How To Go
What: Vectren Dayton Air Show
When: Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29. Gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. both days.
Where: Dayton International Airport.
Getting there: Continuous Express Shuttle service provided by Greater Dayton RTA is available from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force to the show’s main gate for $3 per round trip. Hourly shuttle service also is available from Wright Stop Plaza in downtown Dayton to the show’s main gate. The regular RTA fare structure applies from downtown. Express Shuttle service will run between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Go to www.i-riderta.org or call 937-425-8300 for more information.
Public parking is located on National Road and North Dixie Drive. Cars are $10, and $20 for RVs and buses.
Admission: General-admission tickets can be purchased at the main gate and online. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for kids ages 6-11 and seniors. Children 5 and younger are free. Tickets purchased at Kroger will save $3. General Admission tickets are also available at the U.S. Air Force Museum.
Family Discount: The family 4-pack, priced at $74.95, is the best value for families of four with a savings of 30 percent. Family 4-pack tickets may be purchased online through noon on June 27.
More Info: www.daytonairshow.com or (937) 898-5901.
2014 Tentative Feature Show Schedule
Gates Open 9:00 AM
Feature Show: - 12:00 noon to 4:05 pm
Opening Ceremonies (Saturday only)
Flag Drop and National Anthem
Patty Wagstaff Teaser
Wright B Flyer
F-86 Sabre Demonstration
AeroShell Formation Aerobatic Team
Sean D. Tucker
US Air Force Wings of Blue Parachute Team
US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier Demonstration
Patty Wagstaff
Shockwave Jet Truck
US Navy Blue Angels with Fat Albert
All-Star Announcers:
Danny Clisham and Rob Reider
Gates Close 6:00 PM
Permitted Items:
-Unopened bottled water
-Chairs
-Blankets
-Handheld umbrellas
-Cameras
-Ice Packs
-Small coolers carrying only life-saving medication or formula bottles for infants
-Food, but it must be wrapped in clear packaging and cannot be in a cooler
What NOT to bring:
-Coolers
-Loose Ice
-Cans or glass
-Alcohol
-Pets
-Weapons
-Tents or awnings
-Cooking equipment
AIR SHOW DO’S AND DON’TS
- Consider taking public transportation. You'll save money and you don't have to worry about traffic and parking.
- Wear light colors and bring sunscreen.
- Stay well hydrated and take advantage of free water stations.
- Come early so you can get situated before performances start.
- Use ice pack instead of loose ice, which is prohibited.
- Limit the size and number of carry-in items
- Shaded areas are limited. Plan to be out under the open sky and dress according to weather forecasts.
The Vectren Dayton Air Show, one of the Miami Valley’s most popular regional events, celebrates its 40th year this weekend with the return of many of the major attractions that have put it on the aviation-enthusiast’s map. Last year, due to sequestration, military aircraft were prohibited from participating.
This year’s show — headlined by the Blue Angels jet team — takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Dayton International Airport. Flying acts are slated from noon to 4 p.m.. each day.
“It’s pretty rare to have a chance to see these airplanes up close and see them fly, and it really gives you a sense of the capabilities of these airplanes,” says Tim Gaffney, media relations director for the Air Show and a pilot himself.
Gaffney says the weekend is especially nice for families because they can come for the entire day and enjoy a variety of interesting experiences at a price that’s reasonable compared to other major attractions.
“It’s the only event of its kind in this whole region, the only other big air show is in Cleveland this year because the Indianapolis air show has been cancelled,” Gaffney explains.
He says one of the most popular military acts is the US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier Demonstration.
“It can take off and land vertically and is only appearing in eight air shows in the country this year.”
The air show is also a great way to learn about Dayton’s aviation heritage.
“We have a look-alike Wright B flyer from 1911, it’s the only airplane in the world like it and this is the only air show where you can come and see it fly every year,” Gaffney says. “After it flies, it’s on display and you can talk to the crews and pilots.”
Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger, who serves as Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, will participate in Saturday’s opening ceremonies. She is the first female four-star general in the Air Force.
Performance Pit Row
A new feature of the Air Show, introduced last year, is Performance Pit Row, located in the center of the show grounds.
“You can walk through planes, talk to the pilots, get up-close and personal with the majority of the performers’ aircraft, it’s really neat,” says Shiela Wallace, who has volunteered with the show for the past 27 years. She says June should be an ideal month for the event in terms of weather.
One of Wallace’s favorites this year is the Wings of Blue, a parachute team from Colorado Springs. It’s the first time since 1982 that the team has appeared at the Dayton show.
“They’re a real attraction and the thing that’s interesting is that the jumpers are all cadets, college-age kids,” Wallace explains. “One of the men who is coming is Cameron Potts, a 2-12 graduate of Carroll High School.”
Another local connection: One of the members of the Blue Angels jet team, that flies six Boeing F/A-18 Hornets in a tightly choreographed, high-energy demonstration — sometimes fly as little as 18 inches apart —is Lt. Cdr. John Hiltz, a native of Fort Mitchell, Ky., and a 1998 graduate of Covington Catholic High School. He was last in town when the squadron performed here in 2012.
And one of the members of the Blue Angels maintenance crew members is Joseph Bo Tullis from Miamisburg.
“What’s neat about the air show is that for anybody who likes aviation, you’ve got every kind of aircraft imaginable — from the Jenny, the first plane to fly U.S. Mail, to our current Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Jet Team,” says Wallace, a former Dayton Public Schools teacher who got her pilot’s license at the age of 48.
The kids, she adds, always have fun and the Kids’ Hangar and love the opportunity to walk through and around the planes.
Wallace says she’s always surprised when she talks to someone who has never been to the Dayton Air Show.
“I encourage people to give it a try,” she says. “They’ll really enjoy it!”
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