Pacific Airshow ready for takeoff in Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr’s words at the podium seemingly became softer and softer.

The United States Air Force Thunderbird jet revving up to her left only got louder and louder.

Carr paused her speech and smiled. Sometimes, on this early fall weekend, its best to just watch and listen to the spectacle.

The Pacific Airshow held a welcome ceremony for its military performers on Thursday afternoon at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. The airshow roars to life beginning Friday morning at the beach in Surf City, continuing through Sunday afternoon.

Pacific Airshow director Kevin Elliott, a Huntington Beach native, promises an event that’s bigger and better this year. He joked with Carr about changing Huntington Beach’s nickname from Surf City to Airshow City, maybe just for this weekend.

Brigadier Gen. Col. Michael Leeney swears in 21 of the newest U.S. Army recruits during the welcoming ceremony for the 2021 Pacific Airshow at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer )

For the second time in history, North America’s three jet teams — the Thunderbirds, U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Canadian Forces Snowbirds — will perform at the same airshow.

“If you add them up, it’s six Blues, six Thunderbirds and nine Snowbirds,” Elliott said. “You have 21 jets for 2021. So, we’re calling this year the 21 jet salute. We could all use something to celebrate.”

The show also features four additional demonstration teams. They include the Air Force F35-A demo team, led by Capt. Kristin “Beo” Wolfe, the first female to command the team.

It is free to the public, though there are also ticketed options available. The schedule is available by downloading the app. There is also the Afterburner Music Festival, set on the beach on Friday and Saturday nights after the last jet has landed.

Members of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flying team take flight during the welcoming ceremony for the 2021 Pacific Airshow at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer )

Thursday afternoon’s event followed a similar welcome Thursday morning at John Wayne Airport, for the show’s civilian performers. It featured speeches not only from Carr, but O.C. Supervisor Katrina Foley, state Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen and Los Alamitos Mayor Mark Chirco.

Media and elected officials watched demonstrations from the Thunderbirds, as well as the Navy Leap Frogs and Army Golden Knights parachute jumpers.

The event also had a future soldier enlistment ceremony led by Brigadier Gen. Michael Leeney, featuring 21 total new recruits of the Army, Army National Guard and the Air Force.

That was meaningful to Nguyen, a Vietnamese American member of a military family whose brother Robert served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq. She said she spoke no English and was on food stamps when she came to America at age 5, before becoming a state senator decades later.

“Only in America can this happen,” she said. “It’s so cool to see all of the military branches here today and this weekend.”

A member of the U.S. Army parachute team drops into the welcoming ceremony for the 2021 Pacific Airshow at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer )

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