Story and photos by Scott Jankowski
The 2026 Center Point Energy Dayton Airshow was held on June 13th and 14th 2026 at the Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio, which is located eight miles North of Dayton, Ohio. The Dayton Airshow can trace its roots back to 1974, known at the time as “Aviation Day.” What has become an annual airshow featured the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Team, known as the Blue Angels, was the headline act for this year’s show. More than 90,000 people turned out for the two-day event, despite some challenging weather conditions on Sunday. Dayton Ohio is the hometown of American Aviation Pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright. The Wright Brothers are credited with inventing, building, and flying the world’s first successful aircraft.
James M. Cox International Airport, which is named in honor of the former Ohio Governor and Presidential Candidate, was opened on December 17th, 1936. The airport has grown over the years and enjoys a highly successful partnership with the Dayton Airshow. Dayton International Airport is the third busiest airport in the state of Ohio and serves over 650,000 to 900,000 passengers a year. The fact that a major airport can host a major airshow with no real disruption to regular operations is truly remarkable. That is due in part to the fact that the airport has three runways, Runway 6 Right/24 Left which is 7,285 feet long, Runway 6 Left/24 Right at 10,901 feet long and Runway 18/36 at 8,502 feet long. Dayton International Airport has a total of 20 gates spread across 2 concourses and is served by 9 passenger airlines and 1 cargo airline which offer approximately 75 daily operations. PSA Airlines which operates flights on behalf of American Eagle with the Mitsubishi CRJ700 and CRJ900 type aircraft has a maintenance base at Dayton as well as a crew base.
** PSA/American Eagle shots are file photos from KORD and KMKE**
The Sierra Neveda Corporation (SNC) also has a major operation at the Dayton International Airport with four hangers currently in use and encompasses 440,000 square feet of space. SNC focuses on large aircraft maintenance, repair, overhaul, advanced system integration, and testing. One of the many operations they are working on in Dayton is the “Doomsday” Plane Modernization, SNC is the lead contractor for The United States Air Force’s Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) modernization programs. This process involved modifying former commercial Boeing 747-8I aircraft into the highly specialized E-4C designed to serve as the airborne command and control center during national emergencies. N747SN was present at the time of my visit, which is an ex Korean Airlines Boeing 747-8 formerly registered HL7632, MSN 40907. Several Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tankers were also present and were undergoing updates to its communication systems.
** KC-46A shot is a file photo from KOSH**
This year’s Dayton Airshow was staged from the Wright Bros. Aero Fixed Base Operator (FBO) ramp. The static displays also utilized their ramp facilities for this weekend. Wright Bros Aero has been providing aviation services including fueling, deicing, and passenger assistance since 1978. They have plenty of ramp space available to ground handle aircraft up to the Boeing 747-8. They also have United States Customs onsite in which to process international arrivals.
The 2026 airshow featured the United States Navy Blue Angels as the headliner flying the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets. The Blue Angels were formed in 1946 and are based out of Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola Florida, which opened in 1913 and initial primary training base for all United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard officers pursuing designation as naval aviators and naval flight officers. It is also the advanced training base for most naval flight officers. The team has flown the Super Hornet since 2021, which coincided with the 75th anniversary of the team’s founding. The Blue Angels fly maneuvers such as the Fortis, Diamond Dirty Loop, Double Farvel, the Burner 270, and many more. Missing this year was “Fat Albert” their support Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules which is undergoing heavy maintenance over in the United Kingdom. The team is using a Lockheed Martin KC-130J Super Hercules in the standard grey tactical paint and is known as “Ernie”.
The United States Air Force’s Air Combat Command had the F-22 Raptor Demo Team at Dayton this year. The Demo Team is part of the 1st Fighter Wing based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis Virginia. The 13-person team is currently commanded by Captain Nic “Lazz” Le Tourneau. The fifth-generation fighter was built by Lockheed Martin and is powered by a pair of Pratt&Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles which give the aircraft a top speed of twice the speed of sound. These thrust vectoring nozzles give the F-22 Raptor its unique and extreme maneuverability. Dayton was also fortunate enough to also have a Heritage Flight with the F-22 flying with the Planes of Fame Lockheed P-38 Lighting “23 Ski Doo”.
