Wings Over Whiteman Draws Thousands to Air Force Base

The 2024 version of Wings Over Whiteman, held this past weekend, was attended by thousands of air show fans from Missouri and beyond at Whiteman Air Force Base near Knob Noster.

There were some parking complaints from some fans who spent quite a bit of time circling the base before they could enter. A Public Affairs spokesman said that the South Gate parking area filled up quickly and vehicles were directed towards the North Gate or Arnold Gate after the South Gate (LeMay) was closed around 11 a.m. Gates opened at 8:30 a.m., both days.

The West Gate, which contains the visitors center, was closed to the general public during the air show, and open only to those with military ID, it was noted.

All entry gates were closed at 3 p.m. each day. The air show concluded around 4 p.m.

Numerous static displays were available for viewing to keep visitors entertained until the opening ceremony at 11. Flying commenced shortly after that.

Displays included the B-2 Spirit, T-38 Talon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, UH-60 Black Hawk. KC-135 Stratotanker, B-29 Superfortress, B-25 Mitchell and the P-51 Mustang. Many of those aircraft flew during WOW and air show fans got to see them up close before and after their part in the free show.

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Air Show Director Sean Simpson said this was his first air show that he has planned.

“But luckily, I had a really good team. Basically we take our organizational structure here at Whiteman, and take those operational aspects and say, 'Hey, plan a show. If you can set up an airfield at a remote location, guess what? We can set up an air show here at Whiteman.' I think we've done a really good job of that,” Simpson told KSIS.

“Since day one with my team, I said, 'Hey, air shows are non-standard operations, but guess what? A lot of things in life are.' So here we are, and I think we did a pretty good job of setting up, at least on day one here, and we've got a good lineup,” Simpson stated.

“This is as close as you can get to a B-2 and see it in action,” Simpson said, adding that there are several opportunities to meet, greet and interact with numerous pilots at Wings Over Whiteman, as well as meet the crew members who work very hard to maintain the aircraft and get them in the air on a daily basis.

At Top: Photos by Randy Kirby, Townsquare Sedalia, and U.S. Air Force Graphic by Airman 1st Class Matthew S. Domingos