Thunder over the Boardwalk facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Thunder over the Boardwalk
The Thunderbirds Diamond Formation pilots perform the Trail to Diamond Bottom Up Pass during the Thunder Over the Boardwalk Air Show in Atlantic City, N.J., Aug. 13, 2014.
Status	Active
Genre	Air show
Dates	Varies
Frequency	Annual
Location(s)	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Country	United States
Established	2003
Attendance	750,000+ (2009)
Activity	Aerobatic displays
Website	Official site: http://airshow.acchamber.com/

Thunder Over the Boardwalk, also known as the Atlantic City Airshow, is a super exciting yearly event. It takes place right over the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Imagine watching amazing planes fly high above the ocean with the famous boardwalk and casinos in the background!

This airshow has been happening since 2003. It's now one of the biggest airshows in North America. What makes it special is that it's a beach show. It also usually happens on a Wednesday. You can see planes flying as high as 4,572 meters (15,000 feet). They also fly as low as 15 meters (50 feet) right over the water.

Many groups help put on this amazing show. These include the Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Air National Guard. The airshow was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also canceled in 2024 due to unexpected reasons.

What to See at the Airshow

The Atlantic City Airshow mainly features military aircraft. You can see incredible demonstrations from famous teams. These include the USAF Thunderbirds and the United States Navy Blue Angels. The US Army Golden Knights also perform amazing parachute jumps.

Military Aircraft Demonstrations

Many powerful planes show off their skills. You might see the A-10 Thunderbolt II, known as the "Warthog." The AV-8B Harrier can take off and land straight up! Other cool planes include the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the F/A-18F Super Hornet.

Giant military planes also do flybys. These have included the stealthy B-2 Spirit bomber. Huge transport planes like the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III also fly by. You might even see refueling planes like the KC-10 Extender.

Helicopter Rescues and Aerobatics

Helicopters are part of the show too! The MH-60S Knighthawk and HH-60 Jayhawk have performed. Two HH-65 Dauphin helicopters often do a cool search and rescue demonstration. They show how they save people over the water.

Besides military planes, skilled pilots perform amazing aerobatic stunts. Pilots like Kirby Chambliss and Sean Tucker have wowed the crowds. Teams like the Skytypers also fly in cool formations. The FAA's William J Hughes Technical Center has shown off its special planes. Even the New Jersey State Police helicopters join in.

The main viewing area is in front of Boardwalk Hall. This is where the planes perform their best stunts. The planes get ready at Atlantic City International Airport. They also use McGuire AFB. These areas are not open to the public.

Past Airshow Highlights

Each year brings new and exciting performances. Here are some memorable shows:

2003: The First Show

The very first airshow happened on August 27, 2003. It celebrated 100 years of powered flight. The USAF Thunderbirds and US Army Golden Knights were the main stars. The show featured planes like the A-10, F-14, F-15, and F-16. It was a five-and-a-half-hour flying display! The weather was a bit hazy that day.

Performers in 2003

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
A-10 Thunderbolt II Demo Team
F-14 Tomcat Demonstration
F-15 Eagle Demo Team
F-16 Fighting Falcon Demo Team
C-17 Globemaster III Flybys
C-141B Starlifter Flyby
KC-10 Extender Flybys
KC-135E Stratotanker Flyby
The Horsemen - Jim Beasley and Ed Shipley
Collings Foundation B-17G Flying Fortress flyby

2004: Farewell Flights

The 2004 show was on August 18. It was the last time an F-14 Tomcat flew over Atlantic City. It was also the last airshow for a C-141B Starlifter. Over 350,000 fans came to watch.

Performers in 2004

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
A-10 Thunderbolt II Demo Team
F-14 Tomcat Demonstration
F-15 Eagle Demo Team
F-16 Fighting Falcon Demo Team
HH-60 Jayhawk SAR Demonstration
C-17 Globemaster III Demonstration
C-5 Galaxy Flyby
C-141B Starlifter Flyby
The Starfighters
Vulture Formation Team

2005: Weather Challenges

The 2005 show was on August 31. Bad weather from Hurricane Katrina threatened the show. High winds made it hard for the Golden Knights to jump. Sea spray also made it tough for photographers. Still, over 200,000 people attended and enjoyed the show.

Performers in 2005

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
AV-8B Harrier Demonstration
C-5B Galaxy Flyby
F-15 Eagle West Coast Demo Team
USCG Search and Rescue Demonstration
Kirby Chambliss
Michael Hunter
John Klatt

2006: Double the Fun!

The 2006 show was a huge event! Both the USAF Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels performed. This was a rare and exciting moment. Many new performers joined, like Sean Tucker. The B-2 Spirit and F-22 Raptor also made appearances. The weather was perfect. Over 600,000 people came, making it one of Atlantic City's biggest events ever!

