The Full Throttle Formation Team, one of the airshow's headliners, is the largest precision-flying team in the United States. (Photo courtesy of Full Throttle Formation Team)
The “Thunder Over the Waves” Airshow has announced the headliners that will entertain the crowds on the Wildwood beach in September.
The free, four-hour show on Sept. 6 is expected to draw over 200,000 spectators to watch 11 headlining acts, including the Full Throttle Formation Team, Mark Meredith, Scott Francis and Randy Ball.
The lineup will also include military performers from the N.J. Air National Guard, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Dover Air Force Base, the Fighter Jets Inc. MIG-17PF Jet Team and others.
A practice day will be held Sept. 5. The main airshow acts will include:
Full Throttle Formation Team
The Full Throttle Formation Team is the largest precision-flying team in the United States. Led by Dave “Torque” Romuald, the team flies a variety of conventional and tail wheel aircraft from the Vans Aircraft Company. Most of the aircraft in the team were built by the pilots themselves.
Mark Meredith
Mark Meredith’s aviation career began with the Navy, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1979 at the Naval Flight Officer training in Pensacola. He was an A-6 bombardier and navigator, but spent most of his Navy career as an aircraft maintenance officer, managing logistics and programs.
He retired as a captain in 2004 then continued to serve the Navy for nine years as president of M.S. Meredith Consulting, supporting acquisition programs and Pentagon staffs. He then left staff work in 2013 to finish rebuilding his Classic Airshows Super Chipmunk.
Aerobatic pilot Scott Francis, another act in the airshow, flies upside down for one of his stunts. (Courtesy of Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce)Scott Francis
Scott Francis, who is also a pilot for a major airline, flies in more than 30 airshows each year. He particularly enjoys interacting with spectators before and after each show. When he isn't flying an "away show", he can be seen performing at the Flying Circus in Bealeton, Va., every Sunday from May through October.
Randy Ball and the MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 was license-built in China as the Shenyang J-5 and Poland as the PZL-Mielec Lim-6. The MiG-17 is still being used by the North Korean air force and has seen combat in the Middle East and Asia.
Airshow Schedule
Following is the schedule of the current acts in the lineup (subject to change):
11:50 Opening Ceremonies
12:00 National Anthem with Army Golden Knights Flag Jump
12:06 Army Golden Knights Mass Exit Show
12:14 Military Flyovers Window
12:24 Mark Meredith DHC-1 Chipmunk Aerobatics
12:34 Scott Francis MXS Aerobatics
12:49 Jerry Conley DH-115 Vampire Jet Aerobatics
1:04 USCG MH-65E Search & Rescue Demo
1:14 Jersey Jerks 4-ship SNJ Formation Demonstration
1:24 Kevin Russo SNJ-6 Aerobatics
1:39 Patrick McAlee Pitts Aerobatics
1:54 Full Throttle Formation Team
2:10 Army Golden Knights Mass Exit Show
2:30 ACEMAKER T-33 Jet Aerobatics
2:45 P-5D Mustang Demonstration
2:58 Fighter Jets MiG-17 Jet Aerobatics
4:00 Airshow Ends
The Golden Knights are scheduled to open Wildwood's "Thunder Over the Waves" airshow Sept. 6 by performing their aerobatic skydiving. (Courtesy of the Golden Knights)Funding for the “Thunder Over the Waves” Airshow comes from a combination of sources, including the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority, the South Jersey Transportation Authority and corporate sponsorships.
The airshow is a free event for the public to attend. Sponsorship packages are available by contacting the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority at 609-846-2657 or email at [email protected].
