Thunder over the Boardwalk
Thunder Over the Boardwalk is an annual airshow held over the Atlantic City boardwalk every summer. It has occurred since 2003 and is currently one of the largest airshows in North America. What sets it apart, aside from being a beach show, is the fact that it usually occurs on a Wednesday. It takes place along the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey, in front of the boardwalk, with the casinos in the background. Flybys and demonstrations as high as and as low as over the water in front of the Atlantic City skyline.
It is produced by a joint venture of the Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce, the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing, The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, David Schultz Airshows, The Press of Atlantic City and WOND-AM. In 2020, the airshow had its first cancellation in its history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, due to circumstances outside of the organizers control, the air show had its second cancellation in its history.
About
The airshow itself primarily showcases military aviation, with demonstrations from the USAF Thunderbirds, United States Navy Blue Angels, US Army Golden Knights, as well as demonstrations from current Air Force and Navy aircraft, such as the A-10 Thunderbolt II, AV-8B Harrier, F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the F/A-18F Super Hornet. Military flybys over the four years of the airshow have included the B-2 Spirit, C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, C-130 Hercules, C-141 Starlifter, F-22 Raptor, KC-10 Extender, KC-135 Stratotanker, and the P-3 Orion. Helicopters that have shown up over the years include the MH-60S Knighthawk, the HH-60 Jayhawk, the CH-146 Griffon, and the HH-65 Dauphin.Aerobatic performers over the years have included Kirby Chambliss, Doug Dodge, Michael Hunter, John Klatt, and Sean Tucker. The Horseman Mustang Demonstration by Jim Beasley and Ed Shipley have also appeared along with the Skytypers and the Vultures Formation Team. The FAA's William J Hughes Technical Center at Atlantic City International Airport has showcased itsConvair 440, Boeing 727-100, and Gulfstream in the show as well. The New Jersey State Police have also shown its Bell 206 and Sikorsky S-76 helicopters in the airshows.
Show center is marked in front of Boardwalk Hall and the beach. Aircraft staging for the airshow is done at Atlantic City International Airport and at [McGuire United States Air Force|Air Force Base|McGuire AFB], both of which are off-limits to the public.
The USAF Heritage Flight and the US Navy Legacy Flight have also performed at the show.
Announcers
The announcers for the Thunder Over the Boardwalk Airshow have included Gordon Bowman-Jones, Howdy McCann and Pinky Kravitz.Shows
2003
The first show took place on August 27, 2003, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of powered flight. Headlining the show were the Thunderbirds and the Golden Knights. The show also featured demonstrations from the A-10, F-14, F-15, and F-16, all jam packed into a five and a half hour flying display. The weather was not very favorable, as it was hazy for the entire day.2004
The 2004 show was held on August 18, and featured the same four demonstrations, as it would be the last time an F-14 Tomcat would fly over Atlantic City, along with the last airshow appearance of a C-141B Starlifter from McGuire AFB, as the type was being withdrawn from active duty service. The skies were about the same as they were in 2003, and all of the performers were able to put on their best shows for over 350,000 airshow fans and beach-goers.2005
The 2005 show was held on August 31, and featured the Thunderbirds once again, but the show was threatened by bad weather inland, which kept many of the performers from showing up, including Dale Snodgrass. High winds curtailed the Golden Knights and Black Daggers from jumping and caused sea spray coming off the ocean to ruin any chances of photographers getting decent pictures. The show was still a success, with over 200,000 people attending.2006
In December 2005, the Thunderbirds announced they were returning to Atlantic City for the fourth installment of the show. In February 2006, the Blue Angels announced they had a show site listed as "TBA" for August 23 - the same date as the Atlantic City show. In March, it was formally announced that the Blue Angels would be joining the Thunderbirds for the 2006 show.Joining the Blues and Birds were a slew of performers making their Atlantic City debut, including Sean Tucker, the new F-15E Strike Eagle Demonstration Team, the B-2 Spirit, the F-4 Phantom, and the F-22 Raptor. The weather had turned out to be fantastic, with over 600,000 people attending the airshow, making the 2006 airshow one of the largest events ever held in Atlantic City up until that time. All of the pieces of the puzzle had fit together nicely and both jet teams held their annual reunion at Atlantic City.