News United States Air Force
 Thunder air show draws large crowds for 75th Air Force celebrationPublished April 26, 2022
                        
                        By Senior Airman Madison Beichler
                        
                        
                        123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
                **LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AFNS) --**
                Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the banks of the Ohio River April 23 for the annual Thunder Over Louisville air show, which marked its return with more than 30 aircraft to celebrate the **75th anniversary** of the Air Force.
Featured performers included the U.S. Air Force **F-22 Raptor Demo team** and the **Kentucky Air National Guard**’s new **C-130J Super Hercules**. Other Air Force acts included the **B-2 Spirit**, **C-17 Globemaster III**, **F-15E Strike Eagle**, **F-16 Viper** and **KC-46 Pegasus**, as well as more than a half-dozen historic aircraft such as the **B-24 Liberator**, **B-29 Superfortress** and **P-51D Mustang**.
“This is my first Thunder and I’m certainly hoping it will not be the last,” said U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff **Gen. David W. Allvin**, who was the guest of honor at this year’s show.U.S. Air Force Gen. David W. Allvin, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, tours a static display of aircraft the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., April 23, 2022. Allvin was in town for the Thunder Over Louisville air show, which celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force. The Kentucky Air Guard served as the base of operations for military aircraft participating in the event. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton)Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force  Gen. David W. Allvin tours a static display of aircraft the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., April 23, 2022. Allvin was in town for the Thunder Over Louisville air show, which celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force. The Kentucky Air Guard served as the base of operations for military aircraft participating in the event. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton)
            
            
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“It’s great to be here celebrating our birthday as an independent service. We’ve built up a proud heritage over these past 75 years with some outstanding capabilities, and we’re seeing some of that on display here today.
“This is a remarkable example of teamwork from our Total Force of active duty, **Air National Guard** and **Reserve** personnel working with civilians and this community. The community relationship is strong, the partnership is strong, and this is just a fantastic display of what America is all about.”

Most of the aircraft for this year’s Thunder operated from the ramp of the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, where the men and women of the **123rd Airlift Wing** provided essential maintenance and logistical support.
“One of the greatest prides we take is in our Air National Guard,” Allvin noted. “The Kentucky National Guard and the 123rd Airlift wing have a fairly significant heritage themselves that is helping host this show, and we could not be more proud of their team effort to do that.”
Alvin said the C-130J, which he called “the premium tactical aircraft in the world,” held a special place in his heart.A P-51D Mustang performs an aerial demonstration over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville, Ky., April 23, 2022 as part of the Thunder Over Louisville air show. This year’s event celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)A P-51D Mustang performs an aerial demonstration over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville, Ky., April 23, 2022, as part of the Thunder Over Louisville air show. This year’s event celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)
            
            
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    Maj. Chris Boelscher (left) and 1st Lt. Daniel Wormley (right), both C-130J Super Hercules pilots with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 165th Airlift Squadron, perform their second pass during the Thunder Over Louisville air show on April 23, 2022, in Louisville, Ky. Boelscher flew the C-130J as Airmen from the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron parachuted into the Ohio River with banners for the United States of America and Kentucky. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Clayton Wear)Maj. Chris Boelscher and 1st Lt. Daniel Wormley, both C-130J Super Hercules pilots with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 165th Airlift Squadron, perform their second pass during the Thunder Over Louisville air show on April 23, 2022, in Louisville, Ky. Boelscher flew the C-130J as Airmen from the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron parachuted into the Ohio River with banners for the United States of America and Kentucky. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Clayton Wear)
            
            
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    A T-33 Shooting Star from Acemaker Airshows performs an aerial demonstration over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville, Ky., April 23, 2022 as part of the Thunder Over Louisville air show. This year’s event celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)A T-33 Shooting Star from Acemaker Airshows performs an aerial demonstration over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville, Ky., April 23, 2022, as part of the Thunder Over Louisville air show. This year’s event celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)
            
            
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“I have a little bit of pride in it because I was one of the first two developmental test pilots was back in 1995,” he said. “The Kentucky Air Guard and 123rd are going to be able to use it to its fullest potential here in the states or to deploy overseas as part of our Total Force team.”
As a C-130 airlift unit, the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd AW participated in nearly every major operation since Desert Storm, deploying to dozens of countries for hundreds of thousands of active-duty days since 9/11, including multiple deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Wing members also are heavily engaged in humanitarian and disaster-recovery missions, including deployments for hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, tornados and the Ebola crisis in West Africa.A combat controller with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron jumps from a Kentucky Air Guard C-130J Super Hercules for a parachute demonstration during the Thunder Over Louisville air show on April 23, 2022, in Louisville, Ky. Members of the 123rd STS kicked off the show by jumping with banners for the United States of America and Kentucky. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Clayton Wear)A combat controller with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron jumps from a Kentucky Air Guard C-130J Super Hercules for a parachute demonstration during the Thunder Over Louisville air show on April 23, 2022, in Louisville, Ky. Members of the 123rd STS kicked off the show by jumping with banners for the United States of America and Kentucky. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Clayton Wear)
            
            
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This year’s air show, broadcast live on local radio and TV, began with the presentation of the colors by the Kentucky Air Guard, punctuated by canon fire from the Kentucky Army Guard’s 138th Field Artillery Brigade. That was followed by a demonstration in which 10 members of the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron parachuted into the Ohio River from a Kentucky Air Guard C-130 while trailing the American and Kentucky flags. The next five hours were filled with aerial demonstrations, including aircraft from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, before ending with one of the largest fireworks displays in North America.
Earlier in the day, Allvin toured a static display of aircraft at the Kentucky Air Guard Base and met with Airmen of the 123rd AW.FS 



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