Army's Golden Knights Coming To Power In The Pines At Joint Base

JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ — The U.S. Army's Golden Knights parachute team is scheduled to perform at the Power in the Pines 2023.

The parachute group is one of the additions to the information for the air show and open house at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, which is scheduled for May 20 and 21.

The show, which is scheduled to be held for the first time since 2018, also will have performances by the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team and the P-51 Mustang in a U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight, according to the Joint Base details on the event.

Heritage Flights are flown by civilian pilots alongside modern Air Force fighter/attack jets, according to the Air Force Heritage Flight organization.

The P-51 Mustang, specified on the Joint Base announcement, "dominated the skies over Western Europe after it was introduced in World War II," the organization's website says. "The single-seat aircraft had a maximum speed of 437 miles per hour and could escort heavy bombers deep into the heart of Germany. The P-51 and the pilots that flew them were crucial to turning the tide of war in the Allies' favor."

It was deployed in 1941 and could carry up to six .50-caliber machine guns, up to 2,000 pounds of bombs or 10 rockets, the site says.

In addition, there will be a number of planes and helicopters on display, including the new KC-46 refueling tankers that are being housed at the Joint Base. The first KC-46A Pegasus was delivered to the base in November 2021, part of an upgrade of refueling tankers at the base.

Also expected to be on display are the C-17, the KC-10, the KC-135 and Marine helicopters.

Other displays and demonstrations are in the works, a Joint Base spokesperson said.

The base has published a video showing some of what's planned.

The show, on May 20 and 21, is free and open to the public. It is scheduled for 10:30 a.m- 5:30 p.m. both days.

The air show is typically held every other year, but has not been held since 2018. The 2020 show was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2022 show was postponed to 2023 because the base needed to focus on staying ready for and supporting a number of missions, officials said at the time.