Hyundai Air & Sea Show
Saturday 24th May - Sunday 25th May 2025
While Florida's sun-kissed beaches and neon skyline might seem more suited to trendy influencers and late-night dance parties, every May, the city of Miami plays host to something far more interesting for the seasoned aviation enthusiast. Dubbed "The Greatest Show Above the Earth," the Hyundai Air and Sea Show returned in 2025 to South Beach over the US Memorial Day weekend, promising an electrifying mix of air power, naval spectacle, and patriotic pageantry - all with the Atlantic Ocean as its stage. But did the beachside bravado live up to the hype?
While some people like to spend their bank holiday weekends in Blackpool, spent his in Miami to find out what the show was all about. All pictures by the author.
A combination of raising a young family, the rising prices of shows themselves, and just general adulting has meant that my attendance at air shows over the last two or three years really hasn't been what it used to be. If you don't have children just yet, trust me they are worth it - they're just so expensive! However, the enthusiasm for all things aviation is still alive and kicking, and although I've not been able to get out as much as I'd like, it's still been great to see some of the fabulous images that members very kindly share on our forums, and it was a spectacular photo thread last year that led me to renewing my passport at the start of the year!
Although we've had some pretty decent participation from US Military at RIAT in recent years, their presence hasn't been a patch on (dons rose tinted spectacles) the IATs and Mildenhall shows of my childhood and teen years. Seeing aircraft on static display is fine, but I remember the car alarm-inducing B-1B displays of the 80's and 90's! We've often spoken about those who grumble about non-participation of foreign military at UK air shows on our magnificent UK Airshow Review podcast, and if you want to see something hard enough, it's really down to you to make the effort to go and see it - and that's exactly what I did! So having seen a thread of images from the 2024 Miami Air and Sea Show on the forum, the opportunity to witness full displays of military aircraft really piqued my interest - and what cooler location than a show on Miami Beach?! Cue weeks of frantic research and subtle hints to the present Mrs Garfield, and with permission granted, flights and accommodation were subsequently booked and so I started the countdown to the May bank holiday weekend.
The show itself began as the Fort Lauderdale Air and Sea Show, taking place over the first weekend in May, beginning in 1995. Organised by one Mickey Markoff, the show became legendary, attracting some of the biggest names in the airshow industry to the point of displaying every single Air Force, Navy, and Marine demo available to add to the array of military flyovers and performances from all branches of the U.S. Military. Lack of sponsorship meant a show wasn't held for several years until 2017, when Mickey brought the show to Lummus Park in Miami's South Beach district. Since then, it's become an annual event - now backed by Hyundai - and moving to coincide with the long Memorial Weekend.
It's been some 16 years since I last visited the US and unlike then, this time I was on my own. I don't know whether it's an age thing or not, but surprisingly I had absolutely no fears about travelling solo, and indeed the whole weekend was a complete breeze from start to finish. Despite zero sleep either the night before or during the 8-hour flight from Heathrow to Miami International Airport, I was surprisingly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as I stepped on to the white sands of Miami Beach early on Saturday morning.
Given the beach setting, the static display is understandably minimal, confined to Lummus Park just behind Ocean Drive. That said, a walk through the park revealed a strong military recruiting presence and a few notable assets including a Florida ANG mobile command vehicle, Special Operations tactical displays, and an impressive STEM village. All 6 branches of the US military and first responder agencies were represented with plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained. There were many interactive exhibits too including tanks, army vehicles, simulators and weapons - who doesn't want to have a picture of their child pretending to fire a bazooka?! Also on display was the cockpit of an F-18 mocked up in Top Gun 2 markings along with an F-16 in Thunderbirds display team livery, very popular with visitors young and old. The display village also included a live music zone, an impressive (and reasonably-priced) food and drink court, and motocross action zone. As you'd expect, there's a real sense of patriotism and further away from all hustle and bustle, a striking Memorial Day remembrance garden was placed at one of the main entrances to the beach, allowing visitors to pause in reflection for a moment.
