This weekend, the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach will transform into a virtual time capsule as authentic ’40s-era aircraft take to the sky for its annual Warbirds Over the Beach World War II Air Show. In addition to seeing the museum’s many warplanes in action, visitors will be treated to other nostalgia-inducing sights and sounds: re-enactors, big bands and the corresponding dance moves (think: swing and the Charleston). The festivities take place on Saturday, May 21, from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and again on Sunday, May 22, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the museum’s 1341 Princess Anne Road location, and we have an itinerary to help you efficiently plot our your day trip.
8 a.m. You have a long day ahead of you at the Military Aviation Museum, so first and foremost, you will want to fill up with proper sustenance. Thankfully, local favorite Margie and Ray’s has you covered. The breakfast menu has plenty of tried-and-true staples and combination platters, but this crab house and raw bar specializes in, as you might imagine, seafood, so we recommend the surf and turf platter that includes a crab cake either grilled or fried alongside two eggs and crispy bacon, sausage or ham. Afterward, it’s a mere 12-minute drive to the museum.
10 a.m. Warbirds Over the Beach starts bright and early at 9 a.m., so be sure to peek around at the many souvenir booths that will be planted around the grounds, but at 10 a.m., you will be able to hear the sounds of the ’40s in the Navy hangar. Both Saturday and Sunday promise performances from Frank Cubillo, a Virginia Beach local whose act pays tribute to Frank Sinatra; the New Orleans-based Victory Belles trio, who will sing period classics; and Bill Riley and Joe Ziegler, who recreate Abbott and Costello’s two-man act.
Noon Before the vintage aircraft head skyward, head to one of the on-site food vendors for lunch. Norfolk’s Granby Bistro & Deli and Virginia Beach’s own Paradise Bistro will have select items from their menus, while Gilly’s Creamery and Heavenly Kettle Corn will have treats and snacks to take with you to the show. While you’re eating, you can catch a glimpse of T-6 fly formations and paratrooper drops overhead.
1 p.m. Now for the main event: Watch as vintage aircraft—Stermans, Stinson L-5s, FG-1Ds, B-52 Mitchells are just a few—take to the open skies until approximately 3:30 p.m. The museum’s brand-new Messerschmidtt Bf-109 (pictured right) will take its very first flight in the U.S., and it’s sure to be a highlight of the show. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, for an additional cost you can take a 15- or 30-minute ride in the 1941 Boeing Stearman and 1989 Waco YMF-5 or fly with the Dixie Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in their P-51 Mustang or SBD-5 Dauntless. However, you’ll want to make a reservation ahead of time.
6 p.m. If you’re attending the air show on Saturday, you can further immerse yourself in ’40s nostalgia by attending the hangar dance, which runs until 9 p.m. While the Mark Michielsen Big Band performs, you can show off your best swing and Charleston steps.
7 p.m. After you have exhausted all your period-appropriate moves, it’s time to hop in the car for a swift 13-minute drive to Blue Seafood & Spirits for dinner. Indulge in fried oysters or the Seafood Belle Haven’s decadent combination of jumbo shrimp, scallops and lump crab meat.
