Wings Over Homestead draws 200,000

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Erik Hofmeyer
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  Over 200,000 people packed Homestead Air Reserve Base for the return of the hugely successful Wings Over Homestead Air Show on Nov. 7-8.

Air Force, Miami-Dade County and the City of Homestead officials were all thrilled to see crowds filing onto the base to experience the first Homestead Air Reserve Base event of its kind in more than 18 years.

There was speculation among base and Miami-Dade County officials regarding crowd estimates in the weeks leading up to the open house since no recent continuity existed to gauge the level of interest.

However, the great public support, entertaining aerial performances, and smooth security operations made the event a weekend to remember and a homecoming of sorts for tens of thousands of South Florida residents.

The public was treated to a 7-hour continuous flow of aerial performances and military aircraft tours on both days spanning multiple generations of aircraft from P-51 Mustangs to the B-2 Spirit Bomber. Performances by the Aerostars and GEICO Skytypers demonstrated precision flying and acrobatic maneuvers. Other performances by the F/A-18 Hornet, F-15 Eagle and C-17 demonstration teams showed the power and might of the U.S. military. Performers also staged search and rescue missions to demonstrate how the military operates in a simulated combat environment.

The 482nd Fighter Wing was hoping for great entertainment, but nothing was more important than maintaining safety for the thousands in attendance.

Public safety was the top priority since the base hatched the idea of hosting an air show over one year ago. The base held contingency exercises, and provisions were made for everything from heat stress to criminal activity to aircraft mishaps.

"We had a substantial show of force in conjunction with law enforcement agencies from local, state and federal agencies," said Maj. Harold Talbert, 482nd Fighter Wing deputy commander.

Base security forces teamed with Miami-Dade County, City of Homestead, City of Miami and several federal agencies look after the safety of the public and military assets.

To enhance security, magnetometers manned by military members were placed at general public entrances, and everyone entering the base was required to pass through security.

"The local populace was very compliant even though passing through magnetometers slowed entry onto the base," Talbert said. "I didn't receive a single complaint regarding the security precautions."

"It was an incident-free event, with the exception of a few minor infractions, which could be expected with 200,000 people on base," Talbert added. "We've been told by local law enforcement officials that we had fewer infractions than typically seen at professional football games.

Along with physical security, health and well-being of the crowd was the most important element of the air show.

The South Florida heat was a non-factor for the crowd as cloud cover and a steady breeze lifted the heat throughout the weekend. In addition, first responders from Homestead ARB, Homestead Hospital nurses and local agencies teamed for a joint operation with six medical stations, according to Rusty Bradshaw, Homestead ARB deputy fire chief.

Thankfully, there were a handful of medical runs, but other than that, our stations were busy letting people get rest, hydrate, and tended to the occasional child's scraped knee, Bradshaw said.

Base members were the most proud to show off the base and hold an open house after such a long absence. For those on the planning committee, the fruit of many months of work was of great satisfaction.

Unlike active-duty Air Force installations, the majority of Reserve members are part-time, leaving a small number of full-time military and civilian employees to run daily operations. Out of that full-time work force, a handful of members took air show planning on their shoulders while carrying on with their daily duties.

"I was amazed at how many people came up to me and thanked the base for the return of this air show," said Brig. Gen. William B. Binger, 482nd Fighter Wing commander. "It was a memorable homecoming, and I'm looking forward to next year's air show."