Arctic Thunder Open House to take flight this weekend

This weekend marks the return of the Arctic Thunder Open House at JBER, an air show that attracts the military and Anchorage communities.

The open house, held every two years, is being headlined this year by the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron Thunderbirds and the U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights. The theme for Arctic Thunder Open House 2024 is honoring legacy and inspiring the next generation.

“We hope people will enjoy all aspects of the open house,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. John Sadler, chief of ground operations for this year’s Arctic Thunder Open House. “There’s something for all ages; from the aerial demonstrations, aircraft and equipment statics everyone can climb in, to the heritage aircraft, novelties vendors and of course the food.”

The show will be on two days, July 20 and 21. Admission and parking will be free on both days.

Boniface Gate and Richardson Gate will open at 9 a.m. on both days. Taxis, Uber, Lyft, or other ride-sharing services will not be allowed through the gates. Handicap parking is available and can be requested at the Boniface Gate. It is highly recommended people carpool since parking is limited due to construction. Gates will close for the public at 2 p.m.

Shuttles will be available for DoD ID Card Holders from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The pickup locations are the Talkeetna Theater, Hangar 5, the Frontier Theater, and the Commissary parking lot. The shuttle bus will run every 30 minutes.

Opening Ceremonies will begin at 11:15 a.m. on both days. Seven hours of flying activities will be held, with six military aerial demonstrations, eight civilian aerial demonstrations and Joint Force demonstrations.

Outside of the Golden Knights and the Thunderbirds, people can expect demonstrations from the Pacific Air Forces F-16 Demonstration Team, Melissa Dawn Burns (Edge 540), the Pacific Air Forces C-17 Demonstration Team, the U.S. Air Force F-22 Demonstration Team, Undaunted Airshows (RV-7, RV-8), a T-33 Acemaker and the JBER Joint Forces Demonstration.

For those who don’t want to look up at the sky the whole time, there will also be 40 static displays from the Air Force, the Army and some foreign allies. Sadler also said there will be a STEM area where adults and kids can have hands-on fun with science and technology exhibits.

A special preview of the air show for military families will be on Friday, July 19. Families can enter the Flightline gates on the southeast side of Hangar 1 and the northwest side of Hangar 3. There will be no designated parking for Family Day, but it is recommended that families park as close to the entry points as possible. These rehearsal demonstrations will be nearly identical to the main show; however, there will not be any pyrotechnics.

It is recommended that people bring hearing protection for themselves, especially for children. They should also bring sunglasses, sunscreen and water. Strollers are allowed, but stroller wagons should only be used for children and not as an extra storage unit.

Coolers, alcohol, cannabis, backpacks, large purses and wagons are not allowed.

Visit www.arcticthunderopenhouse.com for a lineup of the aerial demonstrations, information on what to bring and what not to bring, and more.