Atlantic City Airshow adds tribute to U.S. military with parade

PREPARE FOR a major crick in the neck. It will be difficult to take your eyes off the sky at the Atlantic City Airshow.

Every year, hundreds of thousands park themselves on the A.C. beach - some even stretch down to Margate and Ventnor - to catch pilots performing death-defying acts. "It's become our signature event of the summer," said Jeff Vasser, president of the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority. "It gives us something to look forward to."

This year, the airshow will add another element: Tonight there will be a parade to honor those who have served in the military. The parade will begin at New Jersey Avenue and the Boardwalk and trot down to Albany Avenue. Floats featuring live music will take part in the festivities as well.

The main event is still the airshow, a/k/a "Thunder Over the Boardwalk," which can be seen best from Albany Avenue down to the in-the-works Revel at Metropolitan Avenue. Premium seating can be bought via the Flight Line Club. For $30 to $50, you'll get free food and a seat at Boardwalk Hall (2301 Boardwalk). Casinos such as the Taj Mahal and the Hard Rock are running airshow contests and promotions.

Because of its seaside locale, the Atlantic City Airshow offers tricks that landlocked shows can't, such as aquatic-rescue demonstrations. The show also features an international cast, with participants flying in from Canada and Brazil.

The airshow is also one of few that headline both the Golden Knights, the Army's parachuting team, and the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's air-demonstration squad.

But that's not what Vasser is most excited about. Referencing the Mr. Monopoly that jumped out of a plane to commemorate his namesake's 75th anniversary, Vasser prefers the unexpected. "I'm always waiting to see something that's not on the agenda," he said.