2018 Air Show to feature USAF Thunderbirds Published March 3, 2017 By Marissa Howard Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Minot Air Force Base is scheduled to hold the next Northern Neighbors Day Air Show August 4, 2018, and will feature America’s Ambassadors in Blue, the world-renowned U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Created in 1953, the USAF Thunderbirds are the third oldest formal flying aerobatic team in the world. Based out of Nellis AFB, Nevada, the Thunderbirds Squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing solo flying and aerobatic formation in specially marked F-16 Fighting Falcons for millions of people. The Thunderbirds will be featured with support from many other aerial performances, including a myriad of attractions on the ground to be viewed up-close by spectators. Northern Neighbors Day is free to the public. Further details will be shared as the event nears. Minot AFB hosted its first air show in seven years in August 2016, with more than 12,000 spectators who came to view performances from the Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team and Golden Knights parachute team, among many other air and ground spectacles. In addition to the airshow, Minot Air Force Base will also celebrate the 50-year partnership between the Bomb Wing and Missile Wing and co-location at Minot AFB. Minot Air Force Base is home to “Team Minot” and is comprised of more than 6,000 military and civilian employees. The base has a strong, proud history of providing global strike and nuclear deterrence capabilities for the nation, and Northern Neighbors Day is a small way to demonstrate appreciation for the support given to this base by our friends in the North.