The base is out with attendance numbers: 377,616 over the two days.

That's more than twice the estimate of 150,000 that base officials figure was their previous high.

They used turnstiles this time at the two entry control points to the flightline, but at times they waved people around the counters to keep the crowd moving, said Staff Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson, a base spokesman.

Event planners figured they'd get a large turnout, with good weather, the Thunderbirds headlining the event and folks opting not to make long summer road trips due to high gas prices.

But even at that, they predicted they'd likely get crowds of 200,000 to 250,000 Jefferson said. Folks with the local chambers of commerce said they could top 300,000, but base planners were skeptical.

"It blew our minds," Jefferson said of the two-day figure.

“We are extremely proud of the record number of people that attended our Air Expo,” said Col. Michael Hornitschek, 62nd Airlift Wing vice commander, said in a McChord press release. “It is inspiring to see how much support our community has for its military, especially us as Airmen. What a great weekend!”

Click here if you missed Russ Carmack's photo slide show.

As we noted in today's story, Maj. Christopher Austin – the pilot of No. 2 – is a local product. Although it says in the program he's from Huntington Beach, Calif., he's really out of Port Orchard and graduated in 1990 from South Kitsap High School.

He says he'll have his mom and sisters and nephew and a ton of friends from high school out to watch the shows over the weekend.

So growing up over there in a Navy town, and in a region where the Navy's precision flyers are the big deal, does he see the McChord gig as a chance to get one up on the sailors?

If there is any kind of interservice rivalry between the TBirds and the Blue Angels, Austin wasn't going to let on.

"Not really," he says. "The big thing for me is we represent the entire military, and we represent the Air Force. For us, it's not about showing the demonstration teams, but more about showing the pride, the precision, the professionalism of the Air Force. Where I'm from near Bremerton, it's a Navy town, but when they come and see us, they can think about the folks that are deployed with the Navy as well. We're just trying to show the excellence of the military that we are all so proud of."

I think this is what the PR professionals call "message discipline."

Ah, but it's not impossible to coax a Thunderbird into revealing something he'd rather not: Like for instance, that he was a high school thespian.

An actor.

"I did have a lead role. I was Harry Beaton in 'Brigadoon.' He's the bad guy, trying to destroy the village," Austin said. "I was not a good actor, let's make that clear. I'm a better fighter pilot than I was an actor, but it was a lot of fun."

Anything about it help prepare him for his current job?

"I think every fighter pilot has a little bit of ham in him," he said. "I did it because it was fun at the time and it was in between sports."

Douglas

Don't think he'll be passing out cigars this weekend at the McChord Air Expo but Thunderbirds pilot Maj. Dyon Douglas is a proud new dad just the same. His wife Trisha gave birth to twin daughters Reese and Brooke on July 10 at the squadron's home station in Las Vegas.

"They were a little premature, about three weeks, but they're healthy and growing well," Douglas said Thursday after arriving at McChord.

He's been with the Thunderbirds since November and flies the No. 6 airplane.

Wasn't easy to peel away and come back to work after the birth of the couples' first kids.

"Absolutely," Douglas said. "You have kids like that, brand new kids, you want to stay at home and bond with the kids and what not. But like all Thunderbirds you have a duty, and our duty is to come up here and represent the Air Force. So that's what I'm doing this weekend."

The Air Force Thunderbirds arrived at McChord Air Force Base today and will fly a private show beginning around 2 p.m. Friday for about 1,200 special-needs children and their families.

Then on Saturday and Sunday they’ll be the headliners of 14 flying acts at the McChord Air Expo, the first time it's been held since 2005.

Planners won’t publish a precise schedule, but the flying will generally begin between 10:30 and 11 a.m., and wrap up with the Thunderbirds performances that will start at about 3 p.m.

“Planes break. Higher needs call them away. There’s all kinds of stuff,” said Maj. Doug Edwards, the Air Expo director.

“I don’t think we’ll post it by times, because the second we do, things will change.”

The show will end both days by 4:30 p.m., Edwards said.

On Saturday and Sunday, flying acts will take place in this order:

• C-17 air drop demonstration

• Air Force Academy “Wings of Blue” precision parachute team

• Jacquie B’s Pitts S-1T biplane

• Air Force Reserve jet car

• Bud Granley’s T-6 Texan

• B-2 Spirit bomber (Saturday only)

• F-15C Eagle tactical demonstration

• P-51 Mustang heritage flight

• Air Force Reserve jet car race

• C-17 tactical demonstration

• Bud and Ross Granley dueling YAKs

• F/A-18F Supe Hornet tactical demonstration

• Navy Tailhook legacy flight

• Tim Weber Geico Extra 300

• Pearl Harbor “Tora, Tora, Tora” reenactment

• Thunderbirds

Access to McChord will be open to the public on both days. Edwards said there’s plenty of parking but expect traffic to be jammed on Bridgeport Way Southwest leading into the base from Interstate 5.

Sound Transit Pierce Transit is operating free buses from the State Route 512 Park-and-Ride lot and from Lakewood Town Center.

Visitors will go through one of two security checkpoints to get into the show area. Bags are subject to search.

“The rule of thumb is if you can’t get on an airplane with it, you can’t get on the flightline with it,” Edwards said. “Security is not going to let you do so.”

A few other notable restrictions: No bikes, skateboards or rollerblades. No pets. No coolers, weapons, glass bottles, alcohol, backpacks or bags.

If you're out and about the general area of McChord Air Force Base in, say, an hour or so – and the flippin' overcast burns off – you should keep an eye out for at least half-a-dozen inbound F-16s.

Don't know whether they'll be doing any kind of fancy flyin' on their way in. Otherwise, the Thunderbirds will be doing an invitation-only show 2 p.m. Friday for special needs kids, and then the two big shows 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Air Expo.