Speed, agility, control, and power are the hallmarks of the United States military top supersonic jets, and the best of the best of these advanced aircraft will be on full display at the 2022 Pacific Airshow.
This year’s Pacific Airshow is expected to take to the skies over Huntington Beach from Sept. 30 – Oct. 2, according to the organization.
Among the advanced aircraft include the U.S. Navy F-35C, the US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet “Rhino” and the Pacific Air Force (PACAF) F-16 Viper as well as the vital support and transport aircraft the U.S. Air Force C-17 and U.S. Air Force C-130J Hercules.
“Pacific Airshow is proud to showcase the advanced technology and aviation capabilities of these incredible machines, and more importantly, the talented and dedicated pilots who fly them and the ground crew who keep them operation at full capacity,” said Kevin Elliott, Airshow director and CEO of Code Four. “They are loud and make us proud.”
These are also the types of jets that take to the skies for the inaugural Pacific Airshow Gold Coast over Surfer’s Paradise Beach next Aug. 18 – 20, 2023.
Supersonic jets flying in the 2022 Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach include:
U.S. Navy F-35C
The F-35C is the first and world’s only long-range stealth strike fighter designed and built explicitly for Navy carrier operations. Its configuration, embedded sensors, internal fuel, and weapons capacity, aligned edges, and state of the art manufacturing processes all contribute to the F-35’s unique Very Low Observable stealth performance. This enables pilots to evade enemy detection and operate in anti-access and contested environments. The F-35 C can reach speeds of Mach 1.6 but pilot Lt. Joe “811” Calvi to maintain average speed of about 500 miles an hour over Huntington Beach.
U. S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet “Rhino”
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet entered fleet service in 1999, as the replacement for the F-14 Tomcat. The Super Hornet is the second major model upgrade since the inception of the F/A-18 aircraft program highly capable across the full mission spectrum: air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression and day/night precision strike. The F/A-18 Super Hornet can reach speeds more than Mach 1.8. The F/A – 18 Super Hornet will be flown by Lt. Garrett “Hana” Sherwood.
The PACAF F-16
Demonstration team operates from Misawa Air Base in Japan and promotes position relationships between the United States and nations across the Western Pacific. The team demonstrates the awesome power and maneuverability of the F-16 to the delight of aviation enthusiasts everywhere. Earlier this year the PACAF F-16 demo performed at the Japanese American Friendship Festival in Tokyo. Prior to joining the Air Force Thunderbirds pilot Capt. Jacob “Primo” Impellizzeri lead the PACAF F-16 demo team. The F-16 Viper demo is now piloted by Maj. Josiah “Sirius” Gaffney.
Powerful Support and Transport
While supersonic jets may take center stage, the workhorses of the military’s flying fleet are the transport aircraft that carry troops, supplies and fuels. This year’s Pacific Airshow will feature two of these powerful aircraft – the U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster and the U.S. Air Force C-130J Hercules.
U.S. Air Force C-17 The Mighty Moose
The C-17 West Coast Demo team showcases the airlift capabilities of The Might Moose. This aircraft is designed to airdrop 102 paratroopers with their accompanying equipment and boasts a maximum payload capacity of 85 tons. With a payload of 82 tons and full fuel tanks, the C-17 has a range of 2,400 miles with an impressive cruise speed of approximately 523 miles per hour. The design of this aircraft allows it to operate through small airfields and it’s capable of landing at Long Beach Airport’s shortest runway, 8R/26L which is 3,918 feet long. Maj. Doc Schumacher will be flying the C-17.
U.S. Air Force C-130J Hercules
The C-130J flying in the Pacific Airshow is from the 146th Airlift Wing at Channel Islands Air National Guard Base. It will be demonstrating the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) which can drop up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in less than 10 seconds across a quarter-mile line. The C-130J pilot is Capt. Cameron Sheppard
The first C-130J Hercules took flight in April 1996 and to date 500 have been built. This four-engine turboprop transport aircraft can carry helicopters, armored vehicles, troops, and supplies with a maximum payload of 21 tons. Compared to older C-130s, the J model climbs faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance. The C-130J cruises at around 500 mph at 22,000 feet. Maj. Doc Schumacher will be flying the C-17.
These aircraft will take to the skies all three days of the Pacific Airshow. For more information and premium tickets, please visit www.pacificairshow.com, and follow Pacific Airshow on social media @pacificairshow.
Since its launch in 2016, Pacific Airshow has grown to become the largest airshow in the United States by attendance attracting millions of spectators to Southern California every fall. Spanning over three days, the Airshow features the best in military and civilian flight demonstrations from teams all over the world, including past performances by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, Royal Air Force Red Arrows, and Canadian Forces Snowbirds. The family-friendly weekend is lauded for its showcase of pop-culture featuring live music, premium ocean-front hospitality, VIP social events, STEM activities and more. Pacific Airshow has been recognized by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as the Civilian Airshow Site of the Year in both 2018 and 2019 and was named among the Top 5 Airshows by USA Today’s 10Best. The event has become the cornerstone of the fall calendar for residents and visitors from as far away as Europe and Asia while delivering a more than $105 million economic impact to the City of Huntington Beach alone and even broader economic benefits to the County of Orange and Southern California.
Now with its scheduled expansion to the Gold Coast of Australia in August of 2023, Pacific Airshow will become the largest airshow franchise in the world and the only airshow to host two international editions.
For more information, please visit www.pacificairshow.com, follow Pacific Airshow on social media @pacificairshow and download the mobile app from the app store.