Looking Back: Thunder Over Michigan 2016
Story and photos by Del Laughery
From its humble beginnings as a mere symposium in 1999, the Thunder Over Michigan air show at the Ypsilanti Airport near Detroit, has offered an extraordinary view of current and past military aircraft, and has become one of the most successful aviation events in the country. The only year the show hasn’t occurred was 2020, when the country was in the midst of the COVID outbreak, but it got back on track in 2021 as a socially distanced event, and still managed to draw a good-sized crowd and be profitable.
Most importantly for a guy toting a camera, their photo pit is placed well in front of the normal crowd line, placing photographers very close to a taxiway and the active runway. If you’re looking for something a little different than the normal press area behind the normal crowd line, put this show on your calendar. But, be forewarned, tickets for the photo pit sell out fast, so plan early and purchase early!
Here are some shots I took at the 2016 show, when the Blue Angels were still flying the F/A-18C, the show theme focused on the C-130 Hercules, and the weather was variably overcast for a good portion of both days.
Editor’s note: The 2025 Thunder Over Michigan show will be held over the weekend of June 20th -22nd at the Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti.
