2006 Tyndall AFB "Thunder Over the Gulf" Airshow, Panama City, FL
22-23 April 2006

The early Saturday morning crowd was welcomed by a massive thunderstorm around 9am that pretty much flattened every section of fence line, prohibited the set up of the sound system, and dumped well over 2 inches of rain in less than 30 minutes.     Due to the dedication, drive, and professionalism of all of the Tyndall AFB personnel, the gates opened and the general public did not know of the mad scramble to get the show underway on Saturday morning. After this storm, the weather was absolutely perfect for the remainder of the weekend. 

The Saturday and Sunday shows showcased the same roster of performers but each day was slightly different with the performance schedule.    Most airshow fans had emailed the base and David Schultz Airshows LLC in the weeks prior to the event wanting to see and feel the great aircraft of Tyndall AFB:  the F-22A Raptor, F-15C Eagle, and QF-4 Phantom II.   With this in mind, we mixed up the show a little on Sunday to showcase these fantastic aircraft prior to the USAF Thunderbirds performance.

Headlining the event were the USAF Thunderbirds.  The morning events started with parachute demonstrations by the US Army Golden Knights jumping from the Golden Knights’ C-31 aircraft.    Following the parachute demonstration, the Red Eagles Air Sports team took to the skies above Tyndall AFB in their 2-ship Talon Eagle aircraft for some great aerobatics in a short teaser routine.   Other great civilian performances included OregonAero in their DHC Chipmunk flown by Steve Oliver, Dan Buchanan's Flying Colors Glider,  and Patty Wagstaff in her Extra 300.    These performers, along with the Red Eagles amazed the over 55,000 in attendance with the best of civilian aerobatics each day.      Each day also featured runs by Neal Darnell in his Flashfire Jet Truck with a race from OregonAero on Saturday and Patty Wagstaff on Sunday.   The Sky Soldiers also did a fantastic demonstration with their AH-1 Cobras and OH-6 Cayuse complete with pyrotechnics.

Under the command and great choreography of Brig. General (Ret.) Reg. Urshler, his P-51D Mustang along with a Japanese A6M2 Replica Zero, P-40 Warhawk, and B-25J Mitchell, wowed the crowd with flybys and photo passes that had an aircraft in front of the crowd every 10-15 seconds.  

Military demonstrations were also fantastic at Tyndall.   The Ohio Air National Guard flew a low level demonstration on Saturday afternoon in their C-130H Hercules.  The USAF-AETC's T-6A Texan II Demonstration from Moody AFB also showcased the best new trainer of the inventory.    ACC provided two fantastic tactical demonstrations by the East Coast A-10A Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team from Pope AFB and from the newly formed F-15E Strike Eagle Demonstration Team from Seymour-Johnson AFB complete with pyrotechnics as well.  After their demonstrations, a USAF Heritage Flight was flown by the A-10 and F-15E along with a Tyndall AFB QF-4 Phantom II and Dale "Snort" Snodgrass in his F-86E Sabre.  After the Heritage Flight, each aircraft performed several high speed, low altitude flybys that thrilled the crowd.   The crowd also got to see the Navy's newest fighter, the F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-106 in NAS Oceana.  By far one of the most impressive and loudest demonstrations, the Super Hornet showed the agility and maneuverability that is why it is one of the most lethal fighters in the world today and one of the best military demonstrations on the airshow circuit.

Along with the great afterburning demonstrations, Team Tyndall didn't disappoint.   A two ship of F-15C Eagles and a F-22A Raptor thrilled the crowd with multiple passes that showcased the mission, personnel, and planes that operate at Tyndall on a daily basis.    The afternoon concluded with a great demonstration by the USAF Thunderbirds.

Static Displays were also quite extensive.   From Tinker AFB's E-3C Sentry, Altus' KC-135R Stratotanker and C-17A Globemaster III, Barksdale's B-52H Stratofortress, to the Connecticut Air National Guard's A-10A Thunderbolt IIs, Canadian CT-142 Gonzo, CT-156 Harvard, and CF-18B Hornet, there was something for everyone in the static display.   A pair of AH-64A Apaches, a Navy MH-60R Knighthawk, a pair of C-130H Hercules, and numerous other aircraft also welcomed the tens of thousands that came to Tyndall AFB on that weekend.

Look for another great airshow at Tyndall AFB in the near future.