LOUISVILLE, Ky. –
Military aircraft began arriving at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base here today in preparation for this weekend’s Thunder Over Louisville air show.
The show, slated to begin Saturday at 3 p.m. over the Ohio river, will feature more than a dozen rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, including appearances by the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demonstration Team, Wisconsin Air National Guard F-35 Lighting II, Louisiana Air National Guard F-15 Eagle, a U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey and a Royal Canadian Air Force CT-142 Dash-8.
Other highlights will include a four-ship C-130J Super Hercules demonstration by the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing, said Lt. Col. Josh Ketterer, a Hercules pilot and air show coordinator for the Kentucky Air Guard.
“We’ll be completing a HALO drop, which is high-altitude, low-opening scenario where we release parachutists from approximately 10,000 feet,” he said. “We’ll also do a defensive systems demonstration with a flare dispense at one point during the day, and then we’ll have a formation flyover in our C-130s.”
During the HALO drop, Airmen from the wing’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron will parachute into the Ohio River using the same techniques they employ in austere environments during operational missions around the world.
Later in the show, the Kentucky Air Guard’s special operators will execute a helocast into the Ohio River from Kentucky Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawks assigned to the 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade.
“Those helos will be integrating with our special tactics squadron, and they’ll be demonstrating the infiltration or exfiltration of forces,” Ketterer said. “In this case, they’re going to do it in the water, right in front of the Great Lawn.
“It’s a fun demonstration, and it’s tactically relevant.”
The Kentucky Air Guard is once again serving as the primary base of operations for military aircraft participating in Thunder, providing essential maintenance and logistical support, Ketterer said.
“We do love showcasing Louisville and the Kentuckiana area,” he noted. “We think the hospitality and the people here are second to none. We want to be excellent hosts and put on a first-class, world-class event.”
Maj. Taylor Hiester, a pilot for the Viper Demo Team, said he’s looking forward to Thunder, one of the largest single-day air shows in North America.
“In watching the air show,” Hiester said, “my hope is always that people feel just a little bit closer to the folks who are taking this airplane to bad places and keeping our enemies at risk around the world.
“I can’t tell you how much it means to serve in uniform in general, but to just be representative of everybody that serves around the world — I take it very seriously, and so does the rest of the team,” he continued. “So, when people walk away from the show, I hope they feel inspired to serve their community.”
This weekend’s show has special significance for one member of the Viper team, Capt. Chase Bennett, who grew up in Louisville.
“It’s a dream come true to be back home,” said Bennett, the Viper team’s safety observer. “I’ve always dreamt of being a part of Thunder Over Louisville. I’ve flown Cessnas over Louisville, either out of Bowman Field or Clark County Regional, and to be able to bring an F-16 in town is just a dream.”
Thunder marks its return to downtown Louisville this year after unprecedented flooding cancelled last year’s event. Saturday’s air show concludes at sunset, to be followed by one of the largest annual fireworks displays in North America.