Stuart Air Show celebrates 37th year at Witham Field in Martin County

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — The Stuart Air Show is preparing to take flight at Witham Field, bringing aircraft, crowds and heavier traffic to the Stuart area. The air show is celebrating its 37th year at Witham Field on Friday and this year's event will feature the F-16 demo team along with a variety of other aircraft. The show runs through Sunday, Nov. 15. WATCH BELOW: What to know about traffic, parking and getting to Witham Field Stuart Air Show traffic guide: Best routes, free parking, what drivers need to know Among those participating is Maj. Taylor Hiester, the United States Air Force F-16 Viper Demonstration Team Commander and Pilot stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina. "I've been in the Air Force for 11 years now, and it's been a dream come true for the last three years to serve, not just as a military officer first, but fighter pilot second," Hiester told WPTV Anchor Mike Trim. "To be the American fighter pilot that gets to connect the American people with the people that do their business around the world on their behalf, is very special." The 37th annual air show features F-16s, large military planes, ghost riders, aerobatic planes and skydivers, along with games and food for families. Stuart / Martin County / Okeechobee Stuart Air Show: Traffic and parking guide Johann Hoffend "It's for me, my last performance and for a lot of performers, it's that it's the close out of the year," Hiester told WPTV. "So, it is a wonderful cocktail of emotions that come together that make a fantastic show for the people of Florida, and I think that the people are going to notice that there's something special." Beyond the flight demonstrations, the event also focused on education and STEM classes WPTV First Alert Weather Meteorologist Kate Wentzel spoke with students from the aerospace club from Jupiter Christian, along with students from the Parker area, the Virginia Beach area, Fort Pierce and around the Treasure Coast. "In the air show, they want to partner with all of these school groups and organizations, because really it empowers them and inspires them to go into aviation-related careers," Wentzel said. Weather plays a critical role in aviation, and the students learned how it affects pilots. "We talked about winds, how that impacts pilots. Pilots want to take off into the wind, because the wind blowing over the wings, gives them better lift and a faster lift speed," Wentzel said. "They also want to land into the wind, because if they have a tailwind pushing them too strong, it can make it difficult for the pilot to have a controlled landing." Students also learned how icing can impact aircraft at high altitudes and near thunderstorms. Aircraft are supposed to stay 20 miles away from severe thunderstorms at all times, because that is where big updrafts and gusty winds develop, Wentzel said. Conditions are expected to be clear and breezy this evening, making for good viewing of the Stuart Air Show.