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The Cleveland National Air Show celebrated 60 years in 2024 with a whole lot of “Loud & Proud”. The show featured the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the last Cleveland appearance of the U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration. Sadly the A-10 demo was on its’ Farewell tour. The Air Show weekend had some clouds on Saturday but the weather Sunday/Monday was great with fans coming out in droves. The line-up included a Louisiana Air National Guard F-15 Fly-by, Ohio Air National Guard C-130 Demo, U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute team, and Hot Streak Jet Truck. The Northern Stars Aeroteam made their Cleveland debut, while Bill Stein was back for more! And Franklin’s Flying Circus made a Cleveland appearance. On the Air Show grounds, spectators did a double take with actors portraying Maverick and Ice Man from Top Gun. Display aircraft included an A-10C Thunderbolt II, C-5 Super Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, and a WWII C-47 Skytrain “Hairless Joe”.

2023 Air Show fans were able to “Go Vertical” with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds! The weekend featured picture perfect weather, improved parking, and a stacked line-up! Fans were able to witness one of the final civilian performances from the U.S. Marine Corp Harrier. The line-up also included the U.S Air Force F-22 Demonstration, U.S. Navy Super Hornet Demonstration, U.S. Air Force KC-135 Demonstration, Louisiana Air National Guard F-15 Fly-by, U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, Ohio Air National Guard C-130 Demonstration and Hot Streak Jet Truck. Not to mention living legend Patty Wagstaff took to the skies in her Extra 300S! AeroShell Aerobatic Team returned to Cleveland for the first time since 2002 and fans were in awe of the smallest act, Tom Larkin’s Mini Jet. On the ground, spectators were able to explore aircraft and displays, such as the C-17 Globemaster III, the C-5 Super Galaxy, B-25 Mitchell Bomber “Rosie’s Reply” and the U.S. Air Force E.C.H.O. (Enhanced Cognitive Human Ops) VR experience.

The 2022 Air Show was “Shiny, Fast and LOUD”!  The headliners of the 2022 Air Show were the U.S. Navy Blue Angels showcasing their new F/A-18 Super Hornets for the first time in Cleveland.  The F/A-18 Super Hornet was featured in Top Gun: Maverick.  The Blue Angels transitioned to the larger and more powerful jet platform in 2021.  This marked the first time the team changed aircraft since they moved from the A-4F Skyhawk II to the F/A-18 Hornet back in 1986.  The 2022 line up also included the U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon Tactical Demonstration piloted by Captain Aimee Fiedler.  Other performers included an F-15 fly-by, C-130 demonstration, U.S. Army Golden Knights, Randy Ball MiG-17F, Hot Streak Jet Truck, Melissa Burns, Greg Koontz and WWII B-25 Georgie’s Gal.  Saturday’s weather was beautiful and the fans came out in droves.  Unfortunately, the weather negatively impacted the Sunday/Monday flying and we all were disappointed that many of the acts could not perform all three days. The safety of the performers is of paramount concern and the decision of whether it is safe to fly/perform ultimately rests with each performer and commanding officer.

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, 2021 was an unusual year.  The Air Show organization had to wait for City of Cleveland Special Event approval and build a plan that would include current COVID-19 health/safety protocols.  Thus the event was not “Cleared for Take-Off” until the beginning of June and it was a full court press to bring the 2021 Cleveland National Air Show presented by Discount Drug Mart to life.  The ground attractions looked a bit different but the show had the awesome flying that folks love.  The show featured the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds along with the A-10C Thunderbolt II, U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, C-130 Hercules and Shockwave Jet Truck.  Plus Adam Baker playful Airshows made his first appearance in Cleveland and Bill Stein’s solo aerobatics in his Edge 540 knocked it out of the park.  And kids loved seeing Kent Pietsch land his Jelly Belly plane on top of a truck driving down the runway.  Fans also saw history take flight with Cleveland’s first appearance of the WWII Douglas C-47 Skytrain “Luck of the Irish”.  The 2021 Air Show was extremely hard to produce and during the days leading up to the event it was impacted by a crises in the Middle East, a hurricane, staff shortages and the global pandemic.  But thanks to the patronage of the fans, sponsors and partners the Air Show was just what the community needed to lift its spirits.

The 2020 Air Show was canceled due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. The action was necessary in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to comply with State, County and City Health regulations, which prohibit large events and mass gatherings. Planning and preparation proceeded for the 2021 Air Show featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

The 2019 Air Show brought “Red, White, and ZOOM” to Cleveland featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and first ever appearance of the full F-35 Lightning II Tactical Demonstration. Fans flooded Burke Lakefront airport to see history in the making as the F-35 proved its power and agility throughout the Air Show weekend. The 2019 line-up also included demonstrations from the A-10C Thunderbolt II, U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, C-130 Hercules, Lucas Oil Airshows, and Shockwave Jet Truck. The World Famous GEICO Skytypers performed their thrilling, low-altitude flying demonstration each show day and even skytyped messages across the Cleveland skyline. 2019 also marked Julie Clark’s last appearance in Cleveland as she made her farewell tour on the Air Show circuit after many years of historic flying. Spectators inside the gates explored the B-25 Mitchell Bomber “Yankee Warrior” and B-17 Flying Fortress “Yankee Lady” Aircraft Exhibit. Other static displays included C-5 Super Galaxy, KC-135 Stratotanker, and P-3 Orion. The Air Show grounds also hosted many interactive displays including the U.S. Army Mobile Usability Lab (MULE) and the U.S. Air Force Hangar where participants used virtual reality technology to change the tire on a C-130 or repair a hydraulic leak on a CV-22.

