Adam Ashton reports in The Olympian:
“Keep your eyes on the sky this coming weekend: Joint Base Lewis-McChord is hosting what could become its biggest-ever free air show.

Crowds could top 350,000 over two days with the Nevada-based Thunderbirds the Air Forces premier stunt team making their first appearance at the base south of Tacoma since 2008.

‘Im betting on 200,000 (visitors) a day,’ said Lt. Col. Pete Field, the shows deputy director, setting a high bar for the 2012 Lewis-McChord Air Expo.

Hes optimistic about turnout because the shows organizers brought together more acts with bigger names than they drew at the last show two years ago. And that expo attracted some 250,000 people when the less-known, civilian-owned Patriots Jets aerobatic team headlined the events 16 acts.

This time, Lewis-McChord has 20 performers with three headliners: the Thunderbirds, the Patriots Jets and the Armys Golden Knights parachute jump team.”

“The expo starts at 11 a.m., with gates opening at 8 a.m. both days. It ends at 4 p.m., with gates closing at 5 p.m.

Arriving later in the afternoon could make for longer lines getting on the base.”
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Read more from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Air Expo website.