THE
2008 AIRSHOW!

If you are looking for spectacular air show entertainment, great food, live music, classic cars, and let's face it, the biggest and best family event of the year… Tacoma's annual Fourth of July Freedom Fair on Ruston Way promises to deliver again. Between 1:30 and 3:30 PM the Tacoma Freedom Fair Airshow will take to the skies over Commencement Bay with some of the best aviation acts in the country. Best of all, it is free!

For a prime location to view the air show go to Marine Park between the Lobster Shop and Katie Downs. Spectators will have a superior view from Marine Park and soft grass to sit on. Come early and get a good spot! KLAY 1180 AM will be broadcasting the air show live, so bring your radio and tune into an aerial display that epitomizes a combination of power, skill, and courage. Master of Ceremonies Mike Berriochoa will keep it all tied together with his unique announcing style.

U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet— Tactical Fighter Demonstration

The F/A-18 Super Hornet is a supersonic carrier-based fighter aircraft, with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. Designed by Boeing, the F/A-18 had its first operational cruise was onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which calls Washington home. The Super Hornet entered service with the U.S. Navy in 1999 to replace the F-14 Tomcat. Aerodynamic and maneuverable because of its larger wing and internal fuel load, the Super Hornet is a super star of military flight.

Featured elements in the air show will include one of the newest military aircraft. A C-17 from McChord AFB will demonstrate the capabilities of the United States Air Force.

The Tailhook Legacy Flight ® involves today's state-of-the-art fighters flying in close formation with World War II, Korean War and Vietnam vintage Navy and Marine Corps fighters such as the F6F Hellcat and the North American Fury.

Visit the Tailhook Legacy Flight website.

F-16 Fighting Falcon - The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight fighter, the Falcon's innovations including a frameless, bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while under high g-forces, and reclined seat to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot. Although the F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", it is known to some of its pilots as the "Viper", after the Battlestar Galactica starfighter.

Visit the Viper West Coast Demonstration Team website.

Flown today by U.S. Air Force Captain Piggot, who deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Southern Watch and transitioned to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and flew the first of 33 sorties on the first night of the war. You’ll thrill as he guides this beautiful aircraft through the skies, showing off its extreme maneuverability and power.

Fouga Jet Show -
Watch as Bud Granley maneuvers two clover leafs, tight figure eight turns and 32-point rolls. The Fouga's ability to stay in close and tight keeps this ballet like show exciting. The tail slide at 2,000 feet caps a graceful performance.

Bud Granley Family Airshows Website

Tim Weber flies the GEICO Extra 300 S, one of the highest performance, one seat, production, aerobatic aircraft in existence today.

Visit Tim Weber's website.

US Air Force F-16 & P-51 Heritage Flight -
The U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight program was established in 1997 to commemorate the Air Force's 50th anniversary. It involves today's state-of-the-art fighters flying in close formation with World War II, Korean and Vietnam era fighters such as the P-51 Mustang and the F-86 Sabre. The flight's mission is to safely and proudly display the evolution of U.S. Air Force airpower and to support the Air Force's recruiting and retention efforts.

Visit the Heritage Flight Museum website.

The Pacific Prowler is one of only a handful of B-25’s that still fly today. The B-25 Mitchell Bomber was made famous on the daring Doolittle raid on Tokyo which took place four months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The B-25 Bomber went on to become the most versatile medium bomber of World War II, seeing combat in every theater of operation.

The Pacific Prowler is fully restored to her wartime configuration. The uniqueness of the plane and her crew's commitment to excellence set a new standard for air show exhibition.

The Coast Guard operates 42 HH-60J “Jayhawk” helicopters from eight air stations on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts and in Alaska. The Jayhawk is an all-weather, multi-mission aircraft equipped with twin 1,662 SHP engines made by General Electric and has a maximum speed of 180 knots and a range of about 600 miles.