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Jets to fill Anderson skies in free air show
Snowbirds over Anderson
- When: Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 4 p.m.
- Where: Anderson Regional Airport, Anderson, SC
- Cost: Free
- Age limit: All ages
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Nine jets from Canada will fill the skies above Anderson this week, and anyone can see the show for free.
The Snowbirds, a Canadian Forces precision aerobatic team, will be appearing over the Anderson Regional Airport on S.C. 24 starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The flight crews will arrive in Anderson on Tuesday around 3 p.m., when they will make low passes over the city and the airport to see the layout of Anderson from the air.
On Wednesday morning, Snowbird team members will visit two Anderson public schools, Nevitt Forrest Elementary and Southwood Middle.
The Snowbirds team has been compared to the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, but the Snowbirds use trainer jets and fly nine at a time instead of seven, said John Ferguson, Anderson Regional airport director.
“Comparing the Snowbirds to the U.S. military’s Thunderbirds and Blue Angels is like comparing break dancing to the Bolshoi Ballet,” said Hugh Oldham of Anderson, a national air show narrator. “The Snowbirds fly nine jets in close formation, less than 36 inches (apart). They make more than 50 formation changes during their performance. It’s just an amazing display of beauty and grace.”
The Snowbirds show is impressive because during the show the wings of different jets can come as close as three feet apart while the planes are flying at 300 miles an hour, Ferguson said.
“The Snowbirds come to a lot of American cities, but they normally come to the bigger cities,” he said. “This is the only time this year they will be in South Carolina. They’ve never been to the Upstate.”
One of the world’s premiere military jet demonstration teams, the Snowbirds will be stopping off in Anderson between appearances this weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and next week in Pittsburgh, Ferguson said.
They will stay in Anderson before departing for Pittsburgh on Thursday.
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Posted by theflash on May 5, 2008 at 8:49 p.m.
I would like to know how these two schools were chosen by who and why? I think some of the kids in the schools left out would like to meet these pilot`s too.
Posted by Backwoods on May 6, 2008 at 1:38 a.m.
Sniffle...sniffle....
Posted by slycin56 on May 7, 2008 at 10:14 a.m.
I'm looking forward to watching their show this afternoon!! I've seen the others, but have never seen these guys.
Theflash - Ever got anything nice to say? Some positive suggestions or solutions, perhaps?
Posted by grinder50 on May 7, 2008 at 1:22 p.m.
I think it's great. Thanks to Mr. Furguson and every one involved.
Posted by wyatt1sc on May 8, 2008 at 9:04 a.m.
For those who attended:
Hope you managed to enjoy the first airshow in Anderson this millenium.
But I have a question.
What would your estimate of the crowd size be? I was there, unfortunately arriving late as I had work commitments. So I ended up speaking to Law Enforcement doing traffic control on 24/Michelin Blvd ( because I could not get even CLOSE to the Airport) and they estimated about 28,000-30,000 folks were in attendance.
People were parked up & down side roads, in business, parking lots and vacant lots for a mile around.That does not include the actual folks ON SITE at the airport facilities who were lucky enough to get there early or at all.
So with that;
Is Anderson so starved for real entertainment that it can draw 30K folks, mid-week during school & work hours, for an airshow lasting 45 minutes? Are we growing into such a mini-metropolis where that many people can be at once? And what can Anderson do to encourage more events such as this airshow, the first in nearly 4 decades ( talking with a long-time resident who stated the last was in the early 60's). How can this city/county encourage the multitudes of military located in South Carolina to provide such entertainment at our newly-lengthened runways on a much better timeframe( like maybe before a newborn toddler goes to college!).
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