The Yellowstone International Airshow is Coming. Here’s How to Win Tickets
August is jam-packed with fun things to do in Billings. MontanaFair, Banana Ball, Downtown Farmers Markets every Saturday, Ales for Trails, and other end-of-summer events provide something for just about everyone.
The one event I'm looking forward to most of all this month is the Yellowstone International Air Show, August 22 - 23 at Billings Logan International Airport. Enter for a chance to win tickets to the show at the bottom of this article.
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The Blue Angels are the star of the show.
The US Navy Blue Angels are an elite flight demonstration team. Some of their maneuvers during the show will reach speeds up to 700 miles per hour, and during some of the tricks, wingtips of the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jets are merely 18 inches apart. You will feel the ground shake on their low-flying passes.
All of Billings will know when the Angels have arrived.
The flight team and support crews arrive in the Magic City several days before the actual show. You can imagine the logistics involved. During the week leading up to the airshow, you're almost guaranteed to see them practicing over Billings. Just look up when you hear the screaming, twin-turbofan jets, with 20,000 pounds of thrust streaking overhead.
Official practice days are Thursday and Friday, August 20 - 21. Last year, I was thrilled to be in our 23rd-floor, downtown office when one of the Blue Angel pilots did a sideways flyby a few hundred yards from my window. Mind. Blown.
Two big anniversaries aligned for this year's show.
The Blue Angels are celebrating their 80th anniversary this year, and the USA is celebrating our 250th. I can't think of a more patriotic way to mark these big milestones than spending a day at the Yellowstone International Airshow.
Make a day of it at the Billings airport.
Gates open at 9 AM both days of the show, which begins at 11 AM. The Blue Angels launch at 3 PM both days, and gates close at 4:30 PM both days. I plan to come early, find a good spot (there are no bad spots), and plop down our camping chairs before exploring the grounds with my family.
Get up close and personal with dozens of aircraft on the airshow tarmac.
Aviation fans will enjoy a plethora of awesome photo opportunities. Several aircraft and other military vehicles are open, allowing kids of all ages to get an inside look at some impressive stuff.
There will be a ton of food trucks and beverage vendors at the airshow, and various branches of the military will be there too, offering fun, free activities for kids. General Admission tickets start at $55; kids 10 and under are $10. As of 8/7, all the VIP tickets for the Saturday show are sold out. Some remain for the Sunday show.
We have several pairs of GA tickets to give away for Sunday's show. Enter below, and maybe we'll see you at the show.
25 Photos of the Blue Angels That Will Blow Your Mind
Gallery Credit: Chadwick Benefield
15 Amazing Facts About the U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Gallery Credit: Zane Mathews
