2023 SCHEDULE COMING SOON
2022 Schedule & Performers
Join us for the 2022 Milwaukee Air & Water Show! The air and water show will go on rain or shine. Gates will open regardless of the weather. However, some acts may not perform if weather conditions do not meet minimum safety standards or visibility requirements. All aircraft appearing and times are subject to change due to various reasons beyond our control, including but not limited to: military operational schedules, maintenance, weather, low ceilings, below-minimum visibility, or any other factor as determined by the promoter. We appreciate your understanding.
2022 Event Schedule
FRIDAY, JULY 22
Air Show Practice: 10 AM – 3 PM
SATURDAY – SUNDAY, JULY 22 – 23
Parking Lots Open: 8 AM
Gates Open: 9 AM
Water Show: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Air Show: Noon – 4 PM
Navy Blue Angels: 3 PM
Note: There are no exact scheduled time slots for any performer. Event schedule is subject to change due to weather and mechanical availability of air & water craft.
The storied Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron – the Blue Angels, will fly their new F/A-18E Super Hornets over the Milwaukee Lakefront for the very first time this Summer!! The mission of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels is to showcase the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to the country through flight demonstrations and community outreach. Since 1946, the Blue Angels have performed for more than 500 million fans.
The ALL-NEW C-130 “Fat Albert” will perform over the Milwaukee Lakefront for the very first time! In 1949, it became necessary for the Blue Angels to operate a support aircraft to move personnel and equipment between show sites. These support aircraft include the Douglas R4D Sky Train, the Curtiss R5C Commando, the Douglas R5D Skymaster, and the Lockheed C-121 Super Constellation. In 1970, the team received the Lockheed Martin C-130, affectionately known as “Fat Albert.” The team has been without Fat Albert, which also serves as their dedicated transport from show to show, for more than a year. The U.S. Navy formally acquired the C-130 Fat Albert replacement aircraft from the U.K. Royal Air Force in 2020.
The Air & Water Show welcomes back the Air Combat Command’s F-22 Demonstration Team, which will perform precision aerial maneuvers. The team also performs with the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation to showcase modern day fighter jets flying in formation with World War II, Korean, and Vietnam era aircraft. Stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia, the team participated in its 2007 debut Air Show at Tyndall Air Force Base. Since then, the team has performed more than 250 demonstrations across the world. The team has 14 total members to include public affairs and aircrew flight equipment technicians who visit local schools, hospitals, and participate in various community events in addition to performing aerial demonstrations.
Canceled due to operational scheduling
The E-3 Sentry will perform in Milwaukee for the first time; it is an airborne warning and control system, or AWACS, aircraft with an integrated command & control surveillance, target detection, and tracking platform. The aircraft provides an accurate, real-time picture of the battlespace to the Joint Air Operations Center. The E-3 Sentry is a modified Boeing 707/320 commercial airframe with a rotating radar dome, which contains a radar subsystem that permits surveillance from the Earth’s surface up into the stratosphere, over land. With a range of more than 250 miles, the radar, combined with an identification friend or foe, or IFF, subsystem can look down to detect, identify, and track enemy and friendly low-flying aircraft by eliminating ground clutter returns that confuse other radar systems. As an air defense system, E-3s can detect, identify, and track airborne enemy forces far from the boundaries of the United States or NATO countries. It can direct fighter-interceptor aircraft to these enemy targets
A repeat of the spectacular Heritage Flight Formation over Milwaukee in 2019! In 1997, the U.S. Air Force celebrated its’ 50th Anniversary and to celebrate, started flying dissimilar formation flights consisting of ACC Single-Ship Demonstration Pilots flying F-15, F-22, and A-10 aircraft in formation with approved Civilian Warbird Pilots flying A-1’s, A-36’s, P-40’s, P-51’s, P-47’s, P-38’s, and F-86’s. The response was an overwhelming favorite during air shows, so Air Combat Command designed and approved a formal program, the USAF Heritage Flight Program, to continue these flights throughout future air show seasons.
