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 an amazing yearly event. It takes place right over the Atlantic City boardwalk every summer. Since it started in 2003, it has grown into one of the biggest airshows in North America.

What makes this show unique is that it happens over the beach. It usually takes place on a Wednesday. Planes fly along the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the famous casinos in the background. You can see incredible flybys and stunts. Aircraft fly as high as 4,572 meters (15,000 feet) and as low as 15 meters (50 feet) over the ocean!

Many groups help put on this huge event. These include the Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Air National Guard. Sadly, the airshow was canceled for the first time in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What to See at the Airshow
Airshow Announcers
Past Airshows: A Look Back
Tips for Photographers
See also

What to See at the Airshow

This airshow mainly features awesome military planes and demonstrations. You can see famous teams like the USAF Thunderbirds and the United States Navy Blue Angels. The US Army Golden Knights also perform amazing parachute jumps.

Military Aircraft and Teams

The show features many cool planes from the Air Force and Navy. These include the powerful A-10 Thunderbolt II and the speedy F-16 Fighting Falcon. You might also see the F/A-18F Super Hornet.

Over the years, many other military planes have flown by. These include the giant B-2 Spirit bomber and the huge C-5 Galaxy transport plane. Helicopters like the MH-60S Knighthawk also perform. Often, two HH-65 Dauphin helicopters do a cool search and rescue demonstration over the water.

Amazing Aerobatic Performers

Besides military aircraft, talented aerobatic pilots also put on a show. Pilots like Kirby Chambliss and Sean Tucker have performed incredible stunts. The Horseman Mustang Demonstration is another popular act. It features two P-51 Mustang planes flying together.

The FAA's William J Hughes Technical Center also shows off its planes. Even the New Jersey State Police bring their helicopters to the show.

Where the Action Happens

The main viewing area, called "show center," is in front of Boardwalk Hall. This is near Florida Avenue on the beach. The planes get ready for the show at Atlantic City International Airport and McGuire AFB. These areas are not open to the public.

You can also see special flights like the USAF Heritage Flight. This flight pairs modern fighter jets with historic planes. The US Navy Legacy Flight does something similar with Navy aircraft.

Airshow Announcers

The announcers help you understand all the action in the sky. Past announcers for Thunder Over the Boardwalk have included Gordon Bowman-Jones and Howdy McCann. Pinky Kravitz was also a long-time announcer for the show.

Past Airshows: A Look Back

2003: The First Show

The very first Thunder Over the Boardwalk happened on August 27, 2003. It celebrated 100 years of powered flight! The USAF Thunderbirds and the US Army Golden Knights were the main stars. Even though it was a bit hazy, the show was a big success. It featured many planes like the A-10, F-14, F-15, and F-16.

Performers in 2003

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
177th Fighter Wing - F-16 Fighting Falcons
A-10 Thunderbolt II East Coast Demo Team
F-14 Tomcat Demonstration
F-15 Eagle East Coast Demo Team
F-16 Fighting Falcon East Coast Demo Team
HH-65 Dauphin 2-Ship demonstration
The Horsemen - Jim Beasley and Ed Shipley
USAF Heritage Flight

2004: Saying Goodbye to Legends

The 2004 show took place on August 18. It was a special year because it was the last time an F-14 Tomcat flew over Atlantic City. It was also the last airshow for a C-141B Starlifter from McGuire AFB. Over 350,000 fans came to watch the amazing performances.

Performers in 2004

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
A-10 Thunderbolt II East Coast Demo Team
F-14 Tomcat Demonstration
F-15 Eagle East Coast Demo Team
F-16 Fighting Falcon East Coast Demo Team
HH-60 Jayhawk SAR Demonstration
HH-65B Dauphin SAR Demonstration
The Starfighters
USAF Heritage Flight

2005: Weather Challenges

On August 31, 2005, the show faced some challenges. Bad weather from Hurricane Katrina kept some performers away. High winds also stopped the Golden Knights from jumping. Despite the weather, over 200,000 people still came to enjoy the show.

