TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The 2025 Tinker Air Show returned June 28–29 for a high-profile display of airpower, patriotism, and pride.
The two-day event, themed Warriors of Air and Space, marked the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds’ return to Oklahoma in eight years and capped off a weeklong series of military appreciation activities held across the Oklahoma City metro.
The air show attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to Tinker Air Force Base and reached a global audience through livestreams on Facebook and YouTube. The broadcast was simulcast by KWTV – News 9 and picked up by national Fox Now as well as several affiliates. Viewers tuned in from across the United States and overseas, including Germany, South Africa, and Puerto Rico.
“This is the highlight of my career,” said Col. Cisco Harris, commander of Tinker Air Force Base. “I’ve been in for 28 years and served at 16 different bases, and I’ve never seen anything like the support we get from this community. They started planning and fundraising for this show two years ago. That’s what makes Tinker special.”
In the days leading up to the air show, Tinker hosted a series of public events for Armed Forces Community Appreciation Week, celebrating an enduring partnership with surrounding cities.
Events included:
- A formal proclamation ceremony attended by civic leaders and base officials to officially kick off the week.
- A visit to the Oklahoma City Zoo by Tinker’s mascot, “Tink” the horned lizard, to teach local children about wildlife and conservation.
- A community movie night in Midwest City, featuring a Netflix-approved screening of the Thunderbirds documentary and a Q&A with Thunderbird pilots #1 and #5.
- A visit by the Thunderbirds to OU Health Children’s Hospital, where they met with young patients.
- A special hometown hero flight honoring Dr. Jason Simeroth, retired superintendent of Yukon Public Schools, who flew with Thunderbird #8 in recognition of his decades of public service.
Downtown Oklahoma City also joined in on the celebration, capping the workweek off by painting the town blue. The state’s tallest building, the Devon Tower, projected the U.S. Air Force logo nearly 850 feet above ground, while the Scissortail Skydance Bridge was lit up in Air Force blue over I-40.
On Tinker’s tarmac, the crowd came early on Saturday—with the event reaching maximum capacity just a few hours in. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds headlined both days of performances, flying precision maneuvers in F-16 Fighting Falcons.
Other aerial performers included:
- KC-46 Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker flyovers
- Wings of Blue parachute team
- Tora! Tora! Tora! WWII reenactment
- Civilian aerobatic acts and vintage warbirds
More than 30 static aircraft were on display, including a B-52 Stratofortress, E-3 Sentry AWACS, C-17 Globemaster III, and the unmanned XQ-58A Valkyrie.
“This base is home to 28,000 people and 45 mission partners,” said Harris. “It is a true joint effort, and an opportunity to showcase what we do and who we are.”
One of the key features of the air show was STEM City, a dedicated hangar offering hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math activities for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Sponsored by local schools and aerospace industry leaders, the exhibits featured drones, robotics, flight simulators, wind tunnels, and more.
“We are posturing to attract the next generation of talent to execute this righteous mission,” said Lt. Gen. Stacey Hawkins, Air Force Sustainment Center commander. “Our STEM efforts go all the way to junior high school, where we expose students to the work we do at Tinker to build a pipeline of future civilian and military professionals.”
Reflecting on his own early career with the Thunderbirds as their maintenance officer, Hawkins said it was rewarding to reconnect with the team and see their mission continue to inspire.
“I’ve been blessed to serve 34 years in uniform,” he said. “And it’s a powerful thing to see young people energized about service, aviation, and engineering. That’s what this air show is about—connecting the public to the mission and the people behind it.
Hawkins now oversees the Air Force Sustainment Center, the organic industrial hub that includes depot maintenance, supply chain operations, and software development.
“We sustain all of the Air Force’s major weapon system at Tinker, Hill, and Robins,” Hawkins said. “90 percent of our workforce consists of patriotic civilians, and their world class technical expertise is critical to keeping our fleet ready.”
As the last jets flew overhead and the weekend concluded, Harris reflected on the air show’s success and the broader impact Tinker Air Force Base has on the community.
“We’re not just a local base—we’re a state base,” Col. Harris said. “Of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, 44 have employees working here. Our economic impact is $7.5 billion annually, and that’s growing. But more than anything, this show demonstrates the strength of our community and the importance of what we do every day.”
With record attendance, global reach, and a week of warrior ethos and force readiness on display, the 2025 Tinker Air Show reinforced the base’s role as a cornerstone of the community its Airmen are so dedicated to serve.
“At the end of the day, it’s about people,” Harris said. “When you take care of your people, they take care of the mission. And we’ve got outstanding people here at Tinker Air Force Base.”