STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Gunfighter Skies ’26 meets STEM Expo when Mountain Air Force Base presents its America 250: Freedom Takes Flight airshow this weekend.
The free airshow will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 16-17 with a public Mountain Home Block Party on Friday, May 15.
The Block Party will be held in downtown Mountain Home from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday with a chance to see the Thunderbird planes up close and personal, along with classic cars. Music and food trucks will be on the scene.
The USAF Thunderbirds will headline Saturday and Sunday’s shows, augmented by performances by F-15Es, F-18s, A-10s, P-51s, World War II paratroopers and others.
There also will be a STEM Expo located inside a 20,000 square foot hangar. It will feature 25 presenters, exhibits and demonstrations suitable for all ages from exhibitors from the Treasure and Magic Valleys.
The STEM Expo includes virtual reality, a flight space suit, flight simulations, rocket and drone display, model RC aircraft, chemistry experiments, a solar telescope, medical simulation booth, radio operations, an archaeology exhibition and electricity demonstration.
There also will be historic planes on the tarmac.
The last Mountain Home Air Force Base Gunfighter Skies Air Show took place eight years ago. This is expected to be one of the biggest ever in honor of the United States’ 250th birthday, according to Capt. Anthony Mountain the air show’s director.
On Saturday and Sunday gates open at 9 a.m. with the event running until 5 p.m. Flying performances start at 11 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. both days.
Parking, like admission, is free. There will be a parking lot near Idaho Highway 51 and Mint Farm Road, a mile from the base. A shuttle will take attendees to the event grounds.
VIP parking passes may be purchased online for those wanting to park closer. There also will be limited handicapped parking through a gate at 366 Gunfighter Ave.
Vendors will be at the event selling food, drinks and souvenirs.
Those older than 18 must bring government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license or passport.