The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will return to the skies above F.E. Warren Air Force Base on Wednesday, July 24, marking their 64th performance at Cheyenne Frontier Days.​

"Their very first demonstration was here in 1953," said CFD Military Chairman Col. Brian Rico.  "They didn't come in 2013 because of budget cuts and then in 2017 because of weather they didn't make it."​

Because of the Sweetgrass development south of Laramie County Community College, officials had to find a new location for this year's air show.

"The logical place was back here out at base," said Rico.  "What makes it uncommon for us is that we don't have an active flight line for aircraft of that type."

Rico says it's been 23 years since the base has hosted the air show, and they "don't know how people are going to react to it."

"We're opening Gate 1 at 6 a.m.," said Rico.  "I know that seems like a really early time to come, get on a bus and go to the pad, but if they want to guarantee to see it from the show center and experience that they need to come early."

"There may be a possibility that even if you get here between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., that the bus capacity, I may not be able to bus you up there, you may end up seeing the show from your vehicle on base," he added.

Rico says this year's show will be a definite learning experience, and they're "prepared for the constructive criticisms" that come their way.

"I know there may be some folks that get disappointed, there may be others that absolutely love it, but it's one of those things we're going to grow and we're going to learn from and we're going to continue to make it a better show for everybody," he said.

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