FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — U.S. Navy Cmdr. Clifton Helterbran was at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport on Friday to prepare for the Air Dot Show Fort Lauderdale.
Helterbran, better known as “Marv,” is a member of the Strike Fighter Squadron 122, or VFA-122, also known as the “Flying Eagles.”
“The challenge we have out here is just the airspace,” Helterbran said. “The fact that the major airfield around here are still active, so the safety brief this morning, we got a nice talk as far as how to keep ourselves safe."
There were also military pilots flying demonstrations of the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the Thunderbirds, and the F-22 Raptor.
There were already spectators on Friday at Fort Lauderdale Beach.
“I used to come when I was a kid, and it was great. I wanted to bring them, so they could see,” Michael Dorry said, while holding his son. “The Thunderbirds, that was when it was six of them ... Those were pretty cool.”
Helterbran, who will be calling the shots over the radio during the show, said there will be a lot of speed.
“Things come up, nothing ever really goes as planned, as we all kind of know in life, so the biggest challenge is going to be dealing with the punches,” Helterbran said.
The show’s performances, which also include the U.S. Special Operations Command’s Para-Commandos and the RedBull helicopter, are from 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The viewing area is on the beach at State Road A1A and Sunrise Boulevard. Admission starts at $35.
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