Heading to Thunder Over Louisville? Here's what to know about the 2022 Air Show lineup

Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal
·4 min read

Thunder Over Louisville returns on Saturday, April 23, bringing one of the nation's top air shows back to Louisville.

In a salute to the 75th Anniversary of the United States Air Force, the event will have a packed show showcasing both military and civilian aircraft.

Scheduled performances include the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo, U.S. Air Force C-17 Demo, U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight, the Kentucky Air National Guard 123rd Airlift Wing with the new C-130J, and the Commemorative Air Force’s B-29, B-24, and B-25, as well as the U.S. Navy E/A-18 Growler Demo with a Legacy Flight, Younkin Airshows, and many more, according to the Kentucky Derby Festival.

The first AC-130J gunship landed on the runway on Wednesday July 29, 2015 at Hurlburt Field.
The first AC-130J gunship landed on the runway on Wednesday July 29, 2015 at Hurlburt Field.

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The airshow returns with a Category 1 aerobatic box, which allows for more of the fast, loud aircraft as well as the demo teams.

UPS is a sponsor of the 2022 show and will have a team flying during the airshow. UPS First Officer Sheila Hyde, who is also a member of the United States military, is looking forward to being a part of the event.

“The Air Force will always be a big part of my life and representing UPS as a pilot and veteran is very special," Hyde said. "It’s something I can look back upon in my career and be very proud."

UPS B767 Captain Ken Kirk agreed and said showcasing the Boeing 767 in Thunder Over Louisville is a point of honor for his entire crew.

“UPS is a huge part of this community, and we are honored to showcase an aircraft that’s been providing support to communities around the world by delivering what matters," he said.

The theme of the 2022 event, heading into its 33rd year, is "The Legend Returns," and will also feature one of the nation’s largest annual fireworks shows, produced by Zambelli Fireworks International.

"After a two-year hiatus, 'The Legend Returns,' to the waterfront and we're so excited," KDF president Matt Gibson said previously. "The Louisville waterfront is one of the best venues for an airshow and fireworks in the country."

A T-38 Talon, a twinge supersonic jet trainer, taxis on the runway at the Kentucky Air National Guard ahead of practice for Thunder Over Louisville in Louisville, Ky. on Friday, April 12, 2019.
A T-38 Talon, a twinge supersonic jet trainer, taxis on the runway at the Kentucky Air National Guard ahead of practice for Thunder Over Louisville in Louisville, Ky. on Friday, April 12, 2019.

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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 $127 million.

Here's everything you need to know about the air show lineup at Thunder Over Louisville 2022:

Thunder Over Louisville 2022 Air Show lineup

A UPS Boeing 767 flies by during the 2021 Thunder Air Show at Bowman Field, Saturday, Apr. 17, 2021 in Louisville Ky.
A UPS Boeing 767 flies by during the 2021 Thunder Air Show at Bowman Field, Saturday, Apr. 17, 2021 in Louisville Ky.

  • 123rd Special Tactics Squadron Parachute Team (Louisville ANG Base, Kentucky)

  • A-1 Skyraider (Warbird Heritage Foundation, Waukegan, Illinois)

  • A-10C Thunderbolt II “Warthog” (107th FS, Selfridge ANG, Michigan)

  • AC-130J Gunship (1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida)

  • Acemaker Airshows (T-33 Demo)

  • B-2 Spirit (13th Bomb Squadron, Whiteman, Missouri)

  • B-24 Liberator (“Diamond Lil,” Commemorative Air Force, Ft. Worth, Texas)

  • B-25 Mitchell (“Show Me,” Commemorative Air Force, Missouri Wing)

  • B-29 Superfortress (“FiFi,” Commemorative Air Force, Ft. Worth, Texas)

  • B-52 Stratofortress (93rd Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana)

  • World War Two Victory Formation (B-25, B-24, B-29 and P-51D)

  • Boeing 767, UPS Airlines (Louisville IAP, Kentucky)

  • C-130J Super Hercules (Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville ANG Base, Kentucky)

  • C-17 Globemaster III (437th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, South Carolina)

  • Carbon Cub Float Plane (Bowman Field, Louisville, Kentucky)

  • CH-53 Sea Stallion (Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14, Norfolk, NAS)

  • Coleman Aerobatics (Taylorcraft, Bowman Field, Louisville, Kentucky)

  • CV-22 Osprey (Marine Tilt Rotor Squadron 204, New River, North Carolina)

  • F-15E Strike Eagle (4th Fighter Squadron, Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina)

  • F-16 Viper (112th Fighter Squadron, Toledo, Ohio)

  • F-16 Viper (176th Fighter Squadron, Madison, Wisconsin)

  • F-86 Sabre Demo (Warbird Heritage Foundation, Waukegan, Illinois

  • F-100 Super Sabre Demo (Ft. Wayne, Indiana)

  • Growler Demonstration Team, E/F-18G Growler (Electronic Attack Squadron 129, Whidbey Island NAS)

  • US Navy Legacy Flight (E/A-18G/F4U Corsair)

  • KC-46 Pegasus (305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, New Jersey)

  • KC-135 Stratotanker (72nd Aerial Refueling Squadron, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana)

  • P-51D Aerobatics (“Swamp Fox,” Concorde, North Carolina)

  • Raptor Demonstration Team, F-22 Raptor (1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia)

  • USAF Heritage Flight (F-22/P-51D Formation)

  • T-38 Talon (9th Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, California)

  • UH-60 Blackhawk (8th Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment, Ft. Knox Kentucky)

  • Younkin Airshows (Twin Beech Aerobatics Demo)

Aircraft subject to change on show day.

Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com or Twitter @kirbylouisville.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Thunder Over Louisville: Check out the 2022 air show lineup