CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are returning to the world's largest outdoor rodeo and Western celebration.
The Thunderbirds demonstration squadron will be the headline act of the Wings Over Warren airshow in Cheyenne in 2024, a year after its performance and the show were canceled.
The Thunderbirds announced their 2024 schedule Tuesday, including their traditional performance at the Air Force Academy graduation in May in Colorado Springs, and a return to Cheyenne in July.
The Wyoming airshow, which typically takes place during Cheyenne Frontier Days, is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24.
"We are excited to see Cheyenne, Wyoming, and F.E. Warren Air Force Base on the U.S. Air Force Thunderbird’s schedule for 2024," said a statement from the 90th Missile Wing to 9NEWS.
The 2023 Wings Over Warren airshow was canceled in 2023 after the Thunderbirds canceled their appearance. The Thunderbirds determined in 2023 that performing in Cheyenne carried "too much risk with lack of an approved emergency landing airfield nearby," said F.E. Warren Air Force Base.
Construction at Cheyenne's airport closed its runways for several years, but the airport is now back open.
"We know the community greatly missed the air show this past summer. Now that our local airport is repaired and reopened, we are looking forward to a wonderful 'Wings over Warren' performance!" said the 90th Missile Wing.
In 2021 and 2022, the Thunderbirds flew their Wyoming performance out of Northern Colorado Regional Airport in Loveland.
In 2022, one of the Thunderbird’s F-16 aircraft conducted an emergency landing in Fort Collins due to a hydraulic leak, spilling fluids across the runway after it landed. The 90th Missile Wing said this forced the rest of the team to divert across Denver International Airport airspace and land at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, which has the closest necessary safety equipment for F-16 emergency landings.
The Thunderbirds have been a staple of Cheyenne Frontier Days since their first demonstration in 1953. The team did not fly in 2020 due to cases of COVID-19 in the flight team.
The 128th annual Cheyenne Frontier Days opens Friday, July 19, and runs through Sunday, July 28.
Held the last full week of every July since 1897 except for 2020, Frontier Days carried on through both World Wars and the Great Depression, when tough finances prompted it to become a mostly volunteer-run festival of rodeo, music concerts, parades and other events.
A complete Cheyenne Frontier Days schedule and event tickets can be found at CFDRodeo.com.
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