Shaw Air Expo to be held in Sumter

For the first time in four years, the 20th Fighter Wing is scheduled to host the Shaw Air Expo and open house this weekend. The event is being called “Thunder Over the Midlands.”

The air expo — called “Thunder Over the Midlands” — will feature the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, a precision-flying demonstration team, and the Black Daggers, the official U.S. Army special operations command parachute demonstration team.

The event will be held Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both admission and parking are free.

More than 20 aerial performers are scheduled for the show, including the U.S. Navy F-18 Hornet Demonstration Team, the 82nd Airborne Division Combat Aviation Brigade, and the Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Demonstration Team. There will also be several static and interactive displays.

U.S. Army Central, based at Shaw, will also present displays and demonstrations. In addition to the Black Daggers, the Army will offer close-up views of some of its newest equipment, such as the M-1 Abrams Tank and Apache Longbow helicopters, as well as vintage ground and air vehicles.

The 82d Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Bragg, N.C., and the South Carolina National Guard will also participate.

It is the first time that the event has been held since the military began budget cuts and downsizing after the end of major combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“U.S. Air Force open houses and air shows are important because they promote positive community and international relations while enhancing public awareness of the Air Force mission,” said Lt. Col. Kristofer Padilla, 20th Fighter Wing chief of safety and Shaw Air Expo director. “Furthermore, U.S. Air Force open houses showcase our airmen and their combat readiness, in addition to demonstrating modern and heritage weapons systems while advancing Air Force recruiting and retention efforts."

Rob Sexton, 20th Fighter Wing spokesman, said the air shows were renewed in part because of their effect on recruiting.

"You get the little boy or little girl who comes out here with their parents and they get to touch the airplanes for the first time, and be affected by the roar of the jet engines, watch the aerobatics, be stunned by the aerobatics, and they go away saying, ‘Yes! That's the life for me,’” Sexton said.