By Mike Finney

DOVER — Dover Air Force Base opened its gates to more than 100,000 sun-splashed visitors to the weekend party that was Thunder Over Dover, and judging from the smiles and wide eyes gathered on the tarmac, it was undoubtedly a smash hit.

The United States Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels aerial demonstration teams came together for a rare double-headliner event, thrilling massive crowds that spilled over to nearby roads and parking lots with their raw power, precision flying, loops and thunderous noise.

“It’s been fantastic,” said Lt. Col. David Caswell, who served as the director for the Thunder Over Dover Air Show and Open House. “We asked the Big Guy upstairs for some good weather and the chaplain helped us out with that and it’s been amazing. It’s been hot. That’s our only concern. Show-wise, it’s been phenomenal.

“We’re just in the heat trying to take care of our patrons and local community and our own folks and it’s been fantastic. I’m having fun.”

Several airmen from Dover AFB had jobs to do at the event.

Some took care of those who were affected by the heat, others showed off the massive C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes that are regularly stationed at the base as the public toured them, while others provided directions, and some even kept the tarmac tidy from trash.

Staff Sgt. Rachel Hutt, of the 9th Squadron, was helping people climb a ladder near the front of a C-5 so that they could get a view of the cockpit.

“I enjoy it. It’s nice,” Staff Sgt. Hutt said. “People are amazed when they see the size of the C-5 up close. I work on it and inspect it. A lot of people wonder how we get this airplane up in the air.

“It’s nice that they can see the planes up close because Dover Air Force Base is a flying base and people don’t always get to see what we fly.”

Lt. Col. Caswell said it has taken him and his team at Dover a year to put the event together.

“We’ve been planning this for a very long time, the better part of a year,” he said. “It all started off with a planning convention where you get the performers, you get the team together, and then ever since, it’s just been the team playing on all cylinders to put this together.

“It’s a big lift for all our Dover airmen. The base and families have come together for a great community event and give back to the community.”

It’s not bad to have both the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels accept the invitation to your party, either.

“We kind of fell into that,” Lt. Col. Caswell said. “It was a little bit of luck — kind of the right place at the right time. The teams have been phenomenal and wonderful to work with.

“To get both jet teams is a little rare — very rare — I think it’s the only place in the U.S. this year that will have both shows. So we’re very thankful for that and just thankful for all the community support we’ve been getting.”

The heat didn’t wilt everyone, as there were cooling stations set up throughout as well as potable water stations.

Pete Massey, who lives near Greenwood, said he is accustomed to the heat in Delaware, even if it has been a cool spring.

“You get used to it,” he said. “Go stand under the wing of a C-5 for a minute, there’s lot of shade there. Heck, we go to the Delaware State Fair every summer and that is the ultimate in heat — and usually thunderstorms.”

Fortunately, storms and rain stayed away during the performances of the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels this weekend.

There is one mission besides entertaining massive audiences that often goes unnoticed at Dover AFB open houses – recruiting efforts.

Lt. Col. Caswell said it is a very real thing for the aerial demonstration teams to try to bring highly motivated and skilled people into the armed forces.

“They’re out there doing their thing and drawing people to Dover and drawing people to the mission, our nation’s defense services and all that kind of stuff,” he said. “It’s just been great to get that recruiting going for our services.

“The Thunderbirds’ mantra is ‘Recruit, Retain and Inspire’ and that’s what we’re all about, too. So it’s just been fantastic.”

Thunder Over Dover reached capacity Saturday. It drew another amazing crowd Sunday.

“We’re still waiting on the numbers for that, but we did reach capacity (Saturday) and estimations say we probably got 40,000 to 50,000 people (both Saturday and Sunday) based on the numbers of vehicles that we had.”