The full Thunder Over Louisville air show lineup is here! Check out who's coming in 2024
Thunder Over Louisville returns on Saturday, April 20, bringing one of the nation's top air shows back to Louisville.
The 2024 air show begins at 3 p.m. at Waterfront Park. The festival is planning another packed air show featuring military and civilian aircraft. Highlights include The Air Force Viper Demo and Heritage Flight; Air Force C-17 Demo (with an aerial refueling demonstration); Navy Growler with Legacy Flight; U.S. Air Force Wings of Blue; Matt Younkin’s “Magic by Moonlight” performance; vintage champion air racer “Mr Mulligan:” Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Demo, as well as numerous aerobatic routines and unique custom aircraft in formation and upon the water.
The 35th Thunder Over Louisville theme is "Celebrating Derby 150" and features a massive fireworks show from Zambelli Fireworks. It commemorates the entire Derby season from Thunder Over Louisville, which serves as the “Opening Ceremonies” of the Kentucky Derby Festival, to the Kentucky Derby annually held on the first Saturday in May.
The Kentucky Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships, and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people every spring and has a local economic impact of more than $56 million.
Here's everything you need to know about the air show lineup at Thunder Over Louisville 2024:
Thunder Over Louisville 2024 Air Show lineup
Here's the full lineup as of April 15 (in alphabetical order). Please keep in mind that it is subject to change:
123rd Special Tactics Squadron Parachute Team
A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog”
A-400M Atlas
Britt Lincoln Extra 300
C-130J "Super Hercules" Four Ship
C/F-18 Hornet Two Ship
Clipped-Wing TaylorCraft
F-16 Viper Four Ship
Jeff Gordon Carbon Cub Float Plane
Matt Younkin Twin Beech Aerobatics Demo
“Mister Mulligan” Howard DGA-6
Navy EA-18 Growler Demo Team
Navy E-2C Hawkeye Two Ship
Navy Legacy Flight
Navy MH-53 Helicopter
UH-60 Helocast
UPS Airlines Boeing 747-800
USAF B-52
USAF C-17 Globemaster III
USAF F-16 Viper DEMO
USAF Heritage Flight
USAF KC-135 Stratotanker
USAF T-1A Jayhawk
USAF “Wings of Blue” Parachute Team
USMC UH-1Y and AH-1Z Helicopters
Wild Blue RV-8 Aerobatics
Yak 52
Thunder Over Louisville 2024 Air Show Schedule
Aircraft and times subject to change on show day.
3 p.m.: Air Show Begins/Official Thunder Broadcast on WDRB and MIX 106.9
3 p.m.: F-16 Viper Four Ship (180th Fighter Wing OH ANG, Toledo, OH)
3:10 p.m.: UPS Airlines Boeing 747-800 (Louisville IAP)
3:22 p.m.: C/F-18 Hornet Two Ship (4 Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force, Cold Lake, Alberta)
3:32 p.m.: 123rd Special Tactics Squadron Parachute Team, KY ANG (Louisville)
3:42 p.m.: C-130J "Super Hercules" Four Ship (123rd Airlift Wing, KY ANG, Louisville)
3:45 p.m.: Navy MH-53 Helicopter (HM-15 Norfolk NAS, Norfolk VA)
3:55 p.m.: UH-60 Helocast (63rd Theater Aviation Brigade, Frankfort) and (123rd Special Tactics Squadron, KY ANG, Louisville)
4:03 p.m.: Navy E-2C Hawkeye Two Ship (VAW-120, Norfolk NAS, Norfolk VASN)
4:06 p.m.: BREAK
4:09 p.m.: USAF KC-135 Stratotanker (97th Airlift Wing, Altus AFB, OK)
4:24 p.m.: USAF C-17 Globemaster III (97th Airlift Wing, Altus AFB, OK)
4:39 p.m.: Matt Younkin Twin Beech Aerobatics Demo (Day Show)
4:41 p.m.: Clipped-Wing TaylorCraft (Nick Coleman, Bowman Field, Louisville)
4:59 p.m.: USAF “Wings of Blue” Parachute Team
5:11 p.m.: Britt Lincoln Extra 300 (MT)
5:19 p.m.: BREAK
5:22 p.m.: Navy EA-18 Growler Demo Team (Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, WA)
5:34 p.m.: Navy Legacy Flight
5:44 p.m.: USAF B-52 (307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, LA)
5:52 p.m.: Wild Blue RV-8 Aerobatics (Day Show)
6 p.m.: Yak 52 (Bowman Field, Louisville)
6:08 p.m.: BREAK
6:11 p.m.: USAF F-16 Viper DEMO (20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, SC)
6:31 p.m.: USAF Heritage Flight
6:41 p.m.: A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog” (924th Fighter Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ)
6:49 p.m.: USAF C-17 (445th Airlift Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH)
6:55 p.m.: A-400M Atlas (Lufttransportgeschwader (Air Transport Group) 62, Wunstorf AB, Hannover, Germany)
7:03 p.m.: BREAK
7:06 p.m.: USAF T-1A Jayhawk (14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, MS)
7:08 p.m.: “Mister Mulligan” Howard DGA-6 (Mason City, IA)
7:16 p.m.: SMOKE ON! Aviation (Louisville)
7:24 p.m.: USMC UH-1Y and AH-1Z Helicopters (Squadron 773, Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ)
8:15 p.m.: Jeff Gordon Carbon Cub Float Plane (Bowman Field)
8:52 p.m.: Sunset
8:52 p.m.: Wild Blue RV-8 Aerobatics (Night Show)
9 p.m.: Magic by Moonlight, Twin Beech Aerobatics Demo (Matt Younkin Airshows)
9:10 p.m.: Meijer Moment (Thunder Fans Help Light Up the Waterfront)
9:12 p.m.: Drone Show Powered by LG&E
9:27 p.m.: System Check: Clear Airspace
9:30 p.m.: Fireworks
Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Thunder Over Louisville 2024 full air show lineup