going back to World War II.
The flying starts around noon both days. The event is being presented by Holiday Inn Resort, which will also serve as the center of operations and offer VIP seating and other perks for those who wish to buy tickets. It’s not necessary to purchase a ticket to enjoy the flying, however, said Dennise Hernandez, marketing and communications specialist for the SPI Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“Actually it is a free event,” she said. “The tickets are just for people who want to be super close to the action. If you want to be right in the middle of everything it would be with a ticket.”
Anyone watching from the the beachfront between the Saida Condominiums and the jetties to the south should have a decent view of the flying, she said. One thing is certain: It will be noisy. Following the closure of the airspace and waters within the flight zone at 11:30 a.m., the opening ceremony and national anthem, spectators will be treated to a formation flight of Navy T-45 Goshawk jet trainers in formation, followed by a Boeing C-3C Sentry early warning and control system aircraft (Saturday only).
Although the schedule is subject to change, the show is set to feature a Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet demonstration, a U.S. Navy “legacy flight” performed by an F/A-18F Super Hornet and a Douglas AD-4N Skyraider, the last piston-engine attack aircraft used by the both the Air Force and the Navy, and a U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue demonstration.
Randy Ball is scheduled to perform aerobatics in his Cold War-era MiG-17F Russian fighter. The show will also feature a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor demonstration, plus a U.S. Air Force heritage flight by an F-22 Raptor and a World War II-era P-51 Mustang, making for the final flight of the day. The airspace and waters are scheduled to reopen at 4 p.m.
The event will also be live streamed for those who can’t attend in person. Ajay Padmanabha of LHTC Media, which is handling the live stream for David Schultz Airshows, which is putting on the event, the Island is the ideal place for an air show in terms of visibility.
“We did the Atlantic City air show last year,” he said. “There were 750,000 people. In Atlantic City there are a bunch of casinos that are 60 stories high that are blocking the view when the planes turn around. South Padre Island, there’s some tall buildings obviously, but most of it’s flat, so that means when you’re on the beach you have a 360-degree view of all the planes. There is nothing obstructing the view. You can follow the planes the entire time.”
Padmanabha said he’s hoping for a big turnout so that it can become an annual event, noting that air shows typically provide a boost to local economies thanks of the number of people they attract.
“This is South Padre’s first year, a new venue,” he said. “Obviously we prefer it to be a success so we can come back next year.”
Hernandez expressed a similar wish.
“We are expecting it to be very popular, and hopefully it generates enough (interest) to where they can make it annual thing,” she said.
For information about VIP tickets visit tickets.roarbytheshoretx.com/event/roar-by-the-shore-air-and-space-expo-2022.
