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 air show in Cheyenne on Wednesday, a year after its performance and the show were canceled.
The hour or more long Wyoming air show, which typically takes place during Cheyenne Frontier Days, has been a staple at Frontier Days for decades. The USAF Thunderbirds first performed at Frontier Days in 1953.
"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," the 90th Missile Wing said.
Wings Over Warren 2024 Air Show
Wednesday's show begins at 9:30 a.m. over F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne. The base will be accessible from 6 a.m. until the show ends at 11 a.m.
Viewing for the show will be drive-in style in an open grass and dirt field. Base access will be limited to about 1,500 cars.
Directions
Traffic to the air show can enter from Horse Creek Road or Happy Jack Road from Interstate 25 in Cheyenne. Event parking will be on Roundtop Road.
Line up
- U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue
- U.S. Air Force Thunderbird Demo
- UH-1N Huey Demo
- HH-60M Blackhawk Static
- UH-1N Huey Static
Radio broadcast
To listen in, tune into 97.5 FM or 1240 AM for live broadcast.
Thunderbirds' return to Wyoming
The Wings Over Warren air show 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," F.E. Warren Air Force Base said.
Construction at Cheyenne's airport closed its runways for several years, but the airport is back open.
"We know the community greatly missed the air show this past summer," the 90th Missile Wing said. "Now that our local airport is repaired and reopened, we are looking forward to a wonderful 'Wings over Warren' performance!"
In 2021 and 2022, the Thunderbirds flew their Wyoming performance out of the 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 that spilled fluids across the runway after it landed. The 90th Missile Wing said this forced the rest of the team to divert across the 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 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.
