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Dover air show brings fast jets, record crowd
A USAF F-35A creates a vapor cone during its performance at the First State Air Show at Dover Air Force Base May 19. The aircraft is flown by Capt. Melanie Kluesner, commander of the F-35 demonstration team.
BILL SHULL PHOTOS
May 22, 2024
The First State Air Show took off from Dover Air Force Base May 18-19, showcasing aircrafts from a range of eras.
A member of the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights parachute team arriving with the Delaware state flag. A record crowd of 100,000 people attended May 19, according to the air show announcer.
When the USAF’s largest cargo plane smokes the tires, you know it. A Dover-based C-5M burned some rubber when landing after its demo.
Capt. Melanie Kluesner in the F-35A passes through smoke created by pyrotechnics set off during her display.
Larry Kelly pilots Panchito, the North American B-25 based at Delaware Coastal Airport in Georgetown.
A walk through the cargo area of a C-5M is always a popular activity for air show attendees.
The crew of a Lockheed C-130 has the best seat in the house to watch the F-35 demo May 17.
An F-15C pilot from Louisiana hangs out waiting for his turn to take to the air.
Jeff Chorman of Chorman Aerial Spraying in Farmington brought his T-28 Trojan and T-6 Texan to the static display.
A C-130H from The Delaware Air National Guard, based at Wilmington Airport in New Castle County.
F-15E Strike Eagle pilots from North Carolina sell patches in front of the two airplanes they brought from Seymour Johnson AFB.
There was always a long line waiting to climb the stairs for a look at the C-5M cockpit.
Ferrari vs. 51: A World War II-era P-51 Mustang flies past a car from Precision Exotic Cars. For $200, attendees could get a run down the runway in a Lamborghini, McClaren, Ferrari or Mustang Cobra at over 100 mph. A ride in the P-51 would have been priceless.
The Smoke-N-Thunder jet-powered truck is always a crowd pleaser. The pyrotechnics were set off as the truck sped down the runway.
“Doc,” one of only two flying B-29s, was a popular attraction for people who walked the ramp to see the static displays.
An F-16 pilot from South Carolina sports the stars and stripes on his helmet when he taxied in May 17.
The F-35A creates a shockwave and vapor cone on a high-speed pass in front of the crowd. The F-35 demo team is based at Hill AFB in Utah.
A young air show fan wears ear protection from the loud jet noise, which many people call the “sound of freedom.”
An airman gets a closer look at the engines of an F-15.
The crew demonstrates how the C-17 can back up using its thrust reversers.
Photographers brought the big lenses to get awesome photos of the aerial performance.
An F-15C from Louisiana puts on a fantastic display – with afterburner – May 19.
A World War II-era P-51, left, flies with an F-35A during the heritage flight.
The U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute into the First State Air Show.
Bill Shull has been covering Lewes for the Cape Gazette since 2023. He comes to the world of print journalism after 40 years in TV news. Bill has worked in his hometown of Philadelphia, as well as Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He came to Lewes in 2014 to help launch WRDE-TV. Bill served as WRDE’s news director for more than eight years, working in Lewes and Milton. He is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University. Bill is an avid aviation and wildlife photographer, and a big Penn State football, Phillies and PGA Tour golf fan. Bill, his wife Jill and their rescue cat, Lucky, live in Rehoboth Beach.
