WORDS & PHOTOS: JACOB RUTLEDGE
After being canceled due to historic flooding in 2025, Thunder Over Louisville roared back on Saturday for its 37th year. Themed “Thunder in the U.S.A.” to mark America’s approaching 250th anniversary, this year’s show delivered a six-hour aerial program that blended one of the larger line ups of military aircraft to be found at a North American airshow with civilian artistry, and more than a few chest-rattling moments over the Ohio River.
Rain had been in the forecast all week, with the National Weather Service calling for a 50–90% chance of showers and thunderstorms. The forecast remained consistent all week and dominated discussions in online forums and social media. In the end, no severe weather or thunderstorms impacted the event as the previous forecast earlier in the week had hinted. We did receive occasional sprinkles and showers, with some low ceilings at times; while this impacted the schedule, a majority of the show proceeded as planned.
The show opened at 15:00 sharp with the Male High School Choir performing the National Anthem, followed by a salute honoring Paul Jones, a World War II pilot – a fitting start for a show built around the theme of American heritage. Before the last notes faded, the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s F-35 Lightning II was already overhead, its gray silhouette ripping across the skyline in a fast, clean pass that set the tone for everything to come. The aircraft proceeded back to the aerobatic box for more passes as photogenic as always, further enriched by high humidity.
The early block of the show belonged to the warbirds and heritage aircraft. Mike Pratt’s Grumman G-44A Widgeon, a twin-engine amphibian from the 1940s, made graceful passes over the river, a welcome contrast to the F-35’s speed. Unfortunately, just as Mike was cleared into the box, the cold front driving the rainy forecast and conditions blew through, impeding Mike’s ability to safely land the Widgeon on the river, like he did on practice day. Greg Colyer followed in the Ace Maker T-33 Shooting Star, putting the Cold War era jet trainer through its paces with smooth, precise passes and a few crowd-pleasing aileron rolls. Colyer is a Thunder regular, and his comfort in the show box was obvious.
Nick Coleman was scheduled to fly two slots. The Waco Taperwing biplane “KONG” in the afternoon and the T-Craft later on, both of which showcased low-speed, high-skill aerobatics that are easy to underappreciate until you realize how tight the margins are. Due to a mechanical issue, Nick had to cancel his “Kong” demonstration, though I did have an opportunity to watch him put his Waco Taperwing through its paces on Practice day and enjoyed it. Matt Younkin’s Twin Beech aerobatics displays also go beyond what can be expected of such an aircraft. His daytime show was impressive on its own; watching a Beechcraft 18 do aerobatics is inherently surprising. After Matt’s display, two T-38 Talons from Randolph Air Force Base snuck in for a formation pass. Later, Britt Lincoln showcased aerobatics in a more conventional mount, the Extra 330SC.
The LMPD River Patrol rescue demonstration, featuring an Airbus Helicopters H125,was a nice change of pace – and a reminder that this waterfront hosts real-world operations, not just air shows. As someone who enjoys recreation on the river, it’s nice knowing someone has my back if things get sideways. Immediately following the LMPD Helicopter, two T-6A Texan II aircraft from Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas swung through for a 2-ship formation pass.
The Kentucky Air National Guard segment mid-afternoon was a point of pride. Two UH-60M Blackhawks performed a water rescue demonstration followed by the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron. The weather again played a part in the show and unfortunately, the planned HALO jump had to be canceled, but the KY ANG C-130J-30 Hercules formation was a crowd favorite, as it always is. There’s a tangible connection between Louisville and the 123rd Airlift Wing; these aren’t visiting performers, they’re neighbors. Their segment included multiple flare passes again this year of various kinds. For a whole host of reasons, the KYANG C-130J slot is one of my favorites.
The CT-142 Dash 8 from the Royal Canadian Air Force was a quieter act in a loud lineup, but it’s not every day you see RCAF markings over Louisville, and the aircraft made a clean impression with its flybys. This was one of the sportier demo profiles I’ve seen, and I especially appreciated the pass originating from behind the east side of the city west. That pass provided a different, unique, and welcome profile.
The MV-22B Osprey drew plenty of attention and the tiltrotor’s transition from helicopter to airplane mode never gets old. Just as the Osprey entered the box, the heaviest precipitation of the show started. The crew elected for one pass, then to recover back to the airfield. Flying during the rain, the 159th Fighter Wing’s F-15C Eagle pair was another heavy hitter. The Eagle may be aging out of the inventory, but you wouldn’t know it from their sporty appearance: multiple passes, lots of burners and vapor.
Louisville’s own Smoke On! Aviation brought hometown pride to their slot, trailing smoke over the city skyline. They opened with an impressive 12 ship formation that later disbanded into two smaller formations.
They were among three civilian formation teams at the show. The Trojan Thunder team of T-28 Trojans delivered tight four-ship display in both their afternoon and twilight sets. The roar of the radial is unmistakable, and the colorful aircraft representing a variety of services added a nice pop to an otherwise muted sky. Also flying vintage military trainers, the Skyliners performed a twilight slot with six T-34 Mentors, giving the crowd multiple flat passes.
The USAF F-16 Viper Demonstration Team owned two blocks of the show – a 15:38 daytime slot and a 19:36 twilight encore. Unfortunately, low ceilings prevented the daytime demo. Fast forward to the evening demonstration. The evening Viper display was the highlight of the show. I was surprised by the amount of time spent in afterburner otherwise difficult to discern in “perfect day” conditions – far more time than I thought the demonstration profile would be flown.
After the Viper’s twilight set, the show took a breath. Matt Younkin’s “Magic by Moonlight” at 8:48 served as the bridge between air show and fireworks, and it was perfectly placed in the program. Matt’s demonstration concluded the human flight for the night and next up was the drone show that served as a bridge to one of North America’s largest fireworks displays.
Considering the number of US airshows that have already been cancelled this year and those that will likely have to be cancelled, the high operational tempo of the US military and the challenges with the weather, Thunder Over Louisville 2026 would have been a tough time, but the team made it all work dealing with multiple challenges. You have to approach Thunder Over Louisville differently from most other airshows. What started as an idea decades ago to gather people before the world class fireworks that officially starts the two week countdown to the Kentucky Derby, has sustained itself when many more traditional airshows have not. I often approach it as part display, part parade.
In prior years, we’ll often get a variety of transient military aircraft offering unmatched variety. B-1’s, B-2s, B-52’s, and E-3’s just to name a few sometimes offering a single pass as they continue on with their training mission. While this year’s line up didn’t have that, the line up was still deep and well-sequenced, with several items that cannot be seen elsewhere and a setting that is almost completely unique. Yes, there were some “usuals” that were not with us this year, but given all the challenges, the Viper Demo and Matt Younkin’s “Magic by Moonlight” were the standout moments, not to mention the KYANG Four ship C-130J formation passes with multiple flare dumps.
After losing the 2025 show to flooding, it felt great to be back.