The famed Thunderbirds are back in the skies and flying to Kalispell this summer.
The U.S. Air Force announced last week that its elite Thunderbirds are back on schedule for performances across the U.S., and that includes a date in the Flathead Valley. The Mountain Madness 2014 air show is slated for Labor Day weekend, Aug. 30-31.
“It’s official,” said Chris Parson, vice president of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, who was in Las Vegas meeting with officials of the Thunderbirds flight demonstration team and lining up civilian acts.
Parson will direct the upcoming air show with a volunteer committee of 35.
The Kalispell Chamber, in cooperation with Glacier Park International Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration, applied for the show that’s expected to draw roughly 40,000 spectators over the two days.
Last year’s show was canceled at the last minute because of the federal government’s sequestration.
The Thunderbirds are a squadron of highly experienced Air Force officers who tour the nation holding spectacular air show demonstrations. The latest lineup of Thunderbirds includes Kalispell Captain Jason Curtis, who will appear at the summer event.