Performers in 2006

USAF Thunderbirds
US Navy Blue Angels
US Army Golden Knights
B-2 Spirit Flyby
F-15E Strike Eagle Demo Team
F-22 Raptor Flybys
HH-65 Dauphin & HH-60 Jayhawk SAR Demonstration
Sean Tucker
Michael Hunter
GEICO Sktypers

2007: More Amazing Acts

The 2007 show continued to bring top performers.

Performers in 2007

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
AV-8B Harrier Demonstration
B-2 Spirit Flyby
F-16 Fighting Falcon East Coast Demonstration Team
F/A-18C Hornet Demonstration
USCG Search & Rescue Demonstration
Matt Chapman
GEICO Skytypers

2008: New Aircraft and Teams

The 2008 show featured more incredible aircraft and aerobatic teams.

Performers in 2008

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
F-15E Strike Eagle Demo Team
F/A-18F Super Hornet Demonstration
HH-65 Coast Guard Search & Rescue Demo
Matt Chapman
Tim Weber
Jim Beasley Jr. (P-51 Demo)
US Navy Legacy Flight

2009: Record Attendance

On August 19, 2009, the show had fantastic weather. Over 750,000 people attended! This made it one of the largest events in Atlantic City's history. The show included the USAF Heritage Flight and the US Navy Legacy Flight.

Performers in 2009

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
F-22 Raptors (Four Ship)
A-10 Thunderbolt II East Coast Demo Team
F/A-18F Super Hornet Demonstration
USCG Search & Rescue Demonstration
Rob Holland
The Horsemen

2010: A Century of Airshows

The 2010 show on August 25 celebrated 100 years since New Jersey's first airshows. Over 750,000 people came to watch.

Performers in 2010

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
Brazilian Smoke Squadron
USMC Harrier jump jet
U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
USAF A-10A Thunderbolt II Demo Team
USCG Search & Rescue demonstration

2011: International Guests

The 2011 show on August 17 featured international performers.

Performers in 2011

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team
Canadian Skyhawks Parachute Team
US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
Jim Beasley Jr. Spitfire MK18
GEICO Skytypers
USCG MH-65C Search & Rescue

2012: A Weekend Show

The 2012 show was held on a Friday, August 17. This was the first time it was on a weekend. Organizers expected about 1 million people to attend.

Performers in 2012

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
B-1B Lancer Flyby
QF-4E Phantom
USCG Search & Rescue Demonstrations
Black Diamond Jet Team
GEICO Skytypers
Jim Beasley Jr. (Spitfire & P-51)

2013: No Military Support

In 2013, the show returned to a Wednesday in June. Due to government budget cuts, US military planes could not participate. Many other airshows were canceled, but Atlantic City decided to go on! They found more commercial acts to put on a great show. Even without the military "thunder," it was still a success.

2014: Military Returns

The show returned to its usual August date on Wednesday, August 13. With budget cuts over, US military participants were back!

Performers in 2014

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
USMC Harrier demonstration
USCG Search & Rescue
Jim Beasley Jr. Spitfire
Geico Skytypers (6-ship) & Geico Speedboat race
Rob Holland MX-2 Aerobatics

2015: Blue Angels Take the Sky

The 2015 show was on Wednesday, September 2. The Blue Angels were the first performers announced.

Performers in 2015

USN Blue Angels
LUCAS Oil Skydivers Flag Jump
Mike Wiskus – LUCAS Oil Pitts
GEICO Skytypers
Jim Beasley – P-51D Mustang
USAF F-22 Raptor
USCG Search & Rescue Demonstration
USN Blue Angels – C-130T Hercules

2022: Back in Action

After a cancellation in 2020, the airshow returned on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.

Performers in 2022

U.S. Army Golden Knights
N.J. Air National Guard 177th FW F-16 Flyby
U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III Demonstration
U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue Demonstration
Jim Beasley Jr. P-51 Mustang Demonstration
U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet Demonstration
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds

2024: Another Cancellation

The Atlantic City Airshow was canceled again in 2024. First, there were questions about funding. Then, the US Air Force Thunderbirds announced they would not support weekday shows. The Blue Angels also did not have Atlantic City on their schedule. Finally, another key act canceled. With no other options, the 2024 show was called off.

Photographic Challenges

Taking photos at Thunder Over the Boardwalk can be tricky. Since the show is over the ocean, photographers face the sun for most of the day. This can make getting clear pictures difficult. The Pier at Caesars also sticks out into the ocean. This means planes have to fly farther from the shore for safety. This can make it harder to get close-up shots of the aircraft.