LAS VEGAS — The U.S. Air Force’s five hottest flight demonstration teams announced on Tuesday their individual air show schedules which will highlight a busy 2020 season.
The Thunderbirds, the F-22 Raptor, the F-35A Lightning II, the A-10C Thunderbolt II, and F-16C Viper — each a separate Air Combat Command demonstration team — will headline popular air show sites across the United States and abroad. The news gave the selected show sites cause to celebrate as the news was announced.
“The New York Air Show is excited to feature the Air Force Thunderbirds and F-22 Raptor,” New York Air Show Spokesperson Chris Dirato told AvGeekery.com following the announcements. “You can be sure that fans will be treated to some incredible performances.”
The Thunderbirds will kick-off their season in February with a flyover of the Daytona 500 as the national anthem concludes. The six-jet team will spend the following month practicing six days a week before traveling to their first air show at Laughlin AFB, Texas.
The F-22 Demo Team will welcome a new pilot who will also command the team in the coming weeks. The new pilot will be announced publicly in late-January. The squadron is schedule to travel to Southeast Asia to perform at the Singapore Airshow in February.
“As a “thank you” for the outstanding support from Del Rio, Texas, and the surrounding community, Laughlin Air Force Base will host an open house and air show on Saturday, March 14, 2020,” Lt. Col. Gregory Moulton, Commander of the 87th Flying Training Squadron, said. “The one-day event will be headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.”
Currently, the F-35 Demo Team are in the process of training a new pilot for the upcoming season. The team will perform at 16 show sites across the United States.
Several locations will feature both teams performing one after another, including in Anchorage, Alaska and the New York Air Show. The Thunderbirds is scheduled to perform at 36 locations during 2020, while the F-22 Demo team will perform at 25 sites.
The A-10, also known as the Warthog, is also training a new pilot who will also lead the demo team in 2020 and 2021. The crowd favorite Warthog will visit 20 locations.
Air Force Thunderbirds 2020 Air Show Schedule:
February 16: Daytona 500, Daytona Beach, Florida (Flyover)
Mar 14: Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, Texas – Fiesta Of Flight
Mar 21-22: Luke AFB, Arizona – Luke Days Air and Space Expo
Mar 28-29: March ARB, Calif. – March Field Air and Space Expo: Thunder Over the Empire”
April 4-5: Lakeland, Florida – Sun-N-Fun Fly In and Expo
April 18-19: Maxwell AFB, Alabama – Beyond the Horizon Air and Space Show
April 25-26: Columbus AFB, Mississippi – Wings Over Columbus
May 2-3: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale Air Show
May 9-10: Beale AFB, Calif. – Wings Over Recce Town, USA
May 16-17: Shaw AFB, South Carolina – Shaw Air and Space Expo
May 23-24: Miami Beach, Florida – Miami Beach Air and Sea Show
May 28: Colorado Springs, Colorado – USAFA Graduation Fly Over
June 6-7: Salinas, Calif. – California International Airshow
June 13-14: Ocean City, Maryland – OC Air Show
June 20-21: Youngstown ARB, Ohio – Thunder Over The Valley
June 27-28: Hill AFB, Utah – Warriors Over Wasatch Air and Space Show
July 4-5: Battle Creek, Michigan – Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival
July 11-12: JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska – Arctic Thunder
July 18-19: Duluth, Minnisota – Duluth Air and Aviation Expo
July 22: F.E Warren AFB, Wyoming – Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 25-26: Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota – Ellsworth Air and Space Show
August 1-2: Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota – Grand Forks AFB Air Show
August 15-16: Chicago, Illinois – Chicago Air and Water Show
August 22-23: Avoca, PA – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Armed Forces Airshow
August 26: Atlantic City, New Jersey – Thunder Over The Boardwalk Airshow
August 29-30: New Windsor, New York – New York Air Show
September 5-6: Gardner, Kansas – Kansas City Air Show
September 12-13: London (Ontario), Canada – Airshow London
September 19-20: Huntington Beach, Calif. – Pacific Airshow
October 3-4: Minden, Nevada – Aviation Roundup Airshow
October 10-11: Edwards AFB, Calif. – Aerospace Valley Air and Space Show
October 17-18: Fort Worth, Texas – Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show
October 24-25: Rome, Georgia – Wings Over North Georgia
October 31-November 1: Sanford, Florida – Central Florida Air and Space Show
November 7-8: New Orleans, Louisiana – NASJRB New Orleans Air Show
November 14-15: San Antonio, Texas – JBSA Air and Space Show
2020 Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team Air Show Schedule:
2020 Air Force F-35A Lightning II Air Show Schedule
2020 Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II Air Show Schedule
2020 Air Force F-16C Viper Demo Team Air Show Schedule
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
