Thunderbird squadron roars across the Montana skies
Thousands of spectators in Great Falls were entertained July 23 and 24 with aerial demonstrations from the legendary Air Force Thunderbirds to the famous World War 2 P-51 Mustang.
Displayed around the flight line, one could see the latest high-tech F-35 fighter jets, along with several helicopters, from the heavy lift twin rotor Chinook, to the latest surveillance helicopter, the UH-72 Lakota. Land based military vehicle displays included the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the MATV armored personnel carrier, much to the delight of the young visitors.
Aerial performances started out with the Jelly Belly aerobatics plane with their hilarious account of a new pilot that was slowly losing parts off his plane while reading the planes operators manual on how to land.
History came alive with the next flyby when the A-26 Invader, called Special Kay, took to the air. First manufactured in 1942 for close air support. It is equipped with eight forward mounted 50-caliber machine guns in the nose, it was well respected by both sides of the conflict. The Invader is the only American bomber to serve in three wars with the last one being retired in 1972. Special Kay is the last flying A-26.
Next up in the air the P-51 Mustang, widely regarded as the finest all-around fighter of World War II, dazzled the crowd with its aerial performance and its deep throated roar of the legendary Merlin engine.
Pilots Stephen Christopher and Todd Rudberg, both with Undaunted Airshows from the Pacific Northwest, performed as a two aircraft aerobatic team.
The T-33 Shooting Star, piloted by Gregory Colyer, took to the air with a very impressive, simulated bomb run demonstration, accompanied with equally impressive pyro explosions. The explosions were so huge that rumors started making rounds on social media that a plane had crashed at the airshow.
The Air Forces Thunder Birds, equipped with the F-16 Fighting Falcon jet, ended the airshow with an incredible 32-minute display of precision flying, including close formation and high-speed passes over the crowds. The roar of a jet, in full afterburner, traveling at speeds of over 400 mph, several hundred feet above the crowd was a high point for many.
This was the first Thunderbirds show since 2017 with an estimated crowd of over 30,000.
