A Welcomed Noise- The Air Force Thunderbirds Will be Staying In Loveland

In 2023, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be celebrating their 70th year in the skies; they'll be in Northern Colorado for a few days to help celebrate Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Keep your ears perked and you eyes peeled, because for five days at the end of July, 2022, the Thunderbirds will be flying into the Northern Colorado Regional Airport to stay, since they can't stay in Cheyenne.

The Air Force Thunderbirds are both exhilarating and majestic; flying with precision and purpose. 2023 will mark their 50th year that they've been activated as a goodwill program, like the NAVY Blue Angels. When they first flew, the Thunderbirds were in F-84G Thunderjets, hence, 'ThunderBIRDS.

Twenty years after their inception, the Thunderbirds switched to flying the F-16. In 1986, for the Centennial celebration for the Statue of Liberty, the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds actually flew together, if only to "show up" the French.

For that event, the French team was made up of 10 planes, while the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds each only have six. So, they decided that since 12 is more than 10, that they'd fly together. That's awesome.

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While celebrating their 50th year in 2003, the Thunderbirds were at the Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race held on Memorial Day. They made history at that race, as the Thunderbirds leader broadcasted from his cockpit, 'Gentleman, start your engines.'

WHEN WILL THE  USAF THUNDERBIRDS BE STAYING IN LOVELAND?

According to the Reporter-Herald, the Thunderbirds will be flying between Loveland and Cheyenne July 24 through July 28. The annual "Wings Over Warren" Air Show that will take place on July 27, and they'll be practicing for that event leading up to the 27th.

Though we'll hear them and see them up in the sky, while they are at Northern Colorado Regional Airport, there will no public viewing, parking, nor traffic control. I wonder, however where we'll see the pilots around Loveland?