2021 Pacific Airshow Overview

When I was growing up, I never understood the appeal of an airshow. I pictured a group of people sitting in bleachers in front of a giant grass field pointing at the sky as old planes flew by. They seemed ridiculous and unnecessary.

But now as a yearly attendee of the Pacific Airshow (formerly the Great Pacific Airshow), I can now say with confidence that I was absolutely wrong.

I thought I’d take this chance to give an overview of the 2021 Pacific Airshow, which started with a spectacular display of top-notch machinery and ended in a huge disappointment.

Read on to find out my take on the event.

What is the Pacific Airshow?

The Pacific Airshow is an annual airshow that’s relatively new, having only started in 2016. It’s a three-day event from Friday to Sunday in Huntington Beach, California. You can also catch some flyovers the preceding few days as performers practice or scout the area.

It typically takes place in October but earlier airshows were as early as September.

The actual event is centered just south of the Huntington Beach Pier, but you can clearly see the event all along the beaches of Huntington Beach. You can also see (and hear) the event across the city.

The aerial performances are scheduled from about 10:30 am to 4:30 pm each of the three days. Recently, they’ve been adding some after performances from musicians as well.

Here is a highlight reel of the 2019 Pacific Airshow:

2021 Pacific Airshow Performers

The owners of the Pacific Airshow were planning another great event for 2020, but the pandemic brought the airshow (and the world) to a grinding halt.

That’s why people were so excited to attend the triumphant return of the Pacific Airshow. This year, the event started on Friday, October 1, and featured a fantastic slate of performers.

Here is a partial list of the performers:

• U.S. Navy Blue Angels
• Canadian Forces Snowbirds
• U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
• U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey Demo Team
• U.S. Navy F-35C Demo Team
• U.S .Navy Leap Frogs
• U.S. Army Golden Knights
• Jeff Boerboon
• Lyon Air Museum
• Red Bull Air Force
• Rob Holland
• Greg Colyer
• Michael Goulian
• FedEx
• O.C. Fire Authority
• U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler Legacy Flight Team
• U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight
• U.S. Air Force ACC F-35A Demo Team
• U.S. Air Force B-52 Bombers

The performers ranged from military planes to aerobatic champions.

Getting to the Event and Parking

In pre-pandemic times, a free shuttle was provided to those who wished to go to the airshow. You’d just hop on the shuttle at the Huntington Beach City Hall and it’d take you to Pacific City, right next to the show.

Not this year.

Instead, thousands flocked to the shores in their cars or by bus, which made finding parking difficult but not impossible. There are a few lots near the show you can pay for at a slightly hiked-up price, but on the way to the show, traffic became heavier and heavier.

So we decided to look for street parking. It took a little bit of driving up and down the numbered streets in Huntington Beach, but I was able to find a spot about a mile from the pier or about half a mile from the ocean.

Considering the sheer number of people attending the show this year (one estimate said about 1.5 million people went Saturday) and the lack of free shuttle (though the buses were still running), parking wasn’t too bad.

Pacific Airshow Entertainment Value

Whether you are entertained by a bunch of planes flying around in the sky is dependent on the person. I, for one, absolutely love watching the majestic mechanical beasts soar through the sky. My wife, on the other hand, does not care one bit.

The airshow operators do a good job of spreading out the different performers so that you get a balanced diet of loud jets whizzing by, people jumping out of planes, and aerobatic performances.

For example, check out this slate from about 11 to 12:30: B-52 Bomber flyover, then F-35C demo team, then Osprey demo, then FedEx jumbo jet flyover, then the Thunderbirds.

The performances followed a rigorous schedule that was found in the accompanying app. You never spent more than five minutes waiting between performances. That left showgoers constantly looking at something.

Is the Pacific Airshow Good for Kids?

I attended this year with my two small kids and four nieces and nephews of various ages ranging from 4 to 10 and various personalities. So I feel confident in declaring that the Pacific Airshow is appropriate for kids… but your mileage may vary.

Here is the breakdown. Two kids loved the show, two kids were indifferent to the planes flying overhead, and two kids absolutely hated it.

The benefit of having the airshow along the beach is that the kids were more than happy to play in the sand and frolic in the water without caring too much about the airshow. Those that had an interest were able to play and watch.

Unfortunately, the 4-year-old girl and 6-year-old girl hated the show with a passion. It was simply too loud for them.

That’s why I highly recommend bringing some sort of ear protection for the kids (and adults). Some people had over-ear sound protectors, but we had a pack of in-ear plugs that were good enough.

If you do go with kids, make sure to bring plenty of snacks and toys.

Is the Paid Admission Worth It?

Those who didn’t want to deal with the hassle of finding a spot to sit could have bought tickets for special seating that ranged from $25 to $3,950. Those cheaper tickets were for a designated spot on the beach and not reserved while the most expensive ticket bought a private cabana for up to 15 people.

Considering how easy it was to park and find a spot with a good view of the airshow, shelling out money for preferred seating wasn’t appealing to me. However, it could be good for people who don’t want to put much thought or effort into going to the event.

Highlights of the 2021 Pacific Airshow

All in all, it was great to have the Pacific Airshow make a comeback after the fiasco of last year. I would say the highlights of the show were the appearances of the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels. This was only the second time in history that the two performed together at the same show, so that was special.

The Osprey demo team is also a personal favorite of mine because the aircraft are so unique.

Lowlights of the 2021 Pacific Airshow

Now to get to the elephant in the room: the oil spill.

Despite the rousing success of Saturday’s airshow, the event was sadly canceled the following Sunday due to the tragic oil spill that took place about three miles off the coast of Newport Beach.

On Saturday, I did notice an occasional smell, but I assumed it was jet fuel being consumed by the planes. It was very likely fumes wafting from the massive spill.

It’s such a massive shame that the airshow had to be canceled again. It’s even worse that it had to be canceled for something entirely preventable and something that will devastate the wildlife and beaches for miles.

The Pacific Airshow will hopefully make a comeback in 2022.