The air show itself began at noon each day and excited crowds had gathered in the public viewing areas either side of the VIP chalets at show centre very early on. This does create its own challenges for visitors. Firstly, there's no formal crowdline to speak of; it's just a case of finding a patch of sand to settle in and of course, you're more than welcome to take a dip in the sea throughout the show! Secondly, although the site map indicates the parachute landing zone within the "VIP zone", it's actually impossible to see or photograph teams land from public areas as the entire section is screened off. The paid viewing enclosures do however offer an excellent view, welcome shade, seating, and perhaps most crucially, a speaker system to hear the commentary…..!
With off-shore powerboat demonstrations kicking off proceedings each day, jumps from both the U.S. Army Golden Knights and British Army Red Devils Parachute Display Teams opened the aerial element of the show. While full team demonstrations occurred later on each day over the weekend, one member of each team trailed a large Union flag and American flag behind them as they descended, all while national anthems were played throughout the PA system. Once both jumpers were safe on the ground, a pair of F-16Cs from the 93d Fighter Squadron - the "Makos" - swept across the shore, giving the crowd a taste of what was to come. Having made the journey across the bay from nearby Homestead Air Reserve Base, the duo performed a few pairs passes to begin with before splitting up to make some fast passes along the beach and duly, the first vapour cone of the day was ticked off the list!
Eyes were then turned to crowd rear and perhaps the most significant moment of the weekend, an unprecedented aerial formation named "The Freedom Flyover". Led by a B-2 and featuring a B-52H, B-1B, F-22, F-15C, F-16C and A-10, it was the first time these seven examples from the Air Force bomber fleet and fighter inventory had flown together in formation. It was quite the spectacle as they flew over the crowd before taking an age to turn and make a second pass along the beach. Not only was it a considerable show of force, it also highlighted integration between components of the Air Force with pilots from active duty, the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard taking part. Bombers took centre stage early on with a formation pass before splitting up and entering the hold as each aircraft took it in turn to perform a routine. While the B-2 only made a couple of passes during its sequence, the B-52H however gave a fantastic demo, making a number of low passes including a traditional 'bomb door open' and high-drag pass with undercarriage and flaps down. Of course, it did take some time to reposition after each pass and it was easy to lose sight of the aircraft in the afternoon haze. Crowds were looking up, down, left, right and centre, but on the last pass it was easy to spot in the distance as smoke poured out of those eight mighty Pratt and Whitney turbofans. Indeed, the crowd went crazy as it screamed overhead at speed - what a sight, what a sound! Once complete, appearing out of the hold and thundering in from crowd rear came the B-1B, an obvious favourite with showgoers given the shouts and cheers following its first pass. More vapour ensued - pretty much a given with a B-1B - through a series of medium and high-speed passes. Sunday's display was more spirited than Saturday with a few extra passes added in for good measure, ensuring photographers were given every opportunity to fill their memory cards to capacity.
While the line up differed to last year, with no appearance from either an F-35 or F-18 for example, crowds were treated to three F-22 displays throughout the course of the weekend, one on Saturday and two on Sunday. Slightly stronger in-shore winds on Sunday however meant that flares weren't used during the last display and while it did add some spectacle, they were as much for Instagram as they were for tactical realism. It has been a number of years since I've seen a Raptor display but I was quite captivated once I was reminded of the sheer power and extraordinary manoeuvrability the aircraft possesses. Whether it was the location, or a different routine, this F-22 display was a compelling performance, slicing through the humid sky with absolute precision. Other jet displays included a formation of four T-38 Talons, what can only be described as 'blink and you miss it' appearance from a Louisiana Air National Guard F-15C, and aerial refuelling demonstrations from a KC-135 and C-17, and HC-130J Combat King II.
