Kids Aviation Village RAMP B — ALL DAY / FREE WITH GA
Mini control tower, flight-sim trailers, paper-airplane wind tunnel and meet-the-pilot sessions. Free kids' ear protection at the entrance — little ears matter at full afterburner.
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DAYS
SAT–SUN / 12–13 SEP 2026 — REGIONAL AIRPORT, GATES OPEN 0900
The sky is the main stage.
Two days of jet-team precision, warbird heritage flights and an open flight line — free-spirited, family-ready, and run entirely by volunteers.
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HRS
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MIN
T-MINUS TO
FIRST LAUNCH
12 SEP / 0900 LCL
FIRST LAUNCH
12 SEP / 0900 LCL
SEC/01 — THE ORGANIZATION
Built by volunteers.
Flown for the community.
Skyline Thunder is a volunteer-run nonprofit governed by a local board of directors, organized for one purpose: to open the gates of our regional airport once a year and put world-class aviation within reach of everyone. In partnership with the region's Air National Guard wing, the show is our community's standing thank-you to the armed forces — and one of the largest economic weekends of the year for local hotels, restaurants and small businesses.
Every dollar that clears the runway goes back out: net proceeds are distributed to veteran support charities and youth STEM & aviation education programs across the region. No paid executives, no shareholders — just a flight plan, a ramp full of aircraft, and 120+ people in orange vests who love this weekend as much as you will.
- Years running14
- Spectators / weekend85K+
- Raised for charity$420K
- Active volunteers120+
SEC/02 — FLIGHT LINEUP
Departures — Saturday
A/C: 6× SUPERSONIC TRAINER — SMOKE: ON
The headliners. Forty minutes of formation aerobatics flown wingtip-to-wingtip at show center, closing with the bomb-burst break directly over the crowd line.
A/C: P-51 MUSTANG — V-12 MERLIN, 1,490 HP
Eighty years of airpower in one frame. Listen for the Merlin — once you've heard it low over a runway, you never mistake it for anything else.
12:50
Combat Search & Rescue Demo
Helicopter hoist-and-extract demonstration with ground pyrotechnics.
CONFIRMED
A/C: EXTRA EA-300 — ROLL RATE 400°/SEC, ±10G
One pilot, one carbon-fiber airframe, and physics being treated as a suggestion. The loudest cheers of the day usually happen here.
14:15
Strike Fighter Tactical Demo
Full-afterburner single-ship demo: vertical climbs, high-alpha pass.
CONFIRMED
15:00
Parachute Flag Team
Mass exit from 8,000 ft trailing the colors for the closing ceremony.
CONFIRMED
+ EXPAND ROW FOR AIRCRAFT DATA — LINEUP SUBJECT TO WX / OPS. SUNDAY SCHEDULE IDENTICAL, FIRST LAUNCH 11:00.
SEC/03 — STATIC DISPLAYS
Get close enough
to touch the rivets.
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SEC/04 — THE EXPERIENCE
More than a flyover.
Runway 5K Fun Run SAT 0700 — BEFORE PUBLIC GATES / REG REQUIRED
Run the actual runway at sunrise, before a single spectator is on the field. Finisher medal shaped like a runway threshold. 800 bibs, sells out every year.
Food & Local Vendors TAXIWAY C — 40+ LOCAL STANDS
Regional food trucks, craft coffee and maker stalls — every vendor is a local business. Your lunch money stays in the county.
Photography Pit SHOW CENTER — LIMITED PASSES / SUNRISE ACCESS
A roped front-row strip at show center with clear sightlines down the display axis, early ramp access for golden-hour statics, and a frequency card for the air boss net.
SEC/05 — SPONSOR PROGRAM
Put your brand in front
of the whole region.
85,000
spectators over one weekend — engaged, local, and looking up. Sponsorship funds the show and the charities behind it; your brand flies with both.
Request Sponsor Kit| TIER | BENEFITS | FROM |
|---|---|---|
| Flight LineTIER/01 | Logo on site & show program, 4 GA passes, PA mentions both days. | $1,500 |
| SquadronTIER/02 | Flight Line benefits + chalet table for 10, banner on the crowd line, social features. | $7,500 |
| WingTIER/03 | Presenting-level naming on one flying act, private ramp tour, full hospitality suite for 30. | $25,000 |
MERIDIAN BANK
VALLEY FREIGHT CO.
OAKLINE BREWING
RIDGE FM 102.7
HALSTED MOTORS
SEC/06 — TICKETS & FIELD INFO
Lock in your spot
on the crowd line.
- General Admissionper person / day — kids 5 & under free $25
- Family Pack2 adults + 3 kids / day — save $35 $90
- Flightline Clubshaded seating, lunch, cash bar, show-center view $145
GATES — OPEN 0900 / FLYING 1100–1530 / FIELD CLOSES 1700
PARKING — FREE ON-FIELD VIA GATE 3, RIDESHARE ZONE AT GATE 1
TRANSIT — SHUTTLE EVERY 15 MIN FROM DOWNTOWN TRANSIT CENTER
Clear bag policy is in effect at all gates. Hearing protection is strongly recommended for children — free kids' earmuffs at Kids Village while supplies last.
Get Tickets — 12–13 SEPThe show flies rain or shine; only lightning or low ceilings pause flying. Tickets are valid either day of the weekend, and a full washout converts your ticket to a donation receipt or next-year credit — your choice.
Yes — cameras and lenses of any size are welcome in GA. Monopods are fine anywhere; tripods and step-stools are limited to the Photography Pit. Drones are strictly prohibited: the airspace is restricted all weekend.
Yes. ADA parking at Gate 3, paved viewing areas along the crowd line, accessible restrooms on every ramp, and a sensory-friendly quiet hour on Sunday from 0900–1000 before flying begins.