The 2018 Cleveland National Air Show gave Clevelander’s a little “Altitude with Attitude” and featured the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.  The weather was unseasonably hot but the fans came out to experience an awesome show.  The line-up also included the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Jet Demonstration, C-130 Hercules Demonstration, U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team and Shockwave Jet Truck. And making their first appearance in Cleveland was Tiger Airshows flying identical Tiger Yak 55’s in close formation aerobatics, all while combining the challenges of flying through the Ringmaster’s exciting smoke rings in the sky. Wingwalking also returned to the Cleveland National Air Show with the debut of husband and wife team, Greg and Ashley Shelton. And each show day included skywriting during a patriot Salute to Veterans performance choreographed to Amazing Grace and God Bless America. 2018 also marked Sean D. Tucker’s last solo appearance in Cleveland in the Oracle Challenger III. The Air Show grounds was a living aviation museum filled with 45 unique display aircraft including military, vintage and commercial planes. The notable planes ranged from a WWII C-47 Skytrain “Placid Lassie” a Veteran of the D-Day Allied Invasion to a U.S. Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy…the largest aircraft in the USAF inventory. The Air Show grounds also offered spectators the opportunity to explore interactive and STEM based educational displays.  Participants who visited the U.S. Navy Virtual Reality Experience strapped on Oculus Rift headset and navigated a high-speed craft while extracting Navy Seals.  Kiddie Hawk Air Academy Trainers gave children ages 4-9 a sense of flight, albeit only a few feet off the ground. And visitors to the Go Army Experience maneuvered a challenging robotics course using a real Army XL Recon Scout robot. The 2018 Air Show was also part of the inaugural Grunt Style Air Show Majors tour uniting the most prestigious air shows in the country.

The 2017 Air Show “Rocked the Runway” with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds! The show experienced fall like temperatures, winds and rain on Saturday, but all the performers flew and the fans were treating to an awesome flat show by the Thunderbirds. The weather slowly improved on Sunday and by Monday it was picture perfect. Air Show fans experienced the thrill of military aircraft including the U.S. Navy Super Hornet demonstration, U.S. Air Force A-10 fly-by, and Ohio Air National Guard C-130 Demonstration. They were joined by air show legends Sean D. Tucker and Bill Stein who performed jaw-dropping solo aerobatics. History took flight with a rare de Havilland D.H. 115 Vampire Jet and WWII Pacific Dogfight featuring a Corsair and a Japanese “Kate” Torpedo Bomber. Spectators inside the gates explored the C-123K “Thunderpig” and B-25 “Champaign Gal” aircraft exhibits as well as several other interactive displays including the EAA Spirit of Aviation and the Go Army Experience. Due to the impact of Federal Government Sequestration budget cuts on the Department of Defense, the number of military static displays were limited to civilian air shows.

The 2016 Air Show…“Roar Over the Shore” featured an unprecedented line-up including the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II, and U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor. Cleveland was the first civilian Air Show in the United States to host both the F-22 and F-35 in a Heritage Flight, and air show fans gathered in the thousands to witness it! The historic line-up paired with beautiful weather all three days brought in nearly 100,000 fans for the Labor Day Weekend event. Other performers included award winning aerobatic pilot Matt Chapman, dual aerobatic team Redline Air Shows, and world famous Shockwave Jet Truck. WWII aircraft took to the skies including the B-25 Mitchell Bomber “Georgie’s Gal” and beautifully restored P-51 Mustang “Baby Duck.” Inside the gates, air show fans witnessed the legendary Batcopter and Batmobile in action from the original hit TV series. Ground attractions included the NASA Glenn Research Center Display, Tuskegee Airmen Exhibit, and U.S. Air Force Performance Lab. Due to the impact of Federal Government Sequestration budget cuts on the Department of Defense, the number of military static displays were limited to civilian air shows.

The 2015 Air Show featured the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds! They were joined by the ground-shaking U.S. Marine Corps Harrier and U.S. Navy Super Hornet tactical demonstrations. Air show fans were left in awe by aerobatic legend Sean D. Tucker and three time U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Champion Rob Holland. WWII aircraft included the B-25 Mitchell Bomber “Yankee Warrior” and Red Tail P-51 Mustang. Spectators were also able to feel the heat with World Famous Shockwave Jet Truck and learn about rescue missions with the U.S. Coast Guard MH-65C Helicopter demonstration. Inside the gates, visitors were able to get up close with a number military and civilian statics including U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules, U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster, U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier and U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook.  Ground attractions included the NASA Glenn Research Center Display, CAF Red Tail Squadron Rise Above Exhibit, and the new U.S. Air Force Performance Lab. Air Show fans felt the heat this year with temperatures in the 90s each show day. Due to the impact of Federal Government Sequestration budget cuts on the Department of Defense, military static displays were limited to civilian air shows.