Air and sea show in Miami Beach hopes to ‘bring back the true spirit of Memorial Day’

This Memorial Day Weekend, Miami Beach is hosting the National Salute to America’s Heroes with an Air and Sea Show that features jets, helicopters, planes and other tactical assets and some of them are going to just be parked right there on the sands of Miami Beach between 11th and 14th Streets. 

Executive Producer Mickey Markoff, who has produced other big sporting events like the Fort Lauderdale Air and Sea Show, says the Salute is just that, a chance to celebrate our men and women in uniform with a show of military technology on the sands of Miami Beach. “We were asked by the city of Miami Beach to come in and help create a family oriented event and bring back the true spirit of Memorial Day.”

When is the last time you got up close and personal with a B-2 Stealth Bomber? Or a B-52 Stratofortress Bomber? A USAF F-22 Raptor fighter jet? 

Don’t lie. The only real military muscle most of us get to see is in movies or museums. 

Obviously you aren’t going to get to sit in the cockpit of a B-1 Lancer Bomber. The three U.S. bombers are actually doing what is called a “remote fly by,” zooming in from across the country just so audiences can get a glimpse. But attendees of the free event can see six football fields of military displays from all branches, interactive exhibits and have the chance to meet military and first responders in person. 

The air show itself is exclusively military demonstrations, so don’t expect too much Blue Angel-style aerobatic flying. From 9:30-11:30 a.m. the day kicks off with the water demonstrations; powerboat races, jet ski freestyle and race exhibitions. Then the planes will be flying from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Some of the demonstrations include a mid-air baton pass by the US Army Golden Knights, a squad of paratroopers famous for their black and gold parachutes and their uncannily precise landings. The US Coast Guard helicopters will perform a mock Air Sea Rescue Demonstration and Customs Border Protection will perform a drug interdiction exercise to let spectators witness a drug takedown with a high speed boat chase.

The event will have a Kid’s Zone, with fun activities for the little ones. So the kids don’t get lost in the crowd, organizers plan to provide wristbands that kids can wear with their parents cellphone numbers. The USAF and US Army bands will be performing live during the event along with other musical acts and iHeart DJ’s mixing your favorite music.

Memorial Day Weekend in Miami Beach for the last decade has been the scene of Urban Beach Week, a lively celebration that attracts a crowd consisting mainly of people of color and parties hosted by rap stars. The streets fill up with bikini-clad tourists looking for fun and drink specials and has not been without incident in past years.

The mixing of the two crowds – one in full party mode, the other seeking family fun – will be an interesting change. But Markoff is not worried. Everybody is welcome to the free event, he says. “It’s a chance to showcase the city in a positive light and generate community spirit.” 

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 6:05 AM.