Thunder Over Michigan Air Show rescheduled for Aug. 10, 11

The Thunder Over Michigan Air Show at Willow Run Airport in Van Buren Township has changed its 2013 dates from the original June 15-16 to Aug. 10-11.
The Air Show had first been set for the same weekend as Belleville’s Strawberry Festival in order to accommodate the schedule of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, who were to be featured.
But the Thunderbirds’ entire 2013 season was grounded by the federal budget sequestration, so promoters decided to move it back to its regular date in August.
The show will feature a stacked lineup of high-profile performers, battle reenactments, and ground attractions.
Proceeds from the event, produced by the Yankee Air Museum, help support the museum and many other local charitable organizations.
“Early August is what our fans have come to expect for Thunder and we are pleased that we can now move back to our normal dates,” said Kevin Walsh, air show director.
“The August dates allow us to secure additional world-class performers, statics, and displays; the weather is historically much better than in June; and there is less conflict with other events then.”
The show recently announced the addition of a very rare aerial demonstration by the North American Aviation F-100 Super Sabre. The show also will feature world-renowned civilian aerobatic performer Michael Goulian, a demonstration by the only single-seat flyable German Me-262 jet in the world, crowd-favorites WWII and Vietnam battle reenactments, two specially-restored Vietnam-era UH-1 Huey helicopters, and a special “Vietnam Homecoming” celebration for Veterans.
With the change in dates, the show will be announcing more lineup additions in the next several weeks. Fans can receive performer updates via social media on Facebook.com/ThunderOverMichigan and Twitter.com/ThunderOverMI or by signing up online for the behind the scenes e-mail list.
“We have just begun releasing what is going to be a very thrilling, unprecedented air show lineup,” said Walsh. “We are known as one of the top air shows in the U.S. for a reason, and that is because we always have something new and unusual for our fans to enjoy. I think our fans are going to be especially excited about some of the things we will be announcing in the next several weeks.”
Tickets are now on sale for a discounted price through May 31. General Admission tickets for guests 16 and older are $25 and kids 15 and under are admitted at no charge. There are also a variety of premium seating ticket options available online in advance for a discount.
Tickets, sponsorship opportunities and additional information are available at www.yankeeairmuseum.org/airshow.
The mission of the Yankee Air Museum, a non-profit 501c3 organization, is to preserve Southeast Michigan’s rich history of aviation and to educate the public about that history.
The museum, featuring aviation displays, historic aircraft, meeting rooms, and a gift shop is open every Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Additional information about the Yankee Air Museum is available at www.yankeeairmuseum.org.