This past Sunday was Zombie Jesus Day which means this coming Saturday is Thunder Over Louisville! Thunder is the kickoff for the annual Kentucky Derby Festival, an airshow during the day followed by the largest annual fireworks show in North America.
This year will be the first proper Thunder since covid came calling, these photos are from the last one in 2019. Judging by the lineup for the airshow they're trying to make up for lost time.
Lots of bombers in the air and plenty of people getting bombed on the ground. Usually there's more than a half million people that turn up to watch Thunder and most of'em are shitface drunk long before it's over.
It can get a bit ugly when they all try to leave after the fireworks are through. The show's over by 2200 but there'll still be people staggering home at 0100.
Usually the airshow is all I'm there to see, fireworks just aren't as much fun when you don't get to light them.
Not sure what most of these aircraft are but the third photo is a B-52. Damn thing is a flying senior citizen, the B-52 first flew in 1952, and they're still in service.
This one is the P-51 Mustang of World War II fame. They also saw combat in the Korean War before being replaced by jets.
Of course LMPD has to show off their taxpayer toys...
Most people watch it from the banks of the Ohio River, either in Louisville or over in Hoosierland. Others post up on rooftops or on boats on the river. Then there's the ones that just drop in...
And that's my signal to pop smoke and fly on out of here!