Saturday’s Air Show draws large crowds for Air Force Thunderbirds

An overcast morning and afternoon of sun helped the Vectren Dayton Air Show performances please potentially record crowds.

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Aviation fans started lining the fences for the 2019 show, featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, as soon as gates opened this morning at 9 a.m. As the day went on and the sun came out, the crowd filled in.

Some of the day’s most popular acts were the Thunderbirds, Sean Tucker performing in Dayton for the first time with his new partner Jessy Panzer, the British Sea Harrier and the Geico Skytypers.

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All of the scheduled acts performed their routines except Skip Stewart who had to emergency land on a Troy Road earlier this week because of engine failure.

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Vickie Womack and her family come to the air show every year. She brings her granddaughter and for the last two years her great-granddaughter. Womack said her favorite part is the military acts.

Her great-granddaughter loves the helicopters, jets and the static displays that she can walk in.

”She can see what’s going on and learn a little bit about the airplanes. She wants to take helicopter rides … We took her on some of the helicopters on the inside last year and she just really enjoyed it and didn’t want to get off,” Womack said.

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Last year roughly 62,000 people went to the weekend’s events that had a $3.7 million impact, Scott Buchanan, board chairman of the show, previously told this news outlet.

“I think it’s record crowd for the day … I think it’s probably more than we’ve had. Great day, couldn’t ask for better weather,” Buchanan said.

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