The Milwaukee Air & Water Show welcomes the 115th Fighter Wing as an official performer in 2022! This will be the LAST CHANCE for everyone to see the 115th Fighter Wing perform in the F-16 Fighting Falcon! The Wing will continue their transition from the F-16 to the F-35 Lightning II into 2023. Wisconsin Air National Guardsmen will ensure that the Wing is trained and fully prepared for the arrival of a 5th Generation fighter. The mission of the 115th is to deliver dominant combat airpower and provide agile support for domestic operations. To achieve that mission, the Wing’s vision is to be the Air Force’s premier fighter Wing. Outstanding Airmen are trained, ready, and dedicated. If activated to federal service, the Wing is commanded by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. As an Air National Guard unit, it is normally under the command of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin, but it has a federal role as well. Currently, the Wing has personnel and/or aircraft assigned to Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Jump Start—and it regularly serves with the Air Expeditionary Force in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Milwaukee’s favorite Hometown Air Force aerial performer! Based at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell Airport, the 128th Air Refueling Wing’s principal mission is air refueling. The wing enhances the Air Force’s capability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power. It also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft as well as aircraft of allied nations. The wing is also capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.
Flying in the Air & Water Show for the 2nd time! The Boeing P-8 Poseidon American maritime patrol aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, is modified from the Boeing 737-800ERX. The P-8 replaces the Lockheed P-3 Orion, a turboprop ASW aircraft. The P-8 was developed for the United States Navy, and operates in the anti- submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and shipping interdiction roles. It is armed with torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and other weapons, and can drop and monitor sonobuoys.
Canceled due to operational scheduling
The Air & Water Show welcomes back USCG Air Station Traverse City! Always a crowd favorite, and appearing every year since 2009, Air Station TVC will show off its SAR capable Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk—a multi-mission, twin-engine, medium-range helicopter operated for search and rescue, law enforcement, military readiness and marine environmental protection missions. It was originally designated an HH-60J before being upgraded and redesignated beginning in 2007. Chosen to replace the HH-3F Pelican, the MH-60T is a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family of helicopters and is based on the United States Navy’s SH-60 Seahawk helicopter. A total of 42 MH-60Ts are in service with the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Air & Water Show welcomes the HC-144 crew from USCG Air Station Cape Cod, Massachusetts! For the first time in the air show, the HC-144 Ocean Sentry, a multi-mission, medium range surveillance maritime patrol aircraft, will fly over Lake Michigan! The HC-144 Ocean Sentry has extended on-scene loitering capabilities that make it a useful asset for maritime patrol, law enforcement, search and rescue (SAR), disaster-response, and cargo and personnel transport missions. The Ocean Sentry can also maintain secure communications with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Homeland Security.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, this aircraft is named for the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, a World War II-era fighter-bomber effective at attacking ground targets and commonly referred to as the “Warthog.” The A-10 was designed to provide close air support to friendly ground troops by attacking armored vehicles, tanks, and other enemy ground forces. The A-10 was also intended to improve the performance and firepower of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider. The airframe was designed for durability, with 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of titanium armor to protect the cockpit and aircraft systems. The plane’s ability to take off and land from relatively short runways allows it to operate from airstrips close to the front lines, and its simple design enables maintenance with minimal facilities. The U.S. Air Force had stated the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II would replace the A-10, but this remains highly contentious within the USAF and in political circles. With a variety of upgrades and wing replacements, the A-10’s service life could extend to 2040; the service has no planned retirement date as of June 2022.
Bill Stein is the Air & Water Show’s longest running performer! He has logged over 5,000 hours of aerobatic and formation flight who began flying aerobatics when he was still a student pilot and has been dedicated to perfecting his skills ever since. Since 1995, Bill has performed at air shows all across the United States and has entertained millions of air show fans. Bill’s passion for precision flying is evident in his dazzling air show routine. He trains every day so that his skills stay razor sharp and he maintains the all-out energy and excitement he puts into his air show sequence. Bill’s experience includes competitive aerobatics and years of flying on the world-famous Red Baron Stearman Squadron. Bill also gives back to the air show community by mentoring new air show pilots, including coaching the “Stars of Tomorrow” team, which has performed at many prestigious air shows, including the EAA AirVenture Air Show.
