The Extreme Blue Thunder Air Show kicks off

The Extreme Blue Thunder Air Show officially lifted-off Saturday, and it drew in quite the crowd.

“I came to watch the air planes fly,” said Charlotte, an Air Show spectator.

More than a dozen performers entertained thousands of viewers, before the Blue Angels headlined the show. A Utah teen drove here with this dad just to see them.

“Because I’ve liked planes for a long time and I just really want to see them,” said Elijah.

There was plenty of room for families to find a great spot to watch the planes take to the skies. Everyone from couples, families, little ones and veterans all seemed to enjoy this year’s air show.

“It’s more advance than it was when I was flying, but they’re still doing very well,” said Richard Kearsley, an Air Force Veteran from 1971-2001.

But before the Blue Angels hit the air, pilot Julie Clark dazzled the crowd with her patriotic routine. Clark is also the only female performer in the air show.

“Actually I’m usually always the only woman performer in the show. Sometimes we have two of us but there’s probably only a handful of us doing this. I’m not into this because I’m-a-woman-thing, I just love to fly. I’m a retired airline pilot, did that for 30 years. I was one of the very first women pilots hired for a major airline back in the 70’s. I’m just a pilot first and I just happen to be a woman, but I love flying. I’m so blessed that I was able to make it a career,” Clark said.

The Blue Angels took to the skies to close out the show at 3 p.m.

The water controversy from the past air show did not seem to be an issue this year.

If you missed Saturday’s air show, there is one more showing before the performers leave town. Gates open tomorrow at 9 a.m., and the planes will be in the air by noon.