BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Pilots surveyed Gowen Field to prepare for the weekend's airshow before planes take flight for an audience expected to exceed 100,000 people.

The Gowen Thunder Airshow takes place Aug. 26 to 27 at Gowen Field, south of Boise Airport.

F-35 teams and the US Air Force Thunderbirds flew into Boise Thursday, stopping on the ground to speak about their expectations for the event. Major Kristin Wolfe discussed what the large crowd looks like from the sky.

"Once you get airborne, everybody looks like tiny little ants, honestly, but it's awesome to look down and see the whole slew of people who are enjoying it, more awesome to taxi by them and crack the canopy and hear the crowd," Wolfe said.

Her F-35 is a little different from some of the WWII aircraft participating.

"This goes 1,200 miles an hour," Wolfe said. "A little more fun. The airplane is rated up to 1.6 Mach, but we'll show you about 700 (mph) at the air show this weekend."

One of the mainstays of the show is the US Air Force Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds perform across the country, with shows now involving more than just flying.

"The demonstration, if you haven't seen it since 2020, it's a new demonstration," Lauren Schlicting, a USAF Major and Thunderbird pilot, said. "It incorporates narration, music and then a different sequence of maneuvers."

Schlicting grew up outside the military. Showing kids the magic of the planes is her favorite part of the job.

"That's one of the most rewarding parts of the job, is meeting little kids and seeing the excitement in their eyes and just kind of like the joy in their heart to have a passion for something, because I can resonate with that. That was me," Schlicting said.

And on the ground, staff are helping out. Thomas Bristol, a Staff Sergeant and Eagle High grad, used to attend the airshow. Now, he's a F-35 crew chief, so he's always participating in the show.

"I get to do this almost every weekend, travel around the world and the country, showing off the capabilities of the F-35 and what it can do in combat, so it's just an awesome experience to be in the middle of it," Bristol said.

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