Enable Javascript!

16^th Annual Thunder in the Valley Air Show - ?Give the FUN way from the Runway?

Saturday, March 16 - Sunday, March 17, 2013 - Columbus Airport

The Thunder in the Valley Air Show began in 1997 as a local fly-in for aviation enthusiasts and has grown to become one of the largest outdoor family events in the Chattahoochee Valley.  The air show brings in top performers from across the United States, all paid for by local and regional sponsors whose products and services are exposed to an average of 15,000 guests each day of the show, and included in advertising that reaches hundreds of thousands before the event.  National attention has been given to the Thunder in the Valley Air Show by the International Council of Air Shows for excellence in marketing. 

Gates will open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 5:00 p.m.

Performers include:
Silver Wings Parachute Jump Team: The Silver Wings mission is to perform live aerial demonstrations in support of the United States Army, and Ft. Benning public relations and recruiting.         

Viper Airshows:   Which includes an awesome Pitts aircraft, a Jet Car that is painted like the Columbus police cars and known as Ms D? Meanor, and a motorcycle team ? all three acts together will perform the ?Circus of Machines?.   
 

Raiders Flight Demo Team:  The team provides a unique and exciting 4 to 6 aircraft formation aerobatic demonstration. The Raider Pilots are Level II Qualified in both formation and solo aerobatics and display the capabilities of the Yahkovlev 52 and Nanchang CJ6 aircraft in precision formation and solo aerobatic flight always at show center.  
 

Jane Wicker Air Shows:  Wing Walker:   Jane's wing walking is still today one of a kind.  She remains the only female wing walker in North America that not only hangs from the N strut, but also sits on the bottom of the airplane during the inverted pass.  
 

Alabama Boys Comedy Team by Greg Koontz: Alabama Boys comedy with Truck-Top Landing.  Up Front and down low aerobatics in the Super Decathlon with the inverted ribbon cut.  Two great alternative acts in one! 
  

DAV Flight Team (B-25):  Iconic World War II era B-25 Mitchell Bomber - a nationwide tour that aims to increase public awareness of disabled veterans and provide information about DAV programs and benefits. The B-25, which gained notoriety in the famed Doolittle Raid over Tokyo , Japan 70 years ago, shares a modern-day mission with DAV -- reminding people of the sacrifices veterans make for freedom. As brave men and women return from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan , the DAV?s services and advocacy are as relevant today as at any time in the nation?s history.  
  
2 T-28's (Model A and B) ? Hixson Flight Museum:  2 historically significant T-28s emblazoned with ?MARINES? along with period support vehicles, equipment and ordinance will be on display to tell the Marine Corps story and assist with recruiting and community outreach.

Plus flying demonstrations by historic military aircraft, civilian aircraft on display, airplane and helicopter rides, a military encampment experience, a children?s carnival and great food. 

General admission is $10 in advance and military admission is only $8 in advance. Day-of-event tickets are $15. Children age six and younger are always free. 

 More ticket information:
Tickets for the Thunder in the Valley Air Show will go on sale February 1, 2013 at Columbus area McDonalds, Cricket Wireless ? Macon Road, Flightways Columbus (Columbus Airport) and MWR Tickets and Travel at Ft. Benning, GA.  Military discount tickets can only be purchased through the MWR Tickets and Travel at Ft. Benning.  

All tickets are good for one of the two show days, but not for both days. (Attendance on both days would require two tickets.)  The Air Show is scheduled rain or shine.  There will be no rain dates and no refunds.

 
Parking Information:
There is free parking for the Thunder in the Valley Air Show at Columbus State University; includes shuttle service.  Limited parking is available at the Airport for $15.00 and Wal-Mart (Airport Thruway) for $10.00. For safety concerns ?no parking? rules will be enforced on Airport Thruway and Moon Road.

Sponsors for the 2013 Thunder in the Valley Air Show include:

Columbus Airport,  Aflac, Wells Fargo, Pratt & Whitney, KIA Autosport, WTMV News Leader 9, PMB Broadcasting, ACE - Acute Care Express, Cricket Wireless, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Waffle House, T&W Oil, TracSoft, and dozens of other community-minded individuals and organizations.


The Thunder in the Valley Air Show is a non-profit, family, fun event that is both alcohol and tobacco free.  Proceeds from the 2012 Air Show went to organizations in the Chattahoochee Valley ? Ann Elizabeth Shepherd Home, Literacy Alliance, Chattahoochee Council Boy Scouts of America, Big, Brothers, Big Sister of the Chattahoochee Valley, Russell County Child Advocacy Center, Easter Seals West Georgie, Outdoor Therapeutic Program, Northside High School?s FCCLA, Smiths Station High School?s National Honor Society, Bradfield Center, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Ft. Benning trainees, Kids Café?, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Columbus High School Soccer, Wounded Warriors, Storybook Farm, Columbus Jaycee?s, Columbus State University?s ROTC Program, Central High School?s ROTC Program and Girls Inc. 

For more information on the event or how you can become a sponsor, visit www.thunderinthevalleyairshow.com