Free Air Show, Thunderbirds Return to Holloman AFB Near El Paso

El Pasoans who miss craning their necks upwards to watch the awe-inspiring aerial maneuvers the were once commonplace during the Amigo Airsho will want to take note.

The world-famous United States Air Force Thunderbirds are making their return to the Holloman Air Show, and if you’re up for a road trip Mother’s Day weekend you can watch them take to the skies for free.

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R.I.P. Amigo Airsho

For more than 30 years the Amigo Airsho drew tens of thousands of aviation fans to Biggs Army Airfield every October to watch the Thunderbirds, Golden Knights, and aerobatic planes and jets climb into the air and do their thing.

Biggs stopped hosting the air show in 2013 after federal cutbacks affected its funding, and the air show moved to the Doña Ana County Airport in Santa Teresa the following year. The 2015 show was postponed, but never rescheduled and that was it for the Amigo Airsho.

2022 Holloman Air Show

The Air Force Thunderbirds are making their return to the Holloman Air Show for the first time in 11 years.

Among the aerial marvels they’re expected to perform is something called the Diamond formation where the jets fly as close as 18 inches apart. I got anxious just typing that!

Joining the Thunderbirds in the skies over the base will be the Black Daggers, the US Army Special Operations Parachute Demonstration Team. They will literally be dropping in on the event.

A world class lineup of military and civilian performers are also part of the mix, as is a static ground lineup of over twenty different aircraft on display.

The 2022 Holloman Air Show “Legacy of Liberty” happens Saturday and Sunday, May 7-8, at Holloman Air Force Base.

Free Admission

The air show is free to attend, but you can buy premium seating that includes a chair and access to a shade tent. Those tickets can be purchased HERE. Other information can be found HERE.

How to Get to Holloman Air Force Base From El Paso

The base is about 10 miles west of Alamogordo, New Mexico, on route 70/82.