Thunder Over Louisville 2023 Schedule, Lineup

Thunder Over Louisville Airshow Schedule

2023 Thunder Over Louisville Airshow Schedule Lineup

Louisville is in for a thunderous treat! On Saturday, April 22 the city will play host to one of America’s most electrifying air shows. Get ready, it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience and we’re here to outline the 2023 Thunder Over Louisville schedule and lineup.

The Kentucky Derby Festival is set to open with an incredible air spectacle, featuring the awe-inspiring F-35 Demo and Heritage Flight from the U.S. Air Force and Navy F-35s alongside Growlers performing in perfect harmony as part of the Legacy Flight — plus mesmerizing maneuvers by Matt Younkin’s “Magic by Moonlight” performance, not to mention distinctive warbirds like P-51 Mustangs, F4U Corsairs & more taking off into sky heaven!

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Get ready for an aerial spectacle that is sure to take your breath away! Thunder Over Louisville returns on Saturday, April 22 with a celebration of awe-inspiring aircraft from decades past and present. The U.S. Air Force F-35 Demo Team & Heritage Flight, Navy Growler Demonstration team, and the Golden Knights will be taking off alongside numerous warbirds such as the iconic P51 Mustang, F8F Bearcat, F-86 Sabre, F4U Corsair, and a drone show!

This year’s 2023 event will be one for the ages! Taking a trip through history, this 34th annual celebration is set to commemorate “Through the Decades” with an incredible display of fireworks – making it one of nation’s biggest firework shows in recent memory. Don’t miss out on this momentous occasion and make sure you’re there when time takes flight!

Thunder Over Louisville Airshow Schedule

Aircraft and the times listed are subject to change on show day as events unfold in realtime.

  • 3 p.m.: Air Show Begins/Official Thunder Broadcast on WAVE and MIX 106.9
  • 3 p.m.: F-16 Viper (180th FW, Toledo ANG, Ohio)
  • 3:10 p.m.: U.S. Army Golden Knights, Day Demonstration (Fort Bragg, North Carolina)
  • 3:45 p.m.: UPS Airlines Airbus 300 (Louisville
  • 3:49 pm.: Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18
  • 4:01 p.m.: CT-142, “Gonzo” (1 Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force, Winnipeg, Canada)
  • 4:09 p.m.: CT-155, “Hawk” (4 Wing Cold Lake, Royal Canadian Air Force, Alberta Canada)
  • 4:19 p.m.: BREAK
  • 4:24 p.m.: C-130J Super Hercules/123rd Special Tactics Squadron Parachute Team (Louisville ANG Base)
  • 4:36 p.m.: P-51D “Swamp Fox” 
  • 4:46 p.m.: A-10 Warthog (122nd Fighter Wing, Ft. Wayne, Indiana)
  • 4:56 p.m.: Matt Younkin Twin Beech Aerobatics Demo
  • 5:08 p.m.: T-38A Talon (Beale AFB, Califorinai) 
  • 5:10 p.m.: C-17 Globemaster III (167th Airlift Wing, ANG Base, Martinsburg, West Virginia)
  • 5:20 p.m.: Waco Taperwing (Nick Coleman, Bowman Field, Louisville)
  • 5:28 p.m.: BREAK
  • 5:31 p.m.: USAF F-35A Demo Team (Hill AFB, Utah) 
  • 5:51 p.m.: USAF Heritage Flight
  • 6:01 p.m.: McGuire KC-46
  • 6:09 p.m.: KC-135 Stratotanker (70th ARS, Grissom ARB, Indiana) 
  • 6:19 p.m.: F-86 Saber, (Warbird Heritage Foundation, Waukegan Illinois)
  • 6:27 p.m.: UH-60 Blackhawk, (8th Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment, Ft. Knox) 
  • 6:37 p.m.: KC-46 Pegasus, (Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst AFB, Pennsylvannia)
  • 6:48 p.m.: BREAK
  • 6:52 p.m.: HC-144 Ocean Sentry, (U.S. Coast Guard, Mobile Alabama)
  • 7 p.m.: F-8F Bearcat
  • 7:08 p.m.: E-2C Hawkeye Demo, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia
  • 7:18 p.m.: Navy P-8 Orion, (U.S. Navy Air Test and Eval Squadron 1, Pax River)
  • 7:26 p.m.: Navy EA-18 Growler Demo Team, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington
  • 7:38 p.m.: Navy F-35C Demo Team (Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA)
  • 7:50 p.m.: Navy Legacy Flight
  • 8 p.m.: BREAK  
  • 8:03 p.m.: Yak 52 (Bowman Field, Louisville)
  • 8:13 p.m.: Smoke On
  • 8:23 p.m.: Carbon Cub Float Plane (Bowman Field)
  • 8:26 p.m.: Sunset
  • 8:41 p.m.: U.S. Army Golden Knights, Night Demonstration (Fort Bragg, North Caroliona)
  • 9:01 p.m.: Magic by Moonlight, Twin Beech Aerobatics Demo (Younkin Airshows) 
  • 9:10 p.m.: Louisville Tribute
  • 9:12 p.m.: Meijer Moment (Thunder Fans Help Light Up the Waterfront)
  • 9:16 p.m.: Drone Show Powered by LG&E
  • 9:28 p.m.: System Check: Clear Airspace
  • 9:30 p.m.: Fireworks

Thunder Over Louisville 2023 Lineup

Get ready for a day of stellar sounds with this premier air show lineup! From A to Z, here’s the jam-packed list you can look forward to on April 22 – unless something changes, that is. Keep your eyes peeled and ears open folks; it’s gonna be epic!

  • 123rd Special Tactics Squadron Parachute Team (Louisville ANG Base, Kentucky)
  • A-10 Warthog (122nd Fighter Wing, Ft. Wayne, Indiana)
  • C-130J Super Hercules (Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville ANG Base Kentucky)
  • C-17 Globemaster III (167th Airlift Wing, ANG Base, Martinsburg, West Virginia)
  • U.S. Army Golden Knights, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
  • CT-155, (4 Wing Cold Lake, Royal Canadian Air Force, Alberta California)
  • CT-142, (1 Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force, Winnipeg, California)
  • E-2C Hawkeye, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia 
  • EA-18 Growler Demo Team, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington
  • Navy Legacy Flight
  • F-8F Bearcat
  • F-16 Viper (180th FW, Toledo ANG, Ohio)
  • USAF F-35A Demo Team (Hill AFB, Utah)
  • Navy F-35C Demo Team (Naval Air Station Lemoore, California)
  • F-86 Saber, (Warbird Heritage Foundation, Waukegan Illinois)
  • HC-144 Ocean Sentry, (U.S. Coast Guard, Mobile Alabama)
  • KC-46 Pegasus, (Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst AFB, Pennsylvania)
  • KC-135 Stratotanker (70th ARS, Grissom ARB, Indiana)
  • P-8 Orion, (U.S. Navy Air Test and Eval Squadron 1, Pax River)
  • P-51D “Swamp Fox”
  • USAF Heritage Flight
  • T-38A Talon (Beale AFB, California)  
  • Twin Beech Aerobatics Demo – Younkin Airshows
  • UH-60 Blackhawk, (8th Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment, Ft. Knox Kentucky)  
  • UPS Airlines Airbus 300 (Louisville IAP, Kentucky)
  • Waco Taperwing (Nick Coleman, Louisville)
  • Yak 52 (Bowman Field, Louisville)

Where to Watch Thunder Over Louisville

We have a full article outlined in the link above on how you can watch the Thunder Over Louisville 2023 Fireworks and Airshow.

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