Thunder Over Louisville 2024

[Flyingbrian]

anyone have experience watching from the Indiana side? been on the Kentucky side a couple times just wondering pros and cons

I've done each side once, I'll be back on the Indiana side this year.
Pros:
Much less crowded
Cheaper parking
Topside passes
Louisville skyline in photos
Food/restrooms much closer (vendors centered towards the show box, rather than the paid admission areas on the KY side which is nowhere near the show box)

Cons:
Generally farther walk to/from car
Starts off backlit, eventually moves to front-on lighting
Less shade
Aircraft are slightly farther away

[JamieB78]

I really wish the Blue Angels would come back or even the Thinderbirds. Im a Pensacola baby so the BA are dear to my heart. I saw them 9 years ago here (my 10yo was 4m old) and cried soo much. It was on my bucket list to see them. I know they will be at the Dayton airshow and 1 in KY this summer.

[midwest_photographer]

anyone have experience watching from the Indiana side? been on the Kentucky side a couple times just wondering pros and cons

I've done each side once, I'll be back on the Indiana side this year.
Pros:
Much less crowded
Cheaper parking
Topside passes
Louisville skyline in photos
Food/restrooms much closer (vendors centered towards the show box, rather than the paid admission areas on the KY side which is nowhere near the show box)

Cons:
Generally farther walk to/from car
Starts off backlit, eventually moves to front-on lighting
Less shade
Aircraft are slightly farther away

What side is will be the best for lighting? Im trying to get some good light shots of the Bone.

[Flyingbrian]

anyone have experience watching from the Indiana side? been on the Kentucky side a couple times just wondering pros and cons

I've done each side once, I'll be back on the Indiana side this year.
Pros:
Much less crowded
Cheaper parking
Topside passes
Louisville skyline in photos
Food/restrooms much closer (vendors centered towards the show box, rather than the paid admission areas on the KY side which is nowhere near the show box)

Cons:
Generally farther walk to/from car
Starts off backlit, eventually moves to front-on lighting
Less shade
Aircraft are slightly farther away

What side is will be the best for lighting? Im trying to get some good light shots of the Bone.

Entirely depends on time of day and the angle you want. If light is the deciding factor, KY side has better light for most of the day (if it's clear). However, you will only get belly shots as the aircraft fly east to west along the path of the river, which curves away from Louisville. The last two years, USAF stuff has flown earlier in the day.
However, if you're okay with backlighting or gambling on cloud cover to help negate backlighting, Indiana side will get you topside passes. By early evening, stuff is decently lit as they make the turn over the highway bridges.

Some comparisons for you. UPS shots are from about 1/3rd through the show, KC-46s are 2/3rds through. Belly shots are KY, topsides are IN. Roughly the same location along the river on both sides. A300 is the only shot with any sort of cloud cover.

TL;DR, light is better on KY for most of the day, but with the tradeoffs of almost entirely belly shots. Suncalc.org is a great website that will show sun postition for any time of day, any day of the year, in any location.

[midwest_photographer]

I've done each side once, I'll be back on the Indiana side this year.
Pros:
Much less crowded
Cheaper parking
Topside passes
Louisville skyline in photos
Food/restrooms much closer (vendors centered towards the show box, rather than the paid admission areas on the KY side which is nowhere near the show box)

Cons:
Generally farther walk to/from car
Starts off backlit, eventually moves to front-on lighting
Less shade
Aircraft are slightly farther away

What side is will be the best for lighting? Im trying to get some good light shots of the Bone.

Entirely depends on time of day and the angle you want. If light is the deciding factor, KY side has better light for most of the day (if it's clear). However, you will only get belly shots as the aircraft fly east to west along the path of the river, which curves away from Louisville. The last two years, USAF stuff has flown earlier in the day.
However, if you're okay with backlighting or gambling on cloud cover to help negate backlighting, Indiana side will get you topside passes. By early evening, stuff is decently lit as they make the turn over the highway bridges.

Some comparisons for you. UPS shots are from about 1/3rd through the show, KC-46s are 2/3rds through. Belly shots are KY, topsides are IN. Roughly the same location along the river on both sides. A300 is the only shot with any sort of cloud cover.

TL;DR, light is better on KY for most of the day, but with the tradeoffs of almost entirely belly shots. Suncalc.org is a great website that will show sun postition for any time of day, any day of the year, in any location.

got it, and just one more question, when the demo teams do their stuff what side will they focus more on? as in when the F-35C/E/A-18G do their photo passes what side would the top of the aircraft be facing?

[MattEv14]

got it, and just one more question, when the demo teams do their stuff what side will they focus more on? as in when the F-35C/E/A-18G do their photo passes what side would the top of the aircraft be facing?
[/quote]

They focus more on the Kentucky side. Slightly closer and topside passes would be on the KY side. Minimum radius turns and such would be directed towards you on the Indiana side.

