The USAF Thunderbirds were the headliners in Cocoa Beach this past weekend for a two day air show. The crowds were large and the show was spectacular.

The Thunderbirds fly F-16s and are based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV. After watching all the military aircraft perform, I’m glad there on our side.

The air show started with a flag jump from a member of the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles.

Then proceeded with a flyby from F-16s from the Florida Makos based at Homestead Air Reserve Base.

We were treated with a flyby from a C-47, the Tico Belle.

A pair of F-22 Raptors made a couple of passes.

John Black and his 8KCAB Super Decathlon performed stunts like it was a cartoon or something.

Our local boys, the 920th Rescue Wing from Patrick AFB always make us proud.

An F-15 Strike Eagle from the Demo Team at Seymour Johnson AFB, in North Carolina.

The F-15 wowed the crowd with its demonstration.

Jason Newburg and his Viper gave a performance that would have made Snoopy proud.

A US Navy F-18 Hornet performed an excellent demonstration flight.

Team MS760 performed superbly, I think most spectators were surprised how well this new team demonstrated their abilities.

The C-17 Globemaster was the largest aircraft on display.

Geico Skytypers amazed the crowds with aerobatic maneuvers and typed messages high above the airshow.

The Miss Geico offshore racing boat passes the World, a luxury resident cruise ship.

If you looking for a great place to watch a Space Shuttle launch, there may be no better place than Grills Seafood & Tiki Bar at Port Canaveral. Space Shuttle Discovery is set to launch in early November for one of the scheduled last two Space Shuttle launches.

Grills serves what is possibly the best Mahi sandwich on the planet. I know it’s the best I’ve ever had. The sandwich is officially called the Grilled Fish & Cheese. It’s served with either Mahi or Tuna, with grilled onions, peppers, mushrooms & smothered with cheese on a fresh toasted roll.

Grills offers a great view of the Port, and is possibly one of the best places to spend the day away from the crowded beaches and causeway the launch will attract. Check the Space Shuttle Launch Schedule for up to date information, times and dates. Sunrise Marina, which shares the waterfront space with Grills also offers fishing charters.

The Cocoa Beach Super Boat Race held this weekend was a lot of fun to watch with boats racing just off the beach. The race, Thunder on the Beach, sanctioned by Super Boat International and was the first in what appears to be an annual event for Cocoa Beach. Pictured above is Superboat Vee Unlimited winner Instigator with an average of 96.12 mph.

Super Cat winner Popeyes had an average speed of 94.8 mph.

Superboat 750 class winner Warpaint had an average speed of 92.78 mph.

Local favorite Doug Wright, and his entry Mapei won the Superboat stock class with an average speed of 88.13 mph.

Fountain Talladega racing in the Manufacturer Production 1 class took second at 86.45 mph.

Team Mo Jo in the Manufacturer Production 2 class turned in a dismal 41.7 mph, the boat looked really slow in the water.

Instigator passes Velocity.

Crowds show up for Thunder on the Beach.

Crane moves Mapei into Port Canaveral.

I shot the larger photo above on 4/10/09 behind my place in Cape Canaveral as this Orion spacecraft mockup was being towed by one of the shuttle booster recovery ships as it was undergoing water testing. The inset photo is courtesy of NASA.

President Obama was at Kennedy Space Center today trying to calm fears over the upcoming layoffs and the potential economic disaster on the Space Coast that will involve laying off thousands of workers when the last space shuttle launches. One plan being offered by President Obama is to use the Orion Spacecraft as a rescue vehicle for the International Space Station.

There’s a scene right out of Pirate’s of the Caribbean playing at Port Canaveral. The first ship to enter the ghost fleet was the Liquid Vegas in May of last year. The company filled for bankruptcy and the ship has been sold, however its still docked at the port.

Then SunCruz Surfside Princess was the next to enter the abyss, it last set sail on Dec 13 and its parent company Ocean Casino Cruises also filed for bankruptcy.

Then two more ghost casino ships appeared out of nowhere, the SunCruz VIII from Myrtle Beach and the SunCruz VI from Jacksonville. We’ll keep an eye out for Capt. Jack Sparrow and more casino ghost ships.

Yesterday I photographed the Liberty Star at Jetty Park towing one of the solid rocket boosters (SRBs) from the STS-129 mission in which Space Shuttle Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Nov 16 at 2:28 p.m. EST.

The way the SRBs are retrieved from the Atlantic after a launch is pretty cool. The SRBs themselves will be refurbished and readied for a future shuttle launch from KSC.

The SRBs are 149.16 ft long and 12.17 ft in diameter, weigh 1,300,000 lb at launch.

A view of the spoil islands along the Indian River, this photo was taken behind Capt. Hiram’s.

VIP Island is only accessible by boat and has a private canal that runs down the center. The island has over 35 homes and is about 1/4 miles long. VIP Island is located in the Indian River off Grant.