Are you ready for Wings Over Wayne 2017?

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Miranda A. Loera
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base will host a two-day, free, Wings Over Wayne Air Show, May 20-21, 2017. The air show will feature 25 acts, including demonstrations by the U.S. Army Special Forces Black Daggers Parachute Team, the Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Truck, the Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 demonstration team and more.

The air show in 2015 attracted more than 220,000 people, and this year’s event is projected to match or double previous attendance numbers.

Additionally, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the 4th Fighter Wing and 70th AF birthday. To celebrate the occasion, the air show will showcase a historical review flight featuring the F-15E Strike Eagle, the P-51D Mustang and the F-86 Sabre.

Later this year, the 4th Fighter Wing will commemorate these milestones with an anniversary dinner, a 50-year old time capsule unveiling, golf tournament, Battle of Britain ceremony, base tours and more.

Local community members may have noticed aircraft not typically seen in the skies over Wayne County flying in over the past few days.

Several of the aerial demonstration team performers arrived early to visit with students at local schools. Children at Meadow Lane Elementary School received an up-close-and-personal opportunity to experience the Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Truck and the 4th Fighter Wing Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department truck.

Members of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels also spoke at assemblies at both Eastern Wayne and Southern Wayne High Schools to share their experiences with the military and answer questions about the aerial demonstration team.

“It’s incredibly important to come out and talk to these students,” said Lt. Nate Scott, Blue Angels left wing pilot. “We have a mission and it’s so unique, and with so much negativity going on in the world, this gives us a chance to hopefully inspire these kids to pursue their dreams, which is a message some don’t receive very often. It’s an honor to do it and we take this very seriously.”

The Blue Angels, who will fly on both Saturday and Sunday at around 3 p.m., haven’t performed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base for nearly a decade.

“We’re really excited about it. We haven’t been here since 2009, so we couldn’t be more ecstatic to take to the skies and show everybody what we do in Goldsboro.”

Wings Over Wayne is held in odd-numbered years and is a way for Seymour Johnson to thank the local community for their support of airpower and the base’s mission.

“Goldsboro has grown and has become a great place to live,” said Maj. Matthew Olde, Wings Over Wayne Air Show director and 335th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations. “We want to thank the people who are coming out and supporting this air show. We hope everyone has an experience that inspires an appreciation for our military and the base as much as we appreciate our neighbors and community.

For more information or to view the full schedule of the air show visit www.wingsoverwayneairshow.com.