The South Korean air force’s Black Eagles soar in formation during an airpower festival at Osan Air Base, South Korea, May 11, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — Air Power Days resumed over the weekend, welcoming the public for the first time in nearly six years and marking the final public appearance in South Korea of the A-10 Thunderbolt II.
The open house drew nearly 49,000 visitors on Saturday and Sunday to the 51st Fighter Wing’s home south of Seoul for a glimpse at aircraft, ground vehicles and aerial demonstrations. The event had been on hold since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is the first air show we’ve had in six years, and I think it’s most important to showcase just a small sign of thank you to our Korean partners that have shown so much great hospitality and support for our military community here,” Maj. Kippun Sumner, the wing’s spokesman said at the event on Sunday.
A visitor poses in the cockpit of an AH-64 Apache helicopter during an airpower festival at Osan Air Base, South Korea, May 11, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
Spectators cheer as the South Korean air force's Black Eagles taxi during an airpower festival at Osan Air Base, South Korea, May 11, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
More than 30 aircraft and ground vehicles lined the flight line, available for viewing, photography and in some cases, hands-on access. Airmen from the U.S. and South Korean air forces helped visitors safely explore the displays.
The A-10 was among the featured aircraft. The thick-skinned attack plane with a rounded snout, stubby wings and twin, oversized turbofan engines is better known by its nickname, the Warthog. The Air Force announced in November it would phase the Warthogs of Osan’s 25th Fighter Squadron out of service.
Rain on Saturday grounded flight demonstrations, but the skies cleared for aerial displays on Sunday. South Korea’s Black Eagles aerobatic team flew FA-50 fighters, and the Pacific Air Forces’ F-16 demonstration team from Misawa Air Base, Japan, also performed.
The South Korean air force’s Black Eagles soar in formation during an airpower festival at Osan Air Base, South Korea, May 11, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
Visitors move past a South Korean air force CN-235 transport plane during an airpower festival at Osan Air Base, South Korea, May 11, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
“To be showing at this air show for the first time in six years, it’s a great honor to be invited and strengthen this alliance,” Cpt. Ethan Smith, commander of the F-16 team, said at the event on Sunday.
Other aircraft on display or in flight included the F-35B Lightning II multirole fighter, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter,
“We can make the special relationship with Korean civilians, [South Korean air force] and U.S Air Force; we are one team, we need each other and can help each other,” Master Sgt. Jihun Kim, an F-16 crew chief, said on the flight line Saturday. “I think it is a very good event for everyone.”
Vendors at the event sold jewelry, toys and food ranging from Korean bulgogi bowls to American-style pizza.
“We plan to try and bring this back on an every-two-years basis,” Sumner said. “It’s going to depend on our operational requirements and what we have going on at the base but that’s the ultimate goal.”
