CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — Flight tests over the Charleston peninsula this week signal preparations for the Charleston Airshow, with law enforcement expecting crowds similar to the Cooper Bridge Run and urging attendees to be patient, plan ahead and arrive early.
The airshow breaks from the routine of holding the event at Joint Base Charleston every other year, bringing it instead to Charleston Harbor.
The free event will kick off at 1 p.m. with both the Blue Angels and an F-16 demo team.
Police say there are four viewing zones: the Aquarium Wharf, Waterfront Park, The Battery and Demetre Park.
The Ravenel Bridge will be closed to all traffic from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. The pedestrian walkway closes earlier at 11 a.m.
Several parking garages downtown will have a $10 flat rate all day.
Much of the harbor will be closed to boats.
There is a strict no-fly zone for drones over Charleston Harbor during all show hours.
Bay Street Biergarten employees said they get a front-row seat to the show.
“We’re so excited for our guests to enjoy the show because the amount of adrenaline you feel with those planes going by it makes me want to get in the plane myself,” Maddie Martin, marketing advance coordinator at Bay Street Biergarten, said.
Saffron Bakery and Cafe, located on East Bay Street, is preparing for the unfamiliar crowds with a newer staff.
“We’ve never actually dealt with any kind of busy time like this. So, we’re pretty much making sure we’re staffed up, you know. Make sure we have enough people here, trying to get people here early in time just in case, you know, the whatever road closure we do have coming up,” Donovan Edwards, Saffron executive chef, said.
Wes Sandifer, a frequent customer, described the flight tests.
“It sounded like they were driving down East Bay. It was quite amazing. I mean, they almost sounded like they were just flying horizontally along East Bay,” Sandifer said. “Seeing those guys, it’s truly, truly, truly a sight to be seen.”
Martin said the practice runs created excitement among staff.
“It was the amount of adrenaline that really pumps through the body. I ran outside, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ for like 10 minutes I was like, ‘Where’s my phone?’ But it’s so cool that our business is so close to the show, and having pretty much front row seats is absolutely amazing,” Martin said.
Edwards said employees appreciated the preview.
“It was, it was pretty cool to see you know a lot of employees got to go outside and kind of see the airshow for free, you know, so it was awesome,” Edwards said.
Whether the show proceeds will be decided based on weather conditions.
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