(Header image credit: U.S. Navy Blue Angels)

In the Air Capital of the World, we take looking up pretty seriously.

The Frontiers in Flight: McConnell Air Force Base Open House & Air Show returns to Wichita Oct. 24-25, 2026, opening the gates of McConnell Air Force Base for two days of military and civilian aircraft, aerial performances and up-close aviation experiences.

And admission? Free.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds headline the 2026 show, bringing their signature precision formations and high-speed maneuvers to the skies above Wichita. Gates open at 9 a.m. both days, with aerial performances scheduled from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

A family enjoys the view of the tarmac from the tower at the Kansas Aviation Museum

Why Wichita is the Air Capital of the World

There’s a reason an air show feels especially at home here.

Wichita has been one of the world’s leading aviation manufacturing centers for more than a century. Legendary aircraft companies including Cessna, Beechcraft and Stearman were founded here, and aerospace companies continue to design and build aircraft in Wichita today.

In fact, more than 300,000 general aviation aircraft have been built in Wichita. That's more than any other city in the world.

So when fighter jets, tankers, vintage aircraft and aerobatic performers fill the sky for Frontiers in Flight, they’re doing it over a city with aviation in its DNA.

Air Capital? Watch this.

B-29 Doc is photographed from the air

What to see at the 2026 Wichita air show

The Thunderbirds may be the headliners, but they aren't flying solo.

The show is scheduled to open with the U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue Parachute Demonstration Team. Other confirmed aerial acts include aerobatic performances from Scott Francis, Matt Younkin, Tom Larkin and Brian Correll. McConnell's KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46A Pegasus are also scheduled for a dual flyover.

Visitors can get an even closer look at aviation on the ground. Confirmed static displays include:

  • B-29 Superfortress "Doc"
  • Beechcraft T-6 Texan II
  • Northrop T-38 Talon
  • Bombardier Global 8000
  • KC-46A Pegasus
  • KC-135 Stratotanker
  • F-35 Lightning II
  • C-17 Globemaster III
  • A-10 Thunderbolt II

Military aircraft participation remains dependent on operational requirements.

There's a Wichita connection in that lineup, too. The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II was built right here in the Air Capital.

The KC-135 Tanker flies next to the C-17 at the Frontiers in Flight Open House and Air Show at McConnell Air Force Base

See a piece of McConnell history

The 2026 show comes during a significant transition at McConnell Air Force Base, home of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing.

McConnell is transitioning from the KC-135 Stratotanker to the KC-46A Pegasus, with the move to an exclusively KC-46 fleet expected to be completed in summer 2027. That means Frontiers in Flight 2026 is expected to be the last chance to see McConnell's KC-135s take flight during the air show.

The KC-135 has been part of McConnell's air refueling mission since 1971, making its appearance alongside the KC-46 a look at both the history and future of the base's mission.

People look up as the Air Force Thunderbirds fly above during the Frontiers in Flight Air Show at McConnell Air Force Base.

Know before you go

  • Dates: Oct. 24-25, 2026
  • Location: McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita
  • Gates open: 10:30 a.m.
  • Aerial performances: 1-4:30 p.m.
  • Admission: Free and open to the public
  • Headliner: U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds

Premium experiences are also available for purchase, including reserved flight line seating, an adults-only Beer Garden and Premier Club.

Because schedules, parking information and other event details can change, check the official Frontiers in Flight website before heading to McConnell.

Kansas Aviation Museum with Planes in Foreground

Another way to watch

Want the air show without entering the base? The Kansas Aviation Museum Airshow Watch Party is scheduled for both Oct. 24 and 25.

Guests can bring lawn chairs and blankets for open seating on the museum's tarmac and field, with food trucks and family entertainment planned. Gates open at 11 a.m. and the watch party runs through 4 p.m. Admission is $30 per vehicle or $20 for museum members.

Then, while you're already thinking about airplanes, keep going.

Explore more of Wichita's aviation story, from historic aircraft at the Kansas Aviation Museum to one of only two airworthy B-29 Superfortresses in the world at the B-29 Doc Hangar, Education & Visitors Center. Find even more ways to experience why Wichita is known as the Air Capital of the World.

Around here, aviation history isn't exactly staying on the ground.