OCEAN CITY, Maryland — Residents had to wait longer into summer than they would have liked, but the Ocean City Air Show finally returned on Saturday.
“What surprised me the most was definitely the noise. In your head you think it’s going to be like a ‘zoom,’ but in reality it’s more like a ‘whoosh.'” For the first time since he was eight years old, Daniel – an Eagles fan – came to the beach to cheer on various birds. “The show was phenomenal,” he said.
Anne Marie lived in Ocean City for over 20 years before moving to Italy in retirement. With the Italian Frecce Tricolori as headliner, this year’s show had a special meaning for her: “Meeting these young people today was so emotional for me. Really proud, couldn’t be prouder to be Italian and American.”
This summer’s tour marked the first time in 30 years that the Frecce Tricolori performed in the United States.
Colonel Stefano Pietropaoli, commander of the North American tour, expected to impress the crowds in Ocean City. “They will love the professionalism of the pilots, the technology of the planes and the big heart of the Italian people. We love everyone, we want to give a big hug to all the people who are here,” he said.
Hours of acrobatics by some of the world’s most experienced pilots and most impressive aircraft – in some ways this year’s air show was business as usual. In Anne Marie’s words: “It’s a must-see. It’s an absolute must.”
