‘What a thrill’: Salute from the Shore pilot excited to take to the skies

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Most people will spend the 4th of July on the ground, but not Tim Gause.

He’s a pilot in this year’s Salute from the Shore, a patriotic event that sees military airplanes from McEntire Joint National Guard Base and Charleston Air Force Base fly down the South Carolina coastline.

Gause said he first flew at the event in 2018.

Despite having a slower plane back then and finishing last, it was a great experience for him.

“What a thrill to do that and to see the hundreds of thousands of people along the South Carolina shore, you know, all waving their flags,” Gause said. “It just is really cool,”

Gause, who pilots a warbird plane, said planning out the logistics of the event can be challenging, but it’s worth it.

“This is kind of what I do, and I enjoy doing it,” Gause said. “But it is a lot of work, and I know the people on the shore waving their flags appreciate seeing the airplanes but don’t take for granted one minute that we just showed up and started flying down the beach. It’s a lot of coordination.”

Gause is flying from Chester to Georgetown on Wednesday to be ready for the event.

You can catch Gause and the other pilots starting at 1 p.m. on Thursday in Cherry Grove in North Myrtle Beach. Pilots will fly all the way down to Beaufort County in the Lowcountry.

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