MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- The 2024 Frontiers in Flight Airshow at McConnell has a few significant changes over the 2022 edition of this event. The airshow runs August 24-25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at McConnell Air Force Base, with free admission and parking.
First, all attendees over the age of 18 are required to present a state- or federal government-issued photo ID for entry, such as a driver’s license or passport. Non-U.S. citizens over the age of 18 can use a passport or permanent resident alien card for entry.
Second, guests are allowed and encouraged to bring their own drinking water in a non-glass container filled to use and refill throughout the day to help prevent heat injuries.
There will be free water fill locations in the general public parking lot and on the airshow ramp for refilling personal water containers. Those locations are marked on the map, along with cooling tents, port-a-potties and first aid stations.
Distances
While parking is available, there will still be large distances of walking that can be challenging. The airshow area measures 0.67 miles from north to south and is full of parked aircraft, booths and displays.
General Parking
Parking will be provided off-base in fields owned by Cessna, north of McConnell, west of Rock Road and south of Pawnee Street. Distance from the regular parking area to the airshow entrance is approximately 0.5 miles. As such, the base has organized buses at the center of the general parking area to transport people to and from there and the airshow entrance (Entry #1 on the Airshow map). These distances, combined with the typical August temperatures in Kansas and the heat-amplifying effects of concrete runways, make hydration especially important for airshow attendees and staff.
Accessibility Parking
Accessibility parking is available by filling out the following form online: https://www.frontiersinflight.com/guestinfo#accessibility Those who are approved for this parking will be emailed a parking pass, which they must print out. That pass will enable parking at select locations on the base.
Lost Children
For those bringing small children, wristbands are available at the entry points to the flightline. Adults can write a phone number on the band and put it on the child’s wrist. Should the adults and children become separated, that phone number will facilitate a quick reunion with their adults. The Lost Child area will be near the Kids Zone and the Boeing Dreamlifter. The Dreamlifter will be the largest aircraft on the ramp, on the north end of the runway area and near the STEAM and Kid Zones.
Changing stations and a dedicated nursing area will also be nearby.
Aerial Performances
Aerial performances begin at noon each day. The headline act, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, takes to the skies at approximately 3 p.m. each day of the airshow. The confirmed aerial performers for the airshow are:
- Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornets
- Fat Albert (Blue Angels support C-130J Super Hercules)
- F-35 Lightning Demo Team
- P-51 Heritage Flight
- 2x A-10 Thunderbolt II Formation Demo
- Tora Tora Tora
- “Swamp Fox” P-51
- Twin Beech 18 “Matt Younkin”
- Havilland D.H. 115 “Vampire”
- Bill Stien “Edge 540”
- Tom Larkin “Mini Jet”
- Brian Correll “Pitts II”
- KC-135/KC-46 Refuel Demo
- Precision Exotics “Super Cars”
Clydesdales
The Budweiser Clydesdales hitch is scheduled to appear at 11:30 a.m. each day of the airshow.
Aircraft on Display
The confirmed aircraft on static display are shown on the airshow map, current as of its publication date. The aircraft on display will be:
- Doc B-29 Superfortress
- KC-135 Stratotankers
- KC-46 Pegasus
- Fat Albert (C-130J Super Hercules)
- A-10 Thunderbolt IIs
- F-15 Eagles
- F-16 Fighting Falcons
- F-22 Raptors
- F-35 Lightning IIs
- B-1 Lancer
- B-52 Stratofortress
- Navy P-8 Poseidon
- C-17 Globemaster III
- RC-135 Rivet Joint
- T-38 Talons
- T-6 Texans
- T-1A Jayhawk
- USAFA Trainers
- Boeing Dreamlifter
- A-26 “Lady Liberty”
- LearJet – Around the world record holder
- Stearman Biplanes
Army Displays:
Wichita’s military presence is more than just Air Force; it has several Reserve and Guard units across the military branches in the area. The largest of these locally is the Army Reserve’s 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command, headquartered here. The 451st ESC has coordinated the appearance of several Army aviation and ground assets at the event, bringing a little extra steel and firepower for visitors to see. These will include:
- Light Medium Tactical Vehicle
- High-Mobility, Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV - Humvee)
- Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
- UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter
- HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter
- CH-47 Chinook helicopter
Additional details on vendors, displays, premium seating and more are available at https://www.frontiersinflight.com/.
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