Pacific Airshow, Huntington Beach, California (2022)
Saturday, October 1, 2022 - I went to the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach—seven miles from my home—for the first time. I have been to many airshows in the past, the last one being at Miramar Airbase in San Diego, California, in 2009. I was apprehensive about the type of experience I would get at the Pacific show, since unlike previous shows I attended—which were on military bases where you could see the planes take off and land—this one was over the waters of the Pacific Ocean. As it turned out, that added another dimension to the show, giving it a unique identity without diminishing any of the excitement. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
The Pacific Airshow made its first appearance in Huntington Beach in October 2016. Performances take place over the beach and pier, located at Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street in Huntington Beach. This is a popular location for events that draw large crowds, such as the US Open of Surfing. The airshow is held over three days, with attendance estimated at around 700,000 spectators over that period—though that number may be on the low end if you count spectators along the entire stretch of the coastline.
All of the performances are nail-biting experiences, and you constantly find yourself wishing that no accidents occur. The show features performances by military personnel, commercial enterprises, and private individuals. My favorites are the demonstrations by the US Navy Blue Angels and the US Air Force Thunderbirds; one or the other performs at each show, always executing a magnificent performance.
Getting good photos at these airshows is very challenging. Because of the aircrafts' high speeds and vast distances, a camera lens needs to be fast and have a long focal length. Most of my photos were taken at shutter speeds of 1/1000s or faster and at a focal length of 250mm.
US Air Force Thunderbirds
U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron performing at the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California on October 1, 2022. This team was established in 1953 and is based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
They are performing with single-engine, General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcons
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