Air Force Thunderbirds headline free Air Expo

The Air Expo at McGuire Air Force Base is expected to draw enormous crowds tomorrow and Sunday.

The price can't be beat - parking and admission are free - the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will amaze with aerial maneuvers both days over the Burlington County base.

"We're expecting more than 300,000 people, because the airshow and the aircraft that we have here appeal to all ages," said base spokeswoman Angel Lopez.

Among the 14 sky-high acts will be Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles, Navy F/A-18C/D Hornets, the Air Force Reserve Jet Car, Dr. Smoke F-260, Geico Skytypers, and T-28 Herb & Ditto Smoke Ring Aerobatics.

Rain won't cancel the event, but could change which routines are performed.

Also, visitors can view - and in many cases step into - more than two dozen planes and helicopters on the ground.

A handful of examples from the long list: the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the B-52 Stratofortess, the C-17 Globemaster III, the F-15 Eagle, the F-16 Viper, and the Memphis Bell B-17F Flying Fortress.

Food and beverages will be on sale, and visitors can also bring in what they can hold in a hand - but no carrying cases or coolers are allowed.

Small bags, strollers, wagons and folding chairs are OK, although items may be searched. No pets.

Gates open at 9 a.m. each day, with performances from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The expo ends at 6 p.m. each day.

For more information, including directions to the base, which is near Wrightstown and Fort Dix, go to http://www.mcguireairexpo.info.

"There are going to be plenty of signs, and the New Jersey state police will be out to make sure the traffic flow is smooth and it's routed appropriately," Lopez said.