CANADIAN “SNOWBIRDS” at the Paciifc Air Show (PAS photos).

By Declan McDaniels/Orange County Tribune

High speeds and thundering plane engines dominated the Huntington Beach area over the weekend, as the Pacific Air Show was held for the seventh time in this area. Located across from the Waterfront Beach Resort (Hilton) on Pacific Coast Highway, this display of the country’s best military aviators and civilian performers has seen up to three million people in attendance throughout the weekend in recent years. This year was no different, as people from all over the world gathered for the experience.

Los Angeles resident Nicholas Cipolla, who comes to Huntington for the air show every year, talked about the welcoming environment at the air show, as it brings in people from different walks of life to enjoy the spectacle.

“It brings a lot of different kinds of people together, people that you don’t usually interact with on a daily basis… it’s definitely family friendly.”

SPECTATORS watch the aerial show in Huntington Beach.

While the show is located in Huntington, the boom of these jets can be heard from miles away. The F-35 jet, one of the most awaited participants in the show, is so loud that it can be heard from about 18 miles in the distance, at a sound level of around 115 decibels. 

During the air shows, these planes are seen traveling upwards of 700 mph, but their full capacity can take these vehicles up to 1,228 mph. If the speeds get high enough, it will cause a break in the sound barrier, which is a sudden change in pressure that creates a “sonic boom.” 

This is what generates the powerful  sound, and it can actually be seen in the form of a vapor cone surrounding the plane.

Matt Reichard, a private pilot from Seattle who traveled down to Huntington for the air show, talked about his amazement in the abilities of the jets on display.

“The close-in maneuvers when they’re doing the fast pass, where they come down low and super fast, over 500 miles an hour, I like that a lot,” Reichard said. “Especially when it’s cloudy like this, you’ll get that compression cloud that forms around the plane.”

San Bernardino County Resident Scott Thomas had a similar interest in the F-35 jet, saying that those who are unfamiliar with it are shocked at the capability.

“People that come out and have never seen this kind of stuff, they’re just in awe, especially when you see the F-35, it’s just insane what that plane can do,” Thomas said.

Reichard has experienced this awe himself, as he claims his love for flying stems from seeing air shows as a kid.

“It inspires people to fly, that’s why I became a pilot too,” Reichard said. “You see them as a kid, and you want to fly too… that’s why they’re here, to inspire people.”

Thomas sees additional benefits in air shows, claiming that the display of our country’s best aviation shows the general public how our tax money is used.

“Some of the benefits is that people can see what our military force is capable of… see our tax-paying dollars at work,” Thomas said.

Critics of air shows might say that they are unnecessary, but many people seem to be inspired by the acts of these pilots and the power the planes hold. Despite cloudy weather throughout the weekend, the Pacific Air show seemed to be a success, as families and plane enthusiasts watched in appreciation.