It wasn't all grey jets and high-speed passes though, with display by a USMC MV-22, and a short but welcome all the same demo from a Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf. There were plenty of impressive performances in (and above) the water too. In a cat-and-mouse style chase, a speedboat raced along the shoreline, hastily followed by two U.S. Customs Border & Protection vessels along with one of their UH-60 Black Hawks. With sirens blaring, the trio of boats twisted and turned on the tide with the helicopter providing a menacing threat from above, shadowing the 'bad guys' all the way until ultimately, they ran out of options to run away. While the routine was nothing out of the ordinary, the Black Hawk performed some quite spirited manoeuvres, at times low enough to cause significant disturbance to the sea. Again, the majority of the action was to be seen in front of the VIP zone, however once complete, the boats and helicopter did complete a few further passes in front of the crowds. Three US Army UH-60L Black Hawks also offered the theatrical spectacle of the weekend, thundering in from crowd left. After a few passes in front of the gathered audience, the helicopters lowered mere feet above the waves as doors slid back to reveal flippered Special Forces soldiers. With gasps from the crowd, they leapt into the sea before disappearing for a moment beneath the surf, only to reappear moments later, swimming toward a pair of Zodiac boats bobbing just offshore. Within seconds, the soldiers boarded, weapons shouldered, and the boats duly sped toward land to perform a textbook beach assault. Once again, this was something that sadly most would miss unless you decided to take a paddle in the sea - up to neck height.
The 920th Rescue Wing also provided an impressive para-rescue demonstration which included A-10s as part of the performance. Having not seen an A-10 since RIAT 2011, and with their retirement looming on the not-too-distant horizon, it was one of the main reasons I wanted to attend the show. Indeed it was a real delight not only to see but hear them flying around, offering close ground support to the HH-60G Pave Hawks that also took part in the demo, made even better when it became apparent four A-10s were taking part! The event is of course as much a celebration of the US military as it is of first responders, and the inclusion of a US Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin and EADS HC-144 Ocean Sentry based at Miami's Opa-locka Coast Guard Air Station was particularly welcomed. Amazingly, the waters were full of bathers during a rescue demo by the Dolphin, with the helicopter hovering in very close proximity at times. Once the show was over, it was clear to see that visitors, young and old, had thoroughly enjoyed themselves. For some, it was just another day out on the beach, but for others, it was the perfect way to pay tribute and honour - especially on memorial weekend - the men and women of the US armed forces and supporting agencies.
As my first show in the US, I went with absolutely no expectations whatsoever and although the flying display may have lacked quantity, it did make up for it in quality. With the beachline spanning nearly a mile, visibility of demonstrations did vary wildly depending on location though, and no large-scale surface ship presence could be seen offshore. For a "Sea Show," one might reasonably hope for a bit more…sea? While the commentary was deeply informative and engaging, the structure of the flying display also left something to be desired. While it did include a varied mix of fast jets, heavies and rotary assets, it felt somewhat disjointed at times - a random F-15 flying by one minute, a routine by a B-52 the next followed by a polished F-22 display and then a twenty-minute interlude of boats on the water barely visible to the crowd. Nonetheless, when it delivered, it delivered with style.
So, if your idea of an airshow involves sand between your toes and fast jets above your head, then this is the one for you. Even with an estimated 500,000 people per day, it didn't really feel that crowded either, with visitors spaced out far and wide across Miami Beach. The show, like the city that hosts it, is flashy, loud, and undeniably American. It doesn't aim to be a traditional airshow. If you're looking for long flying sequences and dozens of static aircraft, you'll likely find it lacking in depth. But as a spectacle? Well, it's hard to think of a more photogenic setting for an airshow. Miami's iconic Art Deco skyline and endless rows of palm trees ruffling in the fresh Atlantic breeze frames the backdrop beautifully, and as a weekend of (almost) sonic booms, sea spray, and patriotic verve in a location dripping with cinematic glamour, few events can match it.