Kevin Coleman is one of the younger pilots on the air show circuit, flying an Extra 300 SHP With a roll rate of 400 degrees per second and +/- 10g capabilities. He is a second-generation pilot and air show performer, flying his first show at only 18, and took lessons and aerobatic training with late aviation and aerobatic legend Marion Cole at age 10. Since then, Kevin has logged more than 2500 hours, has flown at the Red Bull Air Races, and has earned a spot on the U.S. Advanced Aerobatics Team.
New to the Air & Water Show for the first time! Only two B-29’s still fly – “FIFI” and “DOC.“ DOC is a B-29 Superfortress, one of 1,644 manufactured in Wichita, KS, during World War II. In1987, Tony Mazzolini found DOC sitting and rotting away in the Mojave Desert. The historic warbird has been restored to flying status to serve as a flying museum. Over the past 15+ years, hundreds of volunteers have worked on the restoration project. Skilled workers and retirees from Wichita’s aviation industry, veterans, active-duty military, and others wanting to honor those who served have spent tens of thousands of hours on DOC’s restoration. The B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Flying Fortress, the Superfortress was designed for high-altitude strategic bombing but also excelled in low-altitude night incendiary bombing and in dropping naval mines to blockade. One of the largest aircraft of World War II, the B-29 had state-of-the-art technology, including a pressurized cabin, dual-wheeled, tricycle landing gear, and an analog computer-controlled fire-control system that allowed one gunner and a fire-control officer to direct four remote machine gun turrets.
Picture Perfect Performance! For the first time in the history of the Milwaukee Air & Water Show, you will hear the thunder and feel the power of the T-28 Trojan vintage warbirds—featuring Waukesha native and long-time aviator Paul Walter! Paul has flown in and supported hundreds of veteran, patriotic, and special events, doing fly-overs and performances over many years across the U.S. Long before they can be seen, the thundering roar of T-28 radial engines will announce the arrival of Trojan Thunder! Trojan Thunder brings pride in country and patriotism to every air show and event as the team of T-28 Trojans fly overhead with a backdrop of noise from the nine-cylinder Curtiss-Wright engines. Trojan Thunder pilots expertly fly in aerial formations and perform aerobatic maneuvers with military precision amidst rolling clouds of smoke! The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a radial-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s. Besides its use as a trainer, the T-28 was successfully employed as a counter-insurgency aircraft, primarily during the Vietnam War. It has continued in civilian use as an aerobatics and Warbird performer.
This year’s national anthem to open the Milwaukee Air & Water Show will be highlighted, as the Children Of Fallen Heroes Parachute Team brings in a 2500 sq ft American Flag—“Honoring Heroes” Jump with a flyover! This will be the largest American Flag tribute jump in the history of the Milwaukee Air & Water Show! The Children of Fallen Heroes Parachute Team provides professional parachute & skydiving demonstrations in the United States. The team roster has USPA licensed and pro-rated active members including National and World Champions including Skydiving Hall of Famers for demonstrators.
Mission: In supporting the “Children of Fallen Heroes” we have found that our vision, purpose, and every minute detail is critical in the healing process for our children. Surviving and thriving the loss of their “Hero” mother or father is our “no-fail mission” and we walk with them and their families until that mission is complete. Children of Fallen Heroes
Act information coming soon!
Act information coming soon!
Act information coming soon!
Act information coming soon!
Act information coming soon!
Act information coming soon!
Blue Angels
The all-new Blue Angels C-130 Hercules “Fat Albert” Demo Team hits Milwaukee for the first time!
Purchase Group Tickets
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Sponsorship Opportunities
Are you interested in sponsoring the Milwaukee Air and Water Show? We offer sponsorship opportunities at varying levels, so companies or organizations of any size and budget can participate.
