Jets and planes of all sizes flipped, dove and soared above West Traverse Bay this past weekend, launching flares and sending waves of rumbling through the crowds below.
The 2025 National Cherry Festival Air Shows wowed crowds with daring displays from both military and civilian aerobatic performers.
The Coast Guard kicked off the show with a search and rescue demonstration, bringing a “swimmer” to safety in MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters.
The military lineup displayed the evolution of U.S. engineering, featuring demonstrations from Vietnam-era crafts to modern, state-of-the-art fighter jets.
A special flyover, approved by both the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station and the Pentagon, featured two AV-8B Harrier II’s and an F-35B.
Though many Traverse City residents have expressed their disappointment with the absence of the Blue Angels this year, many attendees of Sunday’s performances said they were more than satisfied with this year’s aerial performances.
Applause and encouraging shouts could be heard all along West Bay, as onlookers pointed to the sky, jets and helicopters roaring overhead.
Consing Schoonmaker, from Grand Rapids, attended the air show with her kids. She said she “may have dragged” them out to see it last year, but they were excited to see the show this time around.
“It’s good to see all the people out in the sunshine and to come up from mid-state,” Schoonmaker said. “It’s a different side. The water is clearer. I like seeing the air show over top of the water.”
Darcy Eaton traveled to Traverse City from San Antonio, Texas, for the festival. Eaton said she watched the teams’ practice demonstration on Friday and came back for the real deal on Sunday.
“I know there’s a lot to do, but this is one of the good things to do,” Eaton said. “We were raised military, so we’re very involved in these kinds of things.”
She said that the show was “so fun” and praised the organizers of the event.
“They’ve done a great job,” Eaton said. “I know they’ve done it for years, but organizing and just setting things up and making it convenient for everybody.”
Local residents Shelby and Chase said that the air show was a good excuse to make their way into the festival.
Shelby said she kept hearing the aircraft flying over her house during their practice sessions and Saturday’s show, so she decided to come out and see it for herself. She said she especially liked Matt Younkin’s twist-filled performance in his Twin Beech 18.
Chase said the airshow is the only event he will be attending during National Cherry Festival, as he likes to see it every year, but does not want to deal with the crowds.
In comparison with past air shows featuring the Blue Angels, Chase said it made no difference; he enjoys the show every time.
The civilian lineup featured demonstrations from Matt Younkin, Bob Carlton, Michael Terfehr and Bill Stein.
Renowned aerobatic pilot Rob Holland, who was scheduled to perform in this year’s shows, was honored during the performances in more ways than one.
In April, Holland was killed in a plane crash at the Joint-Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia. He was an accomplished pilot, earning titles such as U.S. National Aerobatic Champion for 13 consecutive years.
Stein flew as a tribute to Holland during the National Cherry Festival Air Shows.
The F-22 Raptor Demo Team also paid homage to Holland, swapping out the Raptor silhouette patch on their uniforms for Holland’s famed motto, “Fly good, don’t suck.”
Staff Sgt. Michael Bowman, public affairs officer for the team, said the Raptor’s pilot and commander, Capt. Nick “Laz” LeTourneau, repeats this mantra into his hot mic before every demonstration takeoff.
“(He) gave a lot back to the air show community, to the military community, training pilots for all demonstrations: the Thunderbirds, the Blue Angels…” Bowman said. “He was a very dear friend of our team.”
This story was produced in partnership with the Traverse City Record-Eagle as part of the Michigan News Group Internship Program, a collaboration between WCMU Public Media and local newspapers in central and northern Michigan. The program’s mission is to train the next generation of journalists and combat the rise of rural news deserts.
