The full Thunder Over Louisville air show lineup is here! Check out who's coming in 2023

Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal
·5 min read
2
F-16s fly over Thunder Over Louisville

Thunder Over Louisville returns on Saturday, April 22, bringing one of the nation's top air shows back to Louisville.

The Kentucky Derby Festival's annual opening ceremonies will include a packed air show showcasing both military and civilian aircraft including the U.S. Air Force F-35 Demo and Heritage Flight, Navy F-35 and Growler Demo with Legacy Flight, U.S. Army Golden Knights, Matt Younkin's "Magic by Moonlight" performance, as well as numerous warbirds taking to the skies, including the P-51 Mustang, F-86 Sabre, F4U Corsair, F8F Bearcat and more.

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The theme of the 2023 event, heading into its 34th year, is "Through the Decades," and will also feature one of the nation's largest annual fireworks shows, produced by Zambelli Fireworks International.

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.

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Here's everything you need to know about the air show lineup at Thunder Over Louisville 2023:

Thunder Over Louisville 2023 Air Show lineup

Here's the full lineup as of April 17 (in alphabetical order). Please keep in mind that it is subject to change:

  • 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, Canada)

  • CT-142, (1 Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force, Winnipeg, Canada)

  • 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)

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Thunder Over Louisville 2023 Air Show Schedule

Aircraft and times subject to change on show day.

  • 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

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Thunder Over Louisville air show 2023: Full lineup, how to go