JBLM air show returns after 7-year hiatus

SEATTLE — The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Airshow and Warrior Expo will rip and roar through the skies once again this weekend.

The air show has not taken place since 2016. After a seven-year hiatus, the show returns with U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the C-17 West Coast Demo Team, U.S. Army helicopters and more.

“We’re also celebrating 50 years of women in modern military aviation and 30 years of women in combat aviation during the air show,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Timothy Rawson, director of the event.

On the ground, visitors can explore 30 static displays of military and civilian equipment and see personnel who “represent the best of our military,” Rawson said. Displays come from across the country.

The air show will take place at JBLM McChord Field on Saturday and Sunday. Gates open at 9 a.m., and the show begins at 11:30 a.m. General admission is free and tickets are not required (no seating is provided). Guests are encouraged to bring portable chairs or blankets to sit and view the air show. Upgraded VIP tickets are available for purchase at jblewis-mcchordairshow.com.

Organizers recommend arriving early, as there will be limited parking and traffic is expected to be heavy. There will be three free off-base bus shuttles to the event starting at 9 a.m. from these sites:

* JBLM DuPont Gate, I-5 Exit 119, Kaufman Avenue, Joint Base Lewis-McChord

* Sound Transit Lakewood Station, 11424 Pacific Highway S.W., Lakewood

* Highway 512 Park-and-Ride, 10617 S. Tacoma Way, Lakewood

There also will be two free on-base bus shuttles for Department of Defense ID cardholders starting at 9 a.m. from these sites:

* Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Ave., Tacoma

* Logistics Center, Rainier Drive, Joint Base Lewis-McChord

DoD ID cardholders who plan to drive should use the McChord Field Barnes Gate from Perimeter Road or drive across Unity Bridge from Lewis Main to park in any open parking lot on McChord Field south of Col. Joe Jackson Boulevard. There will be shuttle buses on the boulevard to the event.

All air show visitors 16 years old and older must have a valid photo ID to enter the event.