Gulf Coast Salute: complete

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Alex Echols
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 2015 Gulf Coast Salute open house and air show is over and despite the hard rain and lightning warnings on Saturday and the sporadic rain Sunday, Tyndall managed to fly all of the aerial acts and provide an outstanding show for all in attendance.

After compiling vehicle count numbers and sales evaluations from the venders the 325th Fighter Wing officially estimates over 55,000 people attended the air show over the weekend.

"I would like to thank all the sponsors, volunteers, performers and especially the attendees who made it to the show," said Col. Derek C. France, 325th Fighter Wing commander. "The Gulf Coast Salute was a complete success despite working through some challenging weather conditions. I'm extremely proud of Team Tyndall's Airmen and glad we were able to expose the community to the Air Force and Tyndall's mission."

With 16 aerial acts including the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Army Golden Knights and the F-22 Raptor Demo Team and more than 20 static displays, there was no shortage of action or interesting aircraft on the flightline.

The overall goals of the Gulf Coast Salute were to have a safe show, educate the attendees on what Airmen of Tyndall do every day, and bring in as many acts, statics and recruiting tools from around the Air Force and other military branches as possible, said Maj. Gregory "Jinx" Preisser, 325th Fighter Wing 2015 Gulf Coast Salute open house and air show project officer.

"I think we did great," said Preisser. "Although the weather was bad on both days, Col. France and I noted that the supporters were gung ho. We had folks come out and bear through the rain, and on both days the weather cleared up, and we were able to give them a full F-22 Demo Team show as well as a full Thunderbirds high show that showcased everything they have to offer."

The performers had their rehearsals on April 10, which provided a unique opportunity for the air show committee to invite local veterans and wounded warrior groups to come out and watch.

"We had approximately 5,000 people show up for the rehearsal which was great for the veterans because they didn't have to worry about the crowd and they were able to interact with our squadrons," said Preisser. "Although the airfield wasn't set up for an actual show, Department of Defense card holders were welcome to come out and view the rehearsal day with their families."

About 100 veterans and their families attended the rehearsal day. Also the Shriners Club worked with the airshow committee to bring out five children to participate in the Pilot for a Day, Firefighter for a Day and Air Controller for a Day programs. The children shadowed their pilot, firefighter or air controller and got a tour of the base while the show was being set up. They then got to come out on the flightline and watch the rehearsal. 

With over 300 volunteers, as well as most private organizations on base providing support, the air show ran very smoothly. The logistics of the event ran efficiently with everything cooperating except the rain, said Preisser.

The rain did not stop the people from enjoying themselves and their enthusiasm was apparent by one attendee's statement, "The rain won't chase away my freedom!"

"I think everyone wanted to see what the F-22 is capable of doing for two reasons: first, the F-22 is the most advanced air-to-air fighter of the U.S. Air Force and second, the F-22 is Bay County's hometown fighter," said Preisser. "The F-22 is based here, and this was a great opportunity for both locals and military members to see first-hand and up-close the advanced capabilities of the F-22."