August 9th, 2023
Final lineup headlined by United State Air Force Thunderbirds; includes static display of the MQ-9 Reaper and the A-10C Thunderbolts, which will also perform a flyover on Saturday and Sunday
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello today announced the addition of the United States Air Force MQ-9 Reaper and A-10C Thunderbolt to the final lineup of the A.P. Property Services Rochester Airshow at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport. The popular community event returns to the Rochester skies this weekend, Saturday, August 12 and Sunday, August 13, 2023, and is headlined by a performance from the United States Air Force Thunderbirds.
“The 2023 A.P. Property Services Rochester Airshow is shaping up to be one of the ‘can’t miss’ events of the summer. This is the first time that our Airshow will feature the MQ-9 Reaper on display. Two A-10C Thunderbolts will also be on static display and will be performing a flyover on Saturday and Sunday, adding to the excitement and uniqueness of this year’s lineup, which promises to leave spectators on the edge of their seats,” said Monroe County Executive Adam Bello. “Our Airshow is always a popular and family- friendly event that offers fun for all ages, this year will certainly be no different.”
“A.P. Property Services is honored to work hand-in-hand with Monroe County, and proud to be the sponsor for the USAF Thunderbirds 2023 Airshow,” said Sean Fico, President of A.P. Property Services.
This is the first time that the MQ-9 Reaper will fly into the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport, demonstrating the team’s ability to employ and recover the aircraft in a busy commercial airspace. The MQ-9 is employed primarily as an intelligence-collection asset and secondarily against dynamic targets, and performs a variety of missions and tasks including, intelligence collection, surveillance, reconnaissance, and close air support.
The A-10C Thunderbolt II is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces. The A-10C offers excellent maneuverability at low airspeeds and altitude while maintaining a highly accurate weapons-delivery platform. They can loiter near battle areas for extended periods of time, are capable of austere landings and operate under 1,000-foot ceilings (303.3 meters) with 1.5-mile (2.4 kilometers) visibility.
Col. John O’Connor, commander of the 174th Attack Wing at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse said, “The 174th Attack Wing is excited to fly the MQ-9 to the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport to support the 2023 Rochester Airshow. This is the first time we have flown an MQ-9 to an airshow, and that is now possible due to advanced capability upgrades and a collaborative effort between our Wing, the FAA and the Monroe County Airport Authority. The New York Air National Guard operates the MQ-9 from two locations in NY, the 107th Attack Wing in Niagara Falls, and the 174th Attack Wing in Syracuse, where our 174th -assigned aircraft conduct local flying operations daily, training Air Force crews to employ this aircraft in support of combat and domestic emergency response operations. Flying to the Rochester Airshow gives us a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of this amazing aircraft to our local communities.”
The complete program for the 2023 A.P. Property Services Rochester Airshow includes:
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United States Air Force Thunderbirds
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United States Air Force MQ-9 Reaper
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United States Air Force A-10C Thunderbolts
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United States Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin
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Mike Goulian Aerosports- Extra 300
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Redline Airshows-Dual Aerobatics in RV-8 Aircraft
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P-51 and FG1 Corsair Demo
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Mustang Demo Team-Dual P-51 Aerobatic routine
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Misty Blues Skydiving Team-All Female Parachute Team
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Rick Volker Aerobatics-Sukhoi 26 Aerobatics
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Jason Flood Airshows-S1S Pitts Aerobatics
- Trevor Rafferty Aerobatics-Pitts 12
Rochester has been fortunate to host the Thunderbirds five previous times in the last 16 years when they were the featured act at ROC Airshows in 1995, 2005, 2008, 2014 and 2019. The Thunderbirds are the official air demonstration team of the United States Air Force and are stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
Tickets for the A.P. Property Services Rochester Airshow are still available. Children 12 years and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Visit www.rocairshow.com to purchase in advance.
MQ9 Reaper
A10C Thunderbolt
