Windy Final Day at the Duluth Airshow Didn’t Stop the Fun

DULUTH, Minn. — Sunday was the final day of the 15th Duluth Air and Aviation Expo. Crowds gathered with their eyes to the sky to catch a glimpse of this year’s performers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a great day to be an America and wave the flag,” said long-time announcer Rob Reider. “The 2024 Duluth Air and Aviation Expo…starts now!”

It was a windy day at the Duluth Airshow on Sunday, but that didn’t stop the crowds! Tens of thousands of aviation fans held down their lawn chairs and waited patiently for the show to begin. And while the start time was delayed an hour, there was plenty to do back on the ground. Even NASA got in on the fun!

“We’re here at the airshow to help bring awareness to the first ‘A’ in NASA, aeronautics,” said engineer Emily Timko. “A lot of times when we ask kids: ‘when you think of NASA, what do you think of?’ and they say ‘Space!’ So we like to bring awareness to the first ‘A’ and some of the aviation research and aeronautics research that we also do at NASA.”

NASA brought along its Journey to Tomorrow exhibit. It not only featured a lunar rock and lunar rover tire, but also icing research. Timko is part of a team that simulates the growth of ice on aircrafts and develops ice protection systems. It’s her first time at the airshow and she says its great to see all ages excited about aviation.

“This is great to see a lot of, even some of the younger students, that know so much about the airplanes and the show. And just to watch the crowd’s excitement as the flight demonstrations are happening and the different shows are happening. So it’s been a really great atmosphere here to be around everybody and see their enthusiasm for aviation.”

For others, shows like this have been a part of their lives for as long as they can remember. It’s truly a family affair for apparel vendor Mark Anderson, who was selling Thunderbirds merchandise alongside his parents and brother.

“I want to say this is my fourth year in the row that I’ve done the Duluth Airshow and it’s hands down, by far my favorite show to do,” Anderson said. “The people, the community, its just, they put on one of the best shows you could ask for.”

As a native Floridian, Anderson was definitely feeling the wind chill. Anderson says with this year’s show taking place in May instead of July, they have seen an uptick in long-sleeve sales, especially for out-of-towners like himself.

“The hoodies! It’s just too cold up here. Everybody is just freezing and especially with these winds that are coming through. It’s a little unexpected but, you know, it goes hand in hand. You can do a lot of long sleeves and hoodies and then when it gets hot later in the day, people want to pop a t-shirt on. So there’s just a good mixture of it all.”

After exploring the exhibits and booths, it was finally time for the real show. The Patriot Parachute Team descended, flying the American flag during the national anthem. They were followed by demonstrations from the Minnesota Air National Guard and U.S. Navy. Other acts included Britt Lincoln, Michael Trehfer, and Skip Stewart. And of course, the main event, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.