Any one coming out for the air show this weekend? I t will be a fun time for all!  Except for traffic. Blue Angels will be performing as well as other acts. I will try and post some pics from yesterday and today.

I'll be there, although I'm not sure what time since I'm riding with others.  It's gonna be pretty big.  I think the last one that came into town was back in 1998 or 9?  I really don't want to think about the traffic.  As bad as people drive here I just don't.  Thankfully I'm riding with a retired cop so I'll let him do the driving and cursing.  

I'm glad it will be nice this weekend. I'm sitting here now just waiting for the main team of the blue Angels to do a fly by.

I'm glad it will be nice this weekend. I'm sitting here now just waiting for the main team of the blue Angels to do a fly by.

Are you over at the Guard post?  I'm kind of pissed people have to walk 2mi just to get to the show.  I was hoping they would get shuttles for the other two parking areas.

I got a bone spur in my ankle and 2mi is about my limit lol.  I'll be popping lots of pain pills Saturday.

Military and military retirees and dependents with cards can come on base and park. it will be on the lower end. The gates will open on at 0800 to park for them.

Also yes to your question. I work out here.

I'm neither.  I'm a lower than shit guy who got out after his 8yrs.  

I'm excited to go, although my daughter is dreading it.  She doesn't know what she's in for.  

She will have a great time. Both my daughters will be there including all their friends that they can pile in their car.  I'll get my youngest to download the videos that I shot today. Will have a bunch more tomorrow.

I'm gonna be there Sunday. I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't seen them since I was a kid. I used to live near Pensacola where they're stationed. They put on a really good show. Also I read I think it's the green lot which you can drop off passengers. I don't know if that will help you or not.

So how far do you guys predict the traffic will be?  Last airshow I got there early and was stopped at the Alcoa exit.  I'm betting it's backed up a mile before the Alcoa exit on Pellissippi Pkwy.  

I'm considering passing it, going to the end of the hwy, and coming in through the backroads of Alcoa.

If you come from the mentor market side should be ok. Depending on how many other people know it.

I did a search for "Mentor Market" in google maps and got southwest Bucharest.

it's mentor road to airbase rd.

Is it still $45 for just the parking pass? Would love to go but too much money for me right now.

I believe so, or thereabouts.  If you can find someone to go with you could split it.  I would honestly offer to give you a ride, but I'm dependent on a friend who's driving us.  (and his ass better pull through)

Personally, if I had a bike and didn't have the money, I'd park somewhere in Alcoa and ride in, then find a fence to lock up in.

Crap now my ride to the show just called and told me they aren't going to be leaving till like noon, parking on the other side of Alcoa hwy, and might not even go in.  

 I'm stuck.  I've been looking forward to this for years.

Does anybody know if the shuttles at the Blue lot will take passengers even if they didn't park in the blue lot?

ETA:  NVM:  Got it taken care of

If today was any indication, it's going to suck.......bad.......

I went to the Smokies to fish this afternoon and went down I'llKillya Hwy. I won't even try to imagine this weekend.

I just got home from it. Awesome show! Traffic wasn't near as bad as I imagined it would be. Took a lot of pics so I'll post some later.

It was actually better than the military day from yesterday. And traffic was moving very good made it home in 45 minutes rather than my workday 30 min drive.

Instead of posting a ton of pics and cluttering up this thread, here's a link to them if anyone that can't make it to either show is interested.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1859114_.html&page=1

I went yesterday. I work at one of the aircraft maintenance hangars, so our parking was free and we sat on our ramp and watched the show. Lots of us brought our coolers and the hangar has a grill, so we grilled out.

Well that was an experience.  We parked in the red lot, which consisted of about 5-6 different fields.  We were some of the first to get in, so that put us in the furthest field and one of the last to get out. (Clark Griswold was a genius)  The walk wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, and my 9yo did it just fine.

Now we get to the airshow and there were some really cool static displays, as well as shows going on.  We had fun, but when it came time to get food, I noticed long lines everywhere.  Actually, the only booth that didn't have a huge line was the lemonade stands, which they had about 10+ of.  At one point before the Blue Angels came on, I counted the line at the chicken fingers tent to be about 75-100yds long.  

I started counting then.  There were about 5-10 nacho tents, and we only saw one tent for hamburgers and one tent for chicken.  There may have been another on the other side of the Intruders/A-10s, but we didn't see them.  2 real food tents for 120k people.  We didn't get to eat all day, and my daughter was miserable. No doubt our experience was mirrored by others there.

The walk back to the car was crazy, but dramaless.  I didn't know if I was in a marching scene from an Alexander The Great movie, or a WWII concentration camp story, lol.  We got in the truck and got in line to go out, but there were about 5+ tributaries of car lines trying to get out on one single exit, not to mention all the people shoving in line to get out.  I told the kid it was going to get stupid after a while imagining 60k people with kids who hadn't eaten all day, under the sun, trying to get out.  

Of all the traffic directors we saw that morning, there wasn't a single one in sight at the end of the day.  We turned off the truck and literally waited over an hour without moving a single car length.  Eventually, the people from the neighborhood across the fence opened a gate and let us out through their 'hood, which improved things dramatically.  And Alcoa police was directing traffic awesomely on the roads.  We left the show about 4:10pm and got home about 10 till 7.  

All and all it was a great show and the kid had fun.  But I understand why it's only done every 15yrs or so now.  I think they could've brought a ton more vendors in to help with the lines.  Who wants to stand in line all day just to get food?  Either that or let people bring coolers/backpacks in.  I've been to air shows in the past that weren't nearly as strict about that stuff and we all survived.  

I heard they listened to people on Facebook and fixed the traffic problem on Sunday.  I hope so.

I went on Sunday and the traffic was almost nothing. We got there around 930 and sailed right on in. Left around 4, and sat in a little traffic. I'd say we got to Alcoa hwy within about 20-25 minutes or so. Lines for food were still kind of crazy.

It's great to know they fixed the traffic problem.  I'd hate for them to discourage future air shows because of the traffic problems.  Where did you guys park, if you don't mind me asking?

After our hour+ waiting to get out, we passed a field next to the red lot charging $20 per spot and they were out before anybody.  That was a kick in the nuts, lol.

Yeah that would be. We were parked in the green lot, right behind the fedex terminal/parking.