Photos by Scott Zeno, Alice Leong and Masaki Komatsu
New Hampshire’s weather is still warm in September, and on the weekend of September 9th and 10th of 2023, the skies were filled with thunder; not late summer thunderstorms but the 2023 Thunder Over New Hampshire Air Show. Held at the Pease Air National Guard Base in Portsmouth, the show offered lots of sights and sounds in the air and on the ground in a late summer aviation spectacle. Here’s a scrapbook containing some of the main types of aircraft and the performers at the show.
The 157th Air Refuel Wing of the New Hampshire Air National Guard operates a dozen Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker/transports and supports the training of all Air National Guard KC-46 crews. Many of the Wing’s jets were arrayed on the ground and others flew during the weekend.
Other U. S. military tankers in the show included KC-135 and KC-10 jets, the latter was a treat to see as the type will be retired from USAF service by the end of September, 2024. Another noteworthy attendee was the Royal Australian Air Force’s KC-30A tanker/transport aircraft from 33 Squadron.
The USAF’s F-16 Viper Demo Team presented their skills in the air and on the ground.
Other U. S. military aircraft included in the show were F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard and F-15 Eagles from the Massachusetts Air National Guard. A U. S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet was also on static display.
Military transports on the ground included a New York Air National Guard LC-130H, while a Connecticut Air National Guard C-130H made a fly-by during the show. Not really part of the show, but still an exciting sight for aviation buffs was the arrival and departure of a Ukranian-operated Antonov Airlines AN-124.
Other military aircraft on static display included a B-52H bomber, CH-47F Chinook helicopter, and an Air Force Beech T-1 trainer. Another interesting flypast was made by a USAF E-3 Sentry AWACS jet. The SOCOM Para Commandos opened the show with a parachute demo.
Rob Holland in his MX acrobatic plane provided thrills during the flying portion of the show too.
A pair of warbird acts also provided some sparkle in the air… Louis Horschel in the P-51 Mustang “Mad Max” and the 2-ship team of SNJ’s of the Warbird Thunder Airshows team (pilots Chris Thomas and Mike Eberhardt) gave the crowds some World War II-era nostalgia.
The weekend weather cooperated to a certain degree and the 2-day show went off without a hitch.
