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Mike Frizzell
Mike Frizzell
Events
1 min. read

U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds practice ahead of Garmin KC Air Show — Check out our pictures

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds air demonstration squadron arrived in south Johnson County on Thursday afternoon ahead of the Garmin KC Air Show this weekend.

  • The Thunderbirds will be the headliners for both shows on Saturday and Sunday.
  • After arriving from a quick two-hour flight from Nellis Air Force Base, located just outside of Las Vegas, the squadron went into rehearsing their maneuvers.

The details: The team flies six F-16 Fighting Falcons during performances.

  • When flying in formation, the Thunderbirds come as close as 18-inches to one another’s wing tips while achieving speeds of roughly 500mph.
  • During fast and loud sneak passes, the solo pilots demonstrate the performance capabilities of their aircraft, with speeds reaching nearly 720mph, just under the speed of sound.
  • What the airmen can demonstrate during air shows is only a fraction of what these aircraft can do; F-16s can fly at just over Mach 2, or 1,350mph.

More details and ticketing information for this weekend’s KC Air Show can be found here.

Here are more images of the Thunderbirds’s KC Air Show practice:

KC Air Show
Four Thunderbirds in “diamond” formation, make a pass over the landing area at New Century AirCenter. Photo credits Mike Frizzell.
KC Air Show
The jets approach for a high-speed pass over the runway as a line of spectators watch along the AirCenter’s fence Thursday afternoon.
KC Air Show
In “diamond” formation, the Thunderbirds buzz past the New Century air tower. Unlike in the “Top Gun” movies, these pilots had the proper clearance.
KC Air Show
The Thunderbirds practiced for about 50 minutes on Thursday. They will perform each of the two days of the KC Air Show on Saturday and Sunday.
Employees from the KC Air Show’s title sponsor Garmin watch from a ramp just outside of their building as one of the jets comes in to land.
A Thunderbird lands at New Century AirCenter. You may notice the identifying “5” on the lower side of the plane is upside down. That’s because this pilot does most of their maneuvers during a performance inverted.

Mike Frizzell is a freelance crime and fire reporter who runs Operation 100 News and frequently reports and does photo assignments for the Post. 

About the author

Mike Frizzell
Mike Frizzell

Mike Frizzell is a freelance crime and fire reporter who runs Operation 100 News.

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