LRAFB hosts 2018 Thunder over the Rock show

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Little Rock Air Force Base is proud to announce its 2018 Air and Space Show coming October 27 – 28. This will be the base’s first full air show in nearly six years and provides Team Little Rock the opportunity to showcase our assets and capabilities to the supportive community surrounding LRAFB and beyond.
Air Show performers include:
• USAF Thunderbirds
• US Army Golden Knights Parachute Jump Team
• C-130J Demo Team
• Army National Guard Black Hawk and Lakota Helicopter Demo
• USAF Academy Wings of Blue Parachute Jump Team
There will also be several static displays, live entertainment and food vendors at the event. Please be mindful that as the date gets closer, the list above may change.
The space part of the show emphasizes the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and its impact on students of all ages.
Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, will host a STEM festival Oct. 26 as a field trip opportunity for students grades K-12. The event will continue Oct. 27 and 28, 2018, during the air and space show and will be open to the general public. The STEM Fest will be held at Hangar 250, a space as large as five football fields. Admission to the festival and air and space show is free for all attendees.
“The STEM festival is designed to bring educational opportunities to people and show what kind of possibilities are out there,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Castleberry, 19th Civil Engineering Squadron superintendent of operations engineering. “It’s less about having students come out, set up attractions and compete and more about hosting educational and career opportunities for the entire state and the surrounding areas.”
Students wishing to attend the student-only Oct. 26 event are required to be a part of a field trip with their school. Schools have a deadline of Oct. 1 to register on the website (see below).
“Everything here is education based,” Castleberry said. “The cool thing about the STEM community is that it’s here to educate and help out. We’ve had people reach out to us for this because they want to show people how STEM can help them. It’s an opportunity a lot of young people may never get again in their life.”
After the student day, the festival is open to anyone who would like to attend and will have a multitude of different attractions, including: educational robotics exhibit, NASA, electronic vehicle challenge, virtual reality engine and many others.
“We want this to build a network of STEM organizations in the state, who can continue to produce more programming in future statewide festivals,” said Maj. Kyle Sanders, 19th Operations Group STEM festival director. “It’s an investment in Arkansas.”
Team Little Rock members are hosting a STEM festival to invigorate the community and show Arkansans the opportunities in their own backyard.
“Arkansas has an economy that’s reliant on innovation,” Sanders said. “We want to connect students and young people with professionals in STEM fields and increase the talent pool of future scientists and engineers for the good of everyone.”