BOISE, Idaho — The skies were clear over Boise on Sunday, but thunder was still rolling over Gowen Field.
The Gowen Thunder Airshow is put on by the Idaho National Guard and is Idaho's largest military airshow.
About 80% of people who serve in the Idaho National Guard are part-time, and they live and work in the community. In many ways, this airshow was a way for the Idaho National Guard to thank the community for their support.
The Gowen Thunder Airshow is Idaho's largest military airshow, and was expected to draw more than 150,000 spectators Saturday and Sunday. But the view of the show looked a little different for one local aviator.
Mark Peterson is a Boise native who flew three different planes during the airshow, a P-51 Mustang, A-37 Dragonfly and a Dornier Alpha Jet.
"It's great, I feel like I fly in front of the city all the time anyway. But this time, they're actually looking at me," Peterson said. "I just think it's fantastic that we're getting this level of community support. "
Peterson said he got his love of flying from his dad who was a bomber pilot, trained in Boise, who flew combat missions during World War II.
"May 29, 1944, he was shot down over northern Germany, and was able to get the airplane across the water and put it down in Sweden," Peterson said. "So he spent the rest of the war in Sweden. While he was there, they called him a POW - but he stayed in hotels. He ended up meeting my mother, who was a local Swedish girl."
The two got married, and after the war ended, moved back to Boise where they had Peterson - who pretty much been flying ever since.
"My dad had me flying when I was six years old," Peterson said, "I started flying airplanes long before I started driving cars. So, it's second nature to me, I feel more comfortable in the air than on the ground."
At Gowen Thunder, The Idaho Army National Guard and the Idaho Air National Guard teamed up for a combined-arms demonstration to showcase what each branch can do.
The event also had music, and Top Gun's Maverick made a special appearance to join the Idaho National Guard band in singing "Danger Zone."
Other military and civilian aircraft took to the skies during the two-day event. One of the performers was the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute team.
Sergeant First Class Rafael Torres said the parachute performance is a way to represent the army and its different capabilities. Their jump was from 6,000 feet, and showcased an array of maneuvers in one pass.
Sgt. First Class Torres did a maneuver with a 12,000 square-foot U.S. Army drop flag.
"During air shows like this, the crowds usually go pretty crazy, they get pretty happy, pretty pretty excited," Sgt. First Class Torres said. "Honestly, that's one of the things that drives us to work harder - to perform for the crowd."
The show was an opportunity for pilots and service members to demonstrate their abilities, and to thank the community for the support they give to the Idaho National Guard.
"It's really great for a pilot because as you expect, the rules around flight - particularly around an airport - are very strict," Peterson said. "There are only certain things we can do in order to be safe. To be turned loose and be able to do aerobatics and attack the airfield and do everything else - and have the FAA looking at us and going, 'Great job!' It's really a lot of fun - it's just a blast."
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