After eight years away, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are returning to Mountain Home Air Force Base this weekend. The Gunfighter Skies ’26 — America 250: Freedom Takes Flight air show runs Saturday and Sunday, May 16–17, 2026. The last time that diamond formation cut across the high desert of southwestern Idaho was June 2–3, 2018. That gap ends this weekend.
Advance work is already underway. Major Samuel “RaZZ” Larson — Thunderbird 8, the team’s Advance Pilot and Narrator — flew into Mountain Home Wednesday to begin site prep before the full team arrives. The job is straightforward but critical: get eyes on the show site early, identify obstacles, visual illusions, and any hazards before the other six solo and formation jets follow him in.
“We’ll fly out to the show site early to get the site set for the rest of the team. We look for obstacles, any visual illusions, any hazards,” Larson said.
Larson is a first-year Thunderbird, though he’s no stranger to the show circuit. He commanded the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team for three seasons — 2022 through 2024 — before joining the squadron. A 2015 Air Force Academy graduate, he now flies the No. 8 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon.
Roughly 70 Thunderbirds team members are deploying to Mountain Home for the weekend, 12 officers among them. The team is led by Thunderbird 1, Lt. Col. Alexander “Knight” Prevendar, who brings more than 3,300 flight hours and 1,000 combat hours into the cockpit. The 2026 roster also integrates several new selects: Maj. Megan “CASTRO” Berberich, Capt. Susan “Fuego” McLeod, and Capt. Hannah Durbin. Thunderbird 4/Slot Pilot Lt. Col. Tyler Clark also joins the lineup this season.
Full Performer Lineup
The Thunderbirds close out each day’s flying, but the schedule runs wall-to-wall — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Sharing the program: the VAQ-129 “Vikings” EA-18G Growler Demo Team out of NAS Whidbey Island, a static and airborne A-10C Thunderbolt II, an F-15E Strike Eagle, and an Idaho Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk.
Warbird fans will have plenty to look at on the ramp. Planes of Fame is bringing a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, an F-86 Sabre, and a restored WWII-era C-47 dubbed “Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber.” Parachute work comes from the USAF Academy’s Wings of Blue and the Round Canopy Parachute Team-USA. On the civilian side: aerobatic pilots Stephen “Christo” Christopher and Vicky Benzing, plus the Firewalkers ground act — featuring “Hot Streak II,” a twin-jet-engine ’57 Chevy pickup capable of 350-plus mph.
Logistics — What Attendees Need to Know
Gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. both days. No entry after 3 p.m. General admission and parking are free. Ticketed VIP seating and parking are available for purchase. All attendees must present valid government- or state-issued photo ID. The show is organized by Silver Wings of Idaho in conjunction with the 366th Fighter Wing.
For those who want access to the pilots before the weekend flying begins, the Downtown Mountain Home Block Party at Carl Miller Park runs Friday, May 15, from 5–8 p.m., with Thunderbirds pilots scheduled to attend in person.
“The Gunfighters are proud to open our gates and share our mission with the community we call home,” said 366th Fighter Wing Commander Col. D. Ray Gunter. “I encourage you to go beyond the aircraft and take the opportunity to meet the Gunfighters who serve our nation and hear their stories firsthand.”
Planning for Gunfighter Skies ’26 stretched nearly two years — and the road to opening day wasn’t clean. Air Show Director Anthony Mountain acknowledged a no-notice deployment complicated preparations late in the cycle. The show goes on regardless.
“We’ve worked through a fair amount of challenges, including a no-notice deployment that happened recently, and just to see how the team and the base has come together to put on a great show has been the best part,” Mountain said.
The Thunderbirds received their 2026 season certification on March 5 at Nellis AFB following a high-show demonstration for Air Combat Command commander Gen. Adrian Spain — authorizing over 60 demonstrations at more than 30 locations this season. Mountain Home is on that list for the first time since the Obama administration.
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