Fort Lauderdale Beach is getting one of the most stacked military lineups of the 2026 air show season this weekend. The Air Dot Show Fort Lauderdale runs May 9–10 over the Atlantic, with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds headlining alongside both the F-22 Raptor Demo Team and a U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II demonstration on the same card — a legacy precision team plus two fifth-generation solo demos on a single show program, which doesn’t happen often.
The Thunderbirds touched down at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport on Monday, May 4, beginning their pre-show week in South Florida. The team flies six F-16 Fighting Falcons in the precision formation role. They’re in the headliner slot after the Blue Angels had been originally anticipated for the date — Fort Lauderdale has rotated between the two teams in recent years, with the Thunderbirds here in 2018 and the Blue Angels in 2019. This year, the Air Force team returns.
A Legitimate 5th-Gen Double Bill
What separates this year’s card from a standard headline show is the supporting military slate. The F-22 Raptor Demo Team will showcase thrust-vectoring capabilities on both days — vertical climbs, post-stall maneuvers, and the signature vector clouds that trail the aircraft through its tightest turns. The F-22 last appeared at a Fort Lauderdale-area show in 2007, during the old Air & Sea Show format. It’s been a while.
Running alongside it is the U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II, the carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. The F-35C differs from the more commonly seen Air Force F-35A — its demo profile reflects the aircraft’s raw power and agility. Seeing the Raptor and the F-35C on the same afternoon program over the beach is not something the South Florida crowd has had before.
The USSOCOM Para-Commandos — current and former U.S. special operations personnel — will open proceedings each day, dropping in from altitude before the flight program kicks off at noon.
Civilian Side of the Card
Kevin Coleman flies for the Red Bull Air Force contingent in his Extra 300, specializing in vertical climbs and precision rolls. He’s a second-generation airshow performer — his father is Skip Coleman — and became the first American to fly in the Challenger Class of the Red Bull Air Race in 2016. Kirby Chambliss, a five-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion, brings his Zivko Edge 540 to the program as well. The Red Bull aerobatic helicopter — a heavily modified MBB BO-105 capable of sustained inverted flight, rolls, and flips — rounds out the Red Bull presence on the flight line.
“We’ll have about nine performers in total, but they’re gonna be quality acts,” said Chris Dirato of the Air Dot Show Fort Lauderdale. He had a practical note for free spectators, too: “You’ll see that the beaches are gonna be packed. If you’re gonna be on the free side of the beach, you should come early and get your spot.”
“I think in general air shows are inherently patriotic in nature, so everybody likes to come out and wave the red, white, and blue and see the folks that are protecting our freedom.” — Chris Dirato, Air Dot Show Fort Lauderdale
Logistics at a Glance
The show site runs along A1A from 18th Street to Sunrise Boulevard. Opening ceremonies are at 11:45 a.m. each day, with flight performances from noon to approximately 3:00 p.m. State Road A1A closes from north of Sunrise Boulevard to 19th Street between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. both days. A full dress rehearsal on Friday, May 8 is typically viewable from the public beach at no cost — and the entire coastline sits outside the Coast Guard safety zone’s eastern perimeter, making the beachfront a legal and unobstructed free viewing area.
Ticketing tiers run from $35 for Drop Zone Beach access up to $575 for the VIP Penthouse package on the 10th floor with open bar. The Flight Line Club at $189 includes a catered lunch and full bar on the beach.
What’s Next on the Circuit
The Thunderbirds move directly from Fort Lauderdale to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho on May 16–17, then return to South Florida for the Miami show on May 23–24. On the Air Dot Show Tour, the next stop after Fort Lauderdale is Harrisburg International Airport in Central Pennsylvania, May 23–25, followed by Ocean City, Maryland on June 13–14.
Stay in the loop
Get the latest airshow spectacle updates delivered to your inbox.