Thunderbirds confirmed to headline OC Air Show June 16-17

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds have confirmed they will perform at the 2018 OC Air Show, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17, over the beach and boardwalk in Ocean City, Md. The 11th annual event will also feature an array of military performers including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The Thunderbirds resumed their 2018 show season schedule May 19 at Langley Air Force Base. They stood down for several weeks following the crash of Thunderbird #4 during a training flight April 4. The pilot, Maj. Stephen “Cajun” Del Bagno, was killed.

In addition to the Thunderbirds and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the show lineup will feature a variety of military performers including the C-5M Super Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, the U.S. Special Operations Command Para-Commandos Parachute Team, and a search and rescue demonstration by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The OC Air Show will be one of only eight air shows in 2018 to feature a flight performance of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Also known as the Lightning II, the F-35 is a single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth fighter undergoing final development and testing by the U.S. Department of Defense. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground attack, aerial intelligence and air defense missions.

The C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III, both from the 436th Airlift Wing based at Dover Air Force Base, will each fly on one day only. The C-17 will make an appearance June 16 and the C-5M will fly June 17.

For more information, go to www.ocairshow.com.