After a five-year hiatus, the Lauderdale Air Show is back and flying high over the skies at Fort Lauderdale Beach.
The air show, though, isn’t just bringing the Coast Guard this year, it's bringing money – and lots of it.
With the show this Saturday and Sunday and Fleet Week also taking place, this weekend promises to be one of the busiest tourist weekends in South Florida.
“That weekend alone could pay my entire rent for two months,” said Megan Haggins, a bartender in Fort Lauderdale.
Roughly 1 million people are expected to line the beach to see the Air Force Thunderbirds headline the show among other military aircraft and aerobatic pilots.
“This is our chance to showcase what the taxpayers are paying their hard earned tax dollars for,” Coast Guard Lt. Bill Dunbar said.
The air show used to wow thousands on Fort Lauderdale Beach, but several years ago the main sponsor, McDonald’s, pulled its support. The show had difficulty surviving after that, and the last show was held in 2007.
Some of the acts residents can expect to see this year include the Black Diamond Jet Team, the Red Bull Helicopter and the 101st Airborne Team.
The Dolphin, the Coast Guard’s oldest aircraft, will also do a demonstration with rescue swimmers.
The event runs Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available at the Galleria Mall.