Performers in 2005

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
AV-8B Harrier Demonstration
F-15 Eagle West Coast Demo Team
USCG Search and Rescue Demonstration (two HH-65s)
Kirby Chambliss
Michael Hunter
John Klatt

2006: Double the Excitement

The 2006 show was a huge event! For the first time, both the USAF Thunderbirds and the United States Navy Blue Angels performed. This made it one of the biggest events Atlantic City had ever seen. The weather was perfect, and over 600,000 people attended. New planes like the F-15E Strike Eagle and the F-22 Raptor also made their debut.

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
Sean Tucker
Michael Hunter
GEICO Sktypers
USAF Heritage Flight

2007 Show Highlights

The 2007 show once again featured the USAF Thunderbirds. It included a variety of military and civilian acts.

Performers in 2007

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights
A-10 Thunderbolt II Flyby
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
Horsemen Mustang Demonstration
GEICO Skytypers
USAF Heritage Flight

2008 Show Highlights

The 2008 airshow brought back the Thunderbirds and Golden Knights. It also featured the F-15E Strike Eagle Demo Team.

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
Jim Beasley Jr. (P-51 Demo)
USAF Heritage Flight
US Navy Legacy Flight

2009: Record Attendance

The 2009 show, held on August 19, was a massive success. Over 750,000 people attended, making it one of Atlantic City's largest events ever. The weather was fantastic. It featured 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
US Navy Legacy Flight
USAF Heritage Flight

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 Show Highlights

The 2011 show took place on August 17. It featured both US and Canadian parachute teams.

Performers in 2011

USAF Thunderbirds
US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team
Canadian Skyhawks Parachute Team
New Jersey Air National Guard (KC-135 & F-16s composite flyby)
Jim Beasley Jr. Spitfire MK18
GEICO Skytypers
USCG MH-65C Search & Rescue
US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
USAF A-10C Thunderbolt II
USAF Heritage Flight

2012: First Weekend Show

The 2012 show was held on Friday, August 17. This was the first time the show happened on a weekend. Organizers expected over 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 (MH-65s)
Black Diamond Jet Team
GEICO Skytypers
Jim Beasley Jr. (Spitfire & P-51)
USAF Heritage Flight

2013: A Show Without Military Support

In 2013, the show moved to June and returned to a Wednesday. Due to government budget cuts, US military planes and teams could not participate. Many other airshows were canceled, but Atlantic City decided to go on! They had to find more civilian acts and donations. Even without the military "thunder," it was still a good show.

2014: Military Returns

The show returned to its usual August slot on Wednesday, August 13. With military funding back, the US military participants returned to the show.

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 Show Highlights

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

Performers in 2015

USN Blue Angels
LUCAS Oil Skydivers Flag Jump
Mike Wiskus – LUCAS Oil Pitts
GEICO Skytypers
Jim Beasley Jr. – SNJ Texan
USAF F-22 Raptor
USAF Heritage Flight (F-22 & P-51)
GEICO Skytypers vs. Miss GEICO Speedboat Race
USCG Search & Rescue Demonstration
USN Blue Angels – C-130T Hercules

2020: Show Canceled

The airshow was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022 Show Highlights

The show returned on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.

Performers in 2022

U.S. Army Golden Knights Flag Jump with National Anthem
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
U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet Demonstration
U.S. Navy Legacy Flight F/A-18 & FG-1D Corsair
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds

Tips for Photographers

Taking great photos at Thunder Over the Boardwalk can be tricky. The show happens over the Atlantic Ocean, so you'll be facing the sun in the morning and afternoon. It's easy to get good pictures of planes flying by the casinos. It's also easy to photograph the Golden Knights landing with the casinos in the background.

However, photographers on the beach might find it hard to get pictures of planes far to the left. This is because the Pier at Caesars sticks out into the ocean. It blocks the view. Also, planes have to fly almost half a mile from the shore for safety.