Interesting Stuff

Fast And Low Gowen Thunder

Treetop level Snowbirds over Boise Saturday.


We haven’t heard anything official yet, but the dire predictions of massive crowds and potential traffic jams could easily have been similar to the eclipse hoopla…or just good planning.

Even so, the Canadian Snowbirds and the USAF Thunderbirds roared around Boise Saturday drawing white hearts in the blue sky as they performed aerobatic feats over Boise. With the obvious skill of the pilots and the performance of the aircraft, the common refrain we heard was, “They are sure fun to watch, but I don’t know if I want to hear something that noisy every day.”

The show repeats at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Check out GOWENTHUNDER for details.

Here are some GUARDIAN images to preview the Sunday event.

USAF Thunderbirds.

Comments & Discussion

Comments are closed for this post.

  1. Mr. Guardian
    You need to talk to a different group of people that tell you…” that is the sound of freedom”

  2. Lynn Bradescu
    Oct 14, 2017, 7:04 pm

    Loved this “show” and I say “bring it on” We would be LUCKY to be chosen as the home of the F-35. IMO….
    There was no traffic jam, the military were efficient and polite and everyone had a good time! Thank you GOWEN THUNDER!

  3. I loved watching the show from my front yard by the airport – but still doesn’t mean we should place the F-35s at Gowen.

    Has it been revealed why the F-35’s didn’t perform?

    Afraid the noise would be apparent to all – or afraid of them falling from the sky over our beloved Boise?

  4. boise musician
    Oct 15, 2017, 9:19 am

    I loved the show!

    That said, we came prepared with ear plugs.

  5. A few additional thoughts:

    While the show indeed was impressive – if you believe this was something other than a stunt by our local officials to drum up support for the F-35s you are sadly mistaken.

    Just remember: Comparing the air show and having the F35’s based at Gowen is like watching a movie produced by Harvey Weinstein – versus having to live next door to him every day.

    Just a coincidence that we have not had a show for 20 years and then one is scheduled the same year decisions are being made for placement – whatever…

    I would bet Gowen lock’s up the phrase GOWENBLUNDER – because that’s what it will be if Boise is chosen…

  6. Nice photos!

  7. Waste of money
    Oct 15, 2017, 7:36 pm

    How many homeless people could be housed and fed for the gargantuan waste of resources this “show” represents?

  8. Eagle Writer
    Oct 16, 2017, 3:40 pm

    Dear “Waste of money,” the show was a celebration of the very freedoms that allow us to make choices in our lives – choices that result in prosperity and choices that result in homelessness.

  9. The unsung heroes of this event were Air Traffic Control (ATC) personnel. Go to LiveATC.net archives for KBOI and playback the time spans of when the Snowbirds and Thunderbirds landed. These guys did a remarkable job of getting the stacked up inbound traffic on the ground and departures in the air. Good work gentleman.

  10. According to the story on the daily paper’s website (story likely furnished by Team Dave’s PR toadies), the city tried their darndest to get an F-35 aerial demonstration for the common people. And… the F-35s took off this (Monday) morning. They weren’t declaring a time; I’m guessing 9:40am or thereabouts. (I was working in my well-insulated downtown office building, probably 4 miles as the F-35 flies from the airport… I heard a mighty, patriotism-instilling roar at about that time.)

    EDITOR NOTE–Could it possibly have been an NNC goatsucker? 🙂

  11. I thought the airshow was great, from the bus transportation to the aircraft on display to the performances. My kids enjoyed it as much as I did, as did the three thousand +/- people right around me in the crowd. Nice pictures, by the way. I hope they do this more often so we won’t have to wait another 20 years. If Boise gets the F-35, we won’t have to wait!

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