STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
Watch the United States Navy Blue Angels perform breathtaking precision maneuvers, and explore aviation history and technology through engaging exhibits and interactive experiences at the upcoming Magic Valley Airshow.
The 2025 Magic Valley Airshow will take flight from 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, through 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, at the Magic Valley Regional Airport in Twin Falls. Gates open at 9 a.m. each day for attendees to check out the displays, and the air shows start at 11 a.m. running through 4 p.m. each day.
There’ll be precision aerobatic displays, vintage aircraft exhibitions and demonstrations by modern jets. Vendor booths and food trucks will be on the premises along with interactive exhibits.
The Blue Angels elite flight demonstration squadron, formed in 1946 to showcase the Navy’s aerial precision, has captivated audiences worldwide with their breathtaking aerial ballet. They push the limits of the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the cutting-edge strike fighter that forms the core of their display.
The choreographed performance includes the Diamond Formation where four aircraft fly less than three feet apart, executing loops, rolls and transitions. The F/A-18s will showcase its raw power, which includes tight turns and awe-inspiring maneuvers where they cross paths at combined speeds of more than a 1,000 miles per hour, often less than 100 feet apart.
Joining them will be the Blue Angels “Fat Albert” C-130 Hercules, the Navy’s iconic transport plane with its powerful takeoff, steep climbs and tactical maneuvers.
The 388th F-35A Demo Team of Hill Air Force Base in Utah will showcase the F-35A Lightning II, the Air Force’s most advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter.
Audiences will get a rare glimpse inside the F-35A as the pilot Major Melanie “Mach” Kluesner opens the internal weapons bay doors during a pass. She will also demonstrate the pedal turn, showcasing the plane’s ability to pivot rapidly in mid-air, as well as its hang in the air before rocketing skyward and its ability to make incredibly tight turns.
Other highlights:
Smoke-N-Thundercar
Undaunted Airshows, which uses the most popular kit plane
Skydiving Demonstration Team
DZone Superheroes, a parachute demonstration team
The De Havillan Vampire jet will offer a glimpse into early jet aviation. Other static displays include the iconic F-15 Eagle; Curtiss P-40 Warhawk with its shark-mouth nose art, the A-10 Thunderbolt II known as the Warthog, the KC-130J which refuels aircraft and helicopters in flight and the P-8 Poseidon, which excels in anti-submarine warfare.
Also, the F-16 Fighting Falcon with its distinctive bubble canopy, the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter; C-17 Globemaster III, which can transport battle tanks, helicopters and hundreds of troops; the TBM Avenger torpedo bomber; Kodiak 100 turboprop; T-6 Texan; U-28 Draco, which provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and the CJ-6 Nanchag, a two-seat trainer aircraft built in China.
Participants include Melissa Burns, who at 22 became the youngest member of the U.S. unlimited Aerobatic Team in history and was named the Fastest Woman in the World at the World Champion Wingsuit B.A.S.E. Jumping Race in Norway.
Also, T-33 Greg Colyer who performs a solo T-33 Aerobatic Demonstration showing the Shooting Str, America’s first operational jet fighter and trainer, and Brad Wursten and Nathan Hammon.
Attendees who want to feel an adrenaline rush may take a ride down the runway in Lamborghini, Ferrari and other exotic cars by booking a ride at https://www.precisionexotics.com/current-schedule.
For Airshow tickets, go to https://www.magicvalleyairshow.com. Cash transactions will not be available at the venue. Children 10 and under will be admitted free with a ticketed adult.
A parking pass will also be required to be purchased in advance for each vehicle. A free shuttle service will be available for those needing assistance getting to and from parking areas. RV passes will be required to park in designated RV Parking Area.
Attendees are allowed to bring a personal van or umbrella, lawn chair or blanket. strollers or small wagons for children and empty personal water bottles, which can be filled onsite.
No large coolers or bags are allowed. And no outside food is permitted as there are food vendors on location. No pets are allowed except for service animals.