The United States Army Parachute Team better known as the Golden Knights opened the airshow each day using one of their De Havilland C-147A’s. The team was formed in 1959 and is based out of Fort Bragg North Carolina and comprises approximately one hundred active-duty soldiers and civilians. The Golden Knights have two teams of jumpers the black and gold teams which represent the colors of the United States Army. The team’s fleet consists of 3 Viking Air UV-18 Twin Otter Series 400’s and 2 De Havilland C-147A’s.
Warbirds comprised a big part of this year’s airshow with the Commemorative Air Force’s group Tora Tora Tora in attendance. Their airshow routine comprises a reenactment of the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor Hawaii on December 7th, 1941, which drew the United States into World War II. The team has been together since 1972 and fly’s replicas of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Nakajima B5N Kate, Aichi D3A Val which are based off the North American T-6 Texan and the Curtis P-36 Hawk. This well-choreographed routine includes pyrotechnics which simulate bomb and torpedo drops as well as machine gun fire. The team had 4 Zero’s, 3 Kate’s, and 1 P-36.
Other notable warbirds included the Chino California based Planes Of Fame Museum Lockheed P-38J Lightning named “23 Ski Doo”. This P-38J, serial number 44-23314 was the 5,018th P-38 built at the Lockheed plant Burbank California. This P-38 served with the 483rd Air Base Squadron located at Santa Maria, California. This unit provided combat crew training for P-38’s during World War II. This P-38 flew with the F-22 for a Heritage Flight after the F-22 demo. They flew a series of passes highlighting one of the premier fighters of yesteryear and one of the premier fighters of today. Mr. Steve Hinton flew this beautifully restored warbird.
The Commemorative Air Force also brought the rare North American P-51C Mustang “By Request” which honors the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen were America’s first African American Combat Pilots. This P-51 was flown by Mr. Doug Rozendahl. Mr. Jim Tobul brought his beautifully restored and airshow favorite, “Korean War Hero” a 1945 manufactured Chance Voight F-4U-4 Corsair, bureau number 97143. This Corsair served with VF-884 aboard the U.S.S. Boxer and is a combat veteran of the Korean War.
The T-34 Association was present and performed several different formation flybys with 11 Beechcraft T-34 A and B model Mentors. Beechcraft produced just under 2,000 of the piston engine primary trainers during its 9-year production run. The T-34 has been operated by all branches of the U.S. Military. The T-34 Association was formed in July 1975 and currently has over six hundred members.
Jet powered warbirds were also present and included 3 1960’s vintage Polish License built MIG-17’s designated LIM-5, LIM-5P, LIM-6 NATO codenamed “Fresco”. These aircraft were flown by Mr. Bill Culberson, Mr. Michael Terfehr, and Mr. Scott Gusakov. These aircraft are operated by Fighter Jets INC. and was founded by Mr. Randy Ball in 2001 and is based out of Tyler Texas. The MIG-17 was the primary enemy aircraft used by the Vietnamese Air Force during the Vietnam War, it can pull up 8 g’s, has a top speed of Mach 1.04, and can climb to 30,000 feet in under 3 minutes.
Mr. Bill Colyer had his 1959 Canadian built Canadair CT-133 Silver Star, named Ace Maker III. There are a total of three of these CT-133’s in the Ace Maker fleet. The CT-133 is a Canadian license-built version of the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star. The CT-133 is a 2-seat jet trainer that first flew in 1952 and was operated by the Canadian Forces until 2005. The CT-133 is powered by a single Rolls Royce Nene 10 turbojet engine giving the aircraft a top speed of 570 miles per hour.
Another welcome visitor was the Flagship Detroit DC-3 which was on static display and flew in the airshow. This Douglas DC-3 was manufactured in early 1937 and was the 24th DC-3 delivered to American Airlines who operated the aircraft until 1947. The Flagship Detroit Foundation found the aircraft in 2004, purchased it, and spent the next 18 months restoring this iconic aircraft back to its original 1937 markings and interior.
Other airshow performers included Mr. Aaron Delieu flying the Extra 300 and Mr. Kyle Fowler flying the Rutan Long EZ.
