Fort Smith air show also planned for 2028 - Talk Business & Politics
Not only is the air show returning to Fort Smithin 2027, organizers are also planning a 2028 air show. The Lightning Over the Fort Air Show, managed in part by the Fort Smith Patriot Association, is set for. . .
Not only is the air show returning to Fort Smithin 2027, organizers are also planning a 2028 air show. The Lightning Over the Fort Air Show, managed in part by the Fort Smith Patriot Association, is set for May 7-8, 2027, at the Fort Smith Regional Airport and Ebbing Air National Guard Base. Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tim Allen, a member of the Fort Smith Patriot Association, told the Fort Smith Regional Airport Commission Tuesday night (Aug. 4) that the International Council of Airshows (ICAS) set the date for the 2027 show and also said Fort Smith needed to schedule an air show for 2028 so the city could have a chance to schedule the U. S. Navy Blue Angels or the U. S. Air Force Thunderbirds. “It’ll be two back-to-back shows and then go to one every two years,” Allen said. “But ICAS set it this way, so we could get one show under our belt, and that would set us up to possibly get the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. ”The event will coincide with the The Steel Horse Rally, which Allen said was causing questions from many. “But ICAS set our date. This is when we could have it,” he said. It’s a two-year process to get one of the headliner acts and neither will go to a show that hasn’t been active in more than 15 years, said Major Mark “Swiss” Watson with the 188th Wing. “This is not going to be an abbreviated show,” Allen said. “We won’t have the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds, but we will have a lot of aircraft that are headliners. There is going to be some really awesome flying over Fort Smith and more than just F-35s. We don’t have any guarantees yet, but we’re hoping to have a Raptor and B-2. ”The association has hired a consultant, Bruce Erley with Denver-based Creative Strategies Group, to help shepherd them through the process, Allen said. They also are hoping to hire a consultant to specialize in traffic flow for the event, including public and private parking. “Friday will be practice with the gala that night and some night flying,” Watson said. “Then (May 8) will be 4. 5 hours of flying. It’ll be an all-day affair with a lot for families and locals. There will be small aircraft that can fit in the back of tractor trailer rig and large aircraft and old and new and foreign jets. It’s going to a really good show. ”According to the association, the air show will include military and civilian aircraft “for a weekend celebrating the spirit of flight, military service, and American patriotism. ” Organizers do not have a list of aircraft that will be in the air or on exhibit, but the F-35A Lightning fighter jet will be part of the event. Ebbing was selected in March 2023 by the U. S. Air Force to be the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program pilot training center supporting F-35 fighter planes purchased by Singapore, Poland, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Czechia, Greece, and Romania. Planes from Poland and Finland were the first to train at Ebbing, with German pilots expected to arrive in late 2026. In addition to the F-35, other acts will include F-16 fighter demonstrations, jet car, microjets, UH 60 helicopter skydiving teams, and past military aircraft. There will also be hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) exhibits available for regional students on May 7, according to the association. The event is also expected to include a demonstration of Air Combat Command capabilities. The show is a cooperative effort of the Fort Smith Regional Airport and the 188th Fighter Wing. The last air show was held in 2011, and was discontinued as the 188th began the process to shift from a manned mission with the A-10 Thunderbolt to an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission connected to unmanned aerial vehicles. That mission continues. Related