OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — The Thunderbirds will be soaring back into Owensboro for the first time in nearly a decade. The show will take place at the Owensboro Regional Airport on Friday and move downtown to the riverfront for the weekend.
Friday’s air show begins at 4:30 p.m., and the weekend shows will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“Primo” of the Thunderbirds says things have changed a bit since their last show in 2015.
“There are a couple false finales. We put a lot of maneuvers right in front of your face. We added some speed. We added a couple surprises, and then we pick the music and narration to match so it tells a story…more of an emotional impact than we’ve seen,” said Jake “Primo” Impellizzeri.
Its Primo’s second season with the Thunderbirds.
With the show expecting more than 60,000 spectators, officials say the city’s restaurants, vendors on Veterans Blvd., and hotels in Owensboro will see in increase in revenue.
Tim Ross says the airteams do 30 shows a year and have traditionally made a stop in Owensboro six times in the last decade.
“So, that speaks to our community and the support that those teams get when they’re here. Not only from attendance but from just the interaction and the feedback. We’re pretty proud of the fact that a city like Owensboro, that’s not a major metropolitan area, can have those teams come back time and time again,” said the Director of Public Events.
Friday will give the public an opportunity to meet some of the pilots, enjoy food trucks, and end the night with a firework show.
Ross says its a unique, hands-on experience for those who come to support
“They can see what an army Black Hawk helicopter looks like and climb inside the Black Hawk. They can see older Army aviation helicopter Warbirds and get those paid rides that they offer. [They can get inside and take a flight and things like that,” said Ross.