Static display aircraft included several military and civilian aircraft, including several military aircraft in special color schemes. One of which was a 1960 vintage Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, tail number 60-002. This Boeing B-52H is the oldest still flying and is flown by the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base Louisiana. This B-52 has its tail painted green with yellow lettering, along with a “circle Y” which the 2nd Bomb Wing used on the B-17 during World War II. This aircraft also carries nose art with “Let’s Roll” in honor of the heroes onboard United Flight 93 that stopped terrorist hijackers from attacking Washington D.C. on 9-11 on the left side and Spirit of Bossier & Shreveport nose art of the right side. The B-52 is powered by 8 Pratt & Whitney TF-33-P3/103 turbofan engines generating 17,000 pounds of thrust each. The aircraft has a top speed of 650 miles per hour, a combat range of 8,800 miles and a 70,000# payload.
Several Northrop T-38A Talons were present and included two aircraft in special colors. One such aircraft was serial number 67-920 which is operated by the 393rd Bomb Squadron known as the “Tigers” based at Whitman Air Force Base Missouri. This T-38 is painted in honor of the color scheme the unit’s FB-111A’s wore, including the Strategic Air Command (SAC) banner on the nose and the tiger stripes on the tail. The 393rd Bomb Squadron is part of the 509th Bomb Wing flying the Northrop B-2A Spirit. The other T-38A, serial number 60-0582, is assigned to the 7th Fighter Training Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis Virginia. The T-38 wears a special “Aggressor” blue camouflage scheme, which mimics the Sukhoi SU-27 Flanker. The 7th Fighter Training Squadron prepares F-22A Raptor pilots for real world air combat missions flying as an adversary.
Another military static display was a Boeing/Leonardo MH-139A Grey Wolf serial number 23-1016. This helicopter is assigned to the 908th Flying Training Wing based at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. The 908th is the formal training unit for the MH-139A with a mission to train pilots in providing security and support for the United States Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile fields. The MH-139A is built by Boeing under license and is a variant of the Leonardo AW-139 which is an Italian built multi-role helicopter. The MH-139A is the United States Air Force’s newest multi-mission helicopter which offers significantly increased speed, range, and payload over the Bell UH-1N that it is replacing. A total of thirty-eight aircraft will be produced.
Other military static displays included a pair of Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcons from the 112th Fighter Squadron based at Toledo Ohio, a Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy from the 436th Airlift Wing based at Dover Air Force Base Delaware, an Airbus Military HC-144B Ocean Sentry from United States Coast Guard Air Station Mobile Alabama, among many others.
Civilian aircraft including commercial airliners and business jets were also a part of the static display and included N367SP, a 20-year-old Boeing 767-381FER. This 767-300 is owned and operated by Greensboro North Carolina based Samaritan’s Purse. This aircraft can carry 118,000 pounds of cargo on the main deck and belly compartments. It is used to fly disaster relief supplies to stricken areas. After being invited by that country and can carry an entire field hospital in one trip. It took three trips with their former aircraft a McDonnell Douglas DC8-72. Samaritan’s Purse was founded in 1970 and is currently run by Mr. Franklin Graham, the son of the late Christian Evangelist Mr. Billy Graham. The name of the organization is derived from the New Testament Parable of the Good Samaritan and uses this aircraft to deliver the “Hope of Jesus” globally.
Another notable civilian on static display was the Grimes Flying Laboratory Beechcraft C-45H registered N864DE. This aircraft was built in 1952 and is used to test and evaluate exterior lighting systems under various conditions while in flight. Grimes has been in business since 1933 and is headquartered in Urbana, Ohio. Other aircraft present included a 35-year-old Boeing 757-236SF operated by FedEx flying to and from their hub in Memphis Tennessee. A pair of Dassault Aviation Falcons Jets were also on display, N501N a 2007 built Falcon 2000EX owned by Soinair LLC and N722JB a 1995 Falcon 2000 owned by Clos De Berry leasing.
Premier Health Careflight flew their Leonardo AW169, N841CF in the afternoon airshow. The AW169 is the largest, fastest, and most advanced air ambulance in the Miami Vally region. Premier Health is the only air program in Ohio to transport two patients at once. The helicopter just entered service at the beginning of this year.
The Dayton airshow has always had an amazing and varied group of static displays and airshow performers, 2026 was no different. Despite numerous changes and cancellations due to the ongoing war with Iran the 2026 Airshow was still a crowd pleaser for the over 90,000 people in attendance. This is definitely a show worth checking out as it is one of the best in the country.
I would like to extend a very big thank you to Ms. Sheila Wallace and the entire media team for their hospitality during my visit. Until next time, “Blue Skies To All!”
