A rare air show in the Aloha state

As a frequent visitor to Hawaii, it is extra fun to travel there to cover an air show, like the 2025 Kaneohe Bay Airshow.

Air shows don’t happen here often, the last one being in 2022, so a good turnout is fairly certain. More than 100,000 people were expected to attend over the weekend of Aug. 9-10, and it seemed like every single one of them was in line ahead of us as we endured two hours in the security screening line to get in.

Once again, the show was held at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on the island of Oahu, a perfect way to mark the 250th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps.

For mainland air show fans who see the Blue Angels more than once a season, consider that this was only their eighth appearance in Hawaii over the last 43 years.

Pre-show festivities started with skydivers from the U.S. Special Operations Command’s Para-Commandos parachute team delivering flags to show center.

A Marine demo of the MV-22 Osprey was next, showcasing the capabilities of this versatile aircraft.

A U.S. Coast Guard rescue demo was conducted with a Barbers Point-based HC-130 Super Hercules teaming up with an MH-65 Dolphin.

The Marine Corps performed an assault demonstration of how to secure a hostile area using a pair of MV-22 Ospreys to rapidly deliver their ground teams.

An F-22 went aloft to provide air cover, punctuated with pyro charges detonated during strafing runs while two MH-60 Seahawks secured the landing zone.

Twice during the day, an SNJ-5 Texan operated by Pearl Harbor Warbirds took to the air for several fly-bys.

Compared to mainland air shows, airworthy warbirds and aerobatic performers are a rarity in Hawaii.

One surprise was seeing a bright yellow gyroplane take to the sky for a flight demonstration. Flown by local pilot Jay Eisenberg, this diminutive craft is normally based at Dillingham Field for sightseeing flights.

At one point during the show schedule, something rather memorable took place. The Isle of Maui Pipe Band, replete with tartan kilts, trooped out onto the flight line to perform a selection of bagpipe music. Even better was their rendition of Top Gun movie music, definitely not a sight to be forgotten anytime soon.

Two sizable flight demonstrations took place, one from the Air Force’s KC-135 Demo Team and another with a Louisiana-based B-52 Stratofortress that made the long commute to perform at the show.

Not to be outdone, the Marines performed their own refueling demo with a tanker-configured KC-130 Hercules leading a pair of MV-22 Ospreys past show center.

F-22 Demo Team pilot Capt. Nick “Laz” Le Tourneau borrowed a Hawaii-based F-22 Raptor to conduct a dynamic, vapor-filled demonstration that highlighted the improbable agility of this fifth-generation stealth fighter.

The Blue Angels’ support aircraft, the C-130J “Fat Albert,” performed its always-popular demonstration of the C-130’s short takeoff and landing capabilities.

The Blues then put on a great show as expected, wielding their F/A-18 Super Hornets with skill and precision with the nearby Ko’olau mountains providing a tropical backdrop for the maneuvers.

I was disappointed to see only a small number of civilian aircraft displayed on the tarmac alongside the military ones. There was Hawaiian Airlines’ 1929 Bellanca, a Civil Air Patrol 182 Skylane, and a Hawaii Life Flight King Air.

The backdrop for the static displays was a Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 wearing a Lilo and Stitch special livery, and a C-17 Globemaster III from Hickam Air Force Base.

All in all, U.S. Marine Corps did a good job putting on this event, especially the traffic. Chances are good this show will return again soon and plenty of island air show fans will be there to show support for our service members.

For more information: KaneoheBayAirshow.com