The Tampa Bay AirFest at MacDill Air Force Base, coming up May 12 and 13, should be a lot of fun for those who enjoy seeing F-18s, F-22s and A-10s, and a host of private aerobatic acts buzzing overhead.
But it's going to be a long, hot couple of days out there, folks, with about 150,000 people expected to attend. So here are some dos and don'ts you'll want to know about before you head to this free event.
Gates open at 8 a.m. each day, but I've seen people start lining up at 5 a.m.
Do not bring your drones, balloons, guns or comfort animals. Do not bring your guns, knives or medical marijuana. Do not wear big, heavy chain jewelry, or come dressed up like a service member or cop. Unless, of course, you are a service member or cop, then please do come dressed as such. But still leave the Mr. T bling at home.
Do no wear clothing with profanity, nudity, racist intent or racist messaging, obscene or graphic violence of any kind. That means you *&%%250,000 in cash and in-kind contributions, said Chase Stockon, chairman of the AirFest Community Committee.
That's about half the cost of the show, Stockon said, with the Air Force picking up the rest.
The show also will feature parachute jumps by the U.S. Special Operations Command Para-Commandos and the Navy Leap Frogs. It's Navy Week in Tampa, too.
In addition, private pilots will show off their vintage and high-performance aircraft, too - Scott "Scooter" Yoak with his P-51, Jim Tobul his F-4U , John Klatt his Jet Waco, Jerry "Jive" Kerby his RV-8, the GEICO Skytypers flying SNJ-2s, Randy Ball flying a MiG-17F, Rob Holland in his MXS-RH, Michael Goulian in his Extra 330C and the Goodyear Blimp.
Several military aircraft parked on the flightline in static displays.
Pilots using nearby Peter O. Knight Airport, however, will be a little inconvenienced. Because of AirFest, the Davis Islands flight center will be closed Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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The Pentagon announced the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan.
Spc. Gabriel D. Conde, 22, of Loveland, Colorado, was killed in action April 30 as a result of enemy small arms fire in Tagab District, Afghanistan. The incident is under investigation.
Conde was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army Alaska, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
There have been 2,347 U.S. troop deaths in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan; 50 U.S. troop deaths and one civilian Department of Defense employee death in support of the follow-up, Operation Freedom's Sentinel; 54 troop deaths and two civilian deaths in support of Operation Inherent Resolve; one troop death in support of Operation Odyssey Lightning, the fight against Islamic State in Libya; one death classified as other contingency operations in the global war on terrorism; and four deaths in ongoing operations in Africa where, if they have a title, officials will not divulge it.
Contact Howard Altman at haltman@tampabay.com or (813) 225-3112. Follow @haltman
