The Military Aviation Museum in Pungo, Virginia is gearing up for their annual Warbirds Over the Beach air show which will take place from May 18th – 20th. Set in on a grass airfield reminiscent of a vintage 1940s air base near Virginia Beach, this has become one of the finest air show experiences in North America for those interested in WWII aviation. Boasting one of the largest and most diverse collections of fully restored vintage military aircraft anywhere on the planet, the Military Aviation Museum will be filling the ramp (and the skies) with gems from their fleet, such as a ‘Messerschmitt Bf 109’, Hawker Hurricane, deHavilland Mosquito, PBY Catalina, FG-1D Corsair, and B-25J Mitchell. There will be visiting participants, such as the CAF Dixie Wing’s SBD-5 Dauntless as well as their recently restored P-63 Kingcobra.
As always, the Friday event is the practice day. This is often one of the best days to attend, as the flying is always ad-hoc and you usually get the ability to get closer to the action as the crowds are smaller. The Saturday and Sunday schedule for flying is as follows…
12:15 PM – T-6’S TAKE OFF – Watch as a band of T-6’s take flight and join up in formation
1:00 PM – AIR SHOW BEGINS: Waiver in Effect, Field Closed
There will also be a number of vintage aircraft available for members of the public to take rides around the area (for a fee) before or after the formal airshow period. Some of the aircraft available for flights include a PT-17 Kaydet and a WACO YMF-5, although other aircraft may be available too.
Added to the allure of the rare aircraft will be the sights and sounds of WWII-era live musical acts and a plethora of re-enactors from all sides of the conflict. History will come alive over the weekend!
You can pre-order tickets for the show at a discount HERE up until April 30th.
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
here are shots i took in 2013
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pak152/albums/72157633545030707