FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A Fort Lauderdale police officer switched his uniform for a flight suit on Friday. It wasn’t just any suit. It was a G-suit worn by aviators and astronauts facing high acceleration force.
Officer Pascal France trained to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, a demonstration squadron assigned to the 57th Wing based at Nellis Air Force Base, in Nevada.
Chris Dirato, of the Fort Lauderdale Air Show, said they were honoring France’s heroism during a shooting in March that left a gunman dead and a police officer injured.
“There is a few different methods that the team doctor went over,“ Dirato said about France’s training to prevent him from passing out during his flight on an F-16 fighter jet.
Aside from the Thunderbirds, the Fort Lauderdale Air Show performer lineup on Saturday and Sunday includes the Ghost Squadron, and A-10 Thunderbolt II, and U.S. Navy F-18 Rhino demo teams.
The show’s lineup, sponsored by the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, includes the US Special Operations Command’s Para-Commandos, a Coast Guard SAR Demo, Kevin Coleman, and the Red Bull teams.
As of Friday afternoon, the ticket options ranged from about $190 “Flight Line Club” private boxes for up to four people, and the $37.50 “Drop Zone Beach” area with access to food stands and restrooms.
State Road A1A will turn into a pedestrian-only road. There will be public parking at the Galleria Mall on Sunrise Boulevard areas. The U.S. Coast Guard is setting a “Safety Zone” for boaters.
The gates, at 3109 E. Sunrise Boulevard and 1900-2000 N. Ocean Boulevard, open at 10 a.m., on Saturday, and at 9 a.m., on Sunday. For more information, visit the event’s page or call 954-241-7937.
TRAFFIC ALERT
The show will be along Fort Lauderdale Beach. A1A will be closed from Sunrise Boulevard north to Northeast 14 Court starting at 9 a.m. on both days, with aerial performances from 11:45 a.m. to about 3 p.m.