Matt

[Flyingbrian]

What side is will be the best for lighting? Im trying to get some good light shots of the Bone.

Entirely depends on time of day and the angle you want. If light is the deciding factor, KY side has better light for most of the day (if it's clear). However, you will only get belly shots as the aircraft fly east to west along the path of the river, which curves away from Louisville. The last two years, USAF stuff has flown earlier in the day.
However, if you're okay with backlighting or gambling on cloud cover to help negate backlighting, Indiana side will get you topside passes. By early evening, stuff is decently lit as they make the turn over the highway bridges.

Some comparisons for you. UPS shots are from about 1/3rd through the show, KC-46s are 2/3rds through. Belly shots are KY, topsides are IN. Roughly the same location along the river on both sides. A300 is the only shot with any sort of cloud cover.

TL;DR, light is better on KY for most of the day, but with the tradeoffs of almost entirely belly shots. Suncalc.org is a great website that will show sun postition for any time of day, any day of the year, in any location.

got it, and just one more question, when the demo teams do their stuff what side will they focus more on? as in when the F-35C/E/A-18G do their photo passes what side would the top of the aircraft be facing?

The KY side is the "focus" side. However, given the Navy tends to do a lot of breaks away from the crowd, the IN side actually gets a ton of topside from them, and with amazing lighting too. For the Air Force stuff, that'll be more favoring KY.

[midwest_photographer]

Entirely depends on time of day and the angle you want. If light is the deciding factor, KY side has better light for most of the day (if it's clear). However, you will only get belly shots as the aircraft fly east to west along the path of the river, which curves away from Louisville. The last two years, USAF stuff has flown earlier in the day.
However, if you're okay with backlighting or gambling on cloud cover to help negate backlighting, Indiana side will get you topside passes. By early evening, stuff is decently lit as they make the turn over the highway bridges.

Some comparisons for you. UPS shots are from about 1/3rd through the show, KC-46s are 2/3rds through. Belly shots are KY, topsides are IN. Roughly the same location along the river on both sides. A300 is the only shot with any sort of cloud cover.

TL;DR, light is better on KY for most of the day, but with the tradeoffs of almost entirely belly shots. Suncalc.org is a great website that will show sun postition for any time of day, any day of the year, in any location.

got it, and just one more question, when the demo teams do their stuff what side will they focus more on? as in when the F-35C/E/A-18G do their photo passes what side would the top of the aircraft be facing?

The KY side is the "focus" side. However, given the Navy tends to do a lot of breaks away from the crowd, the IN side actually gets a ton of topside from them, and with amazing lighting too. For the Air Force stuff, that'll be more favoring KY.

Alright so ill probably shoot for the KY side, will that side be backlit later in the day or during the start of the show?

[flex_aviation]

I've done each side once, I'll be back on the Indiana side this year.
Pros:
Much less crowded
Cheaper parking
Topside passes
Louisville skyline in photos
Food/restrooms much closer (vendors centered towards the show box, rather than the paid admission areas on the KY side which is nowhere near the show box)

Cons:
Generally farther walk to/from car
Starts off backlit, eventually moves to front-on lighting
Less shade
Aircraft are slightly farther away

What side is will be the best for lighting? Im trying to get some good light shots of the Bone.

Entirely depends on time of day and the angle you want. If light is the deciding factor, KY side has better light for most of the day (if it's clear). However, you will only get belly shots as the aircraft fly east to west along the path of the river, which curves away from Louisville. The last two years, USAF stuff has flown earlier in the day.
However, if you're okay with backlighting or gambling on cloud cover to help negate backlighting, Indiana side will get you topside passes. By early evening, stuff is decently lit as they make the turn over the highway bridges.

Some comparisons for you. UPS shots are from about 1/3rd through the show, KC-46s are 2/3rds through. Belly shots are KY, topsides are IN. Roughly the same location along the river on both sides. A300 is the only shot with any sort of cloud cover.

TL;DR, light is better on KY for most of the day, but with the tradeoffs of almost entirely belly shots. Suncalc.org is a great website that will show sun postition for any time of day, any day of the year, in any location.

Where is the show center?

[Airplanefreak2000]

What side is will be the best for lighting? Im trying to get some good light shots of the Bone.

Entirely depends on time of day and the angle you want. If light is the deciding factor, KY side has better light for most of the day (if it's clear). However, you will only get belly shots as the aircraft fly east to west along the path of the river, which curves away from Louisville. The last two years, USAF stuff has flown earlier in the day.
However, if you're okay with backlighting or gambling on cloud cover to help negate backlighting, Indiana side will get you topside passes. By early evening, stuff is decently lit as they make the turn over the highway bridges.

Some comparisons for you. UPS shots are from about 1/3rd through the show, KC-46s are 2/3rds through. Belly shots are KY, topsides are IN. Roughly the same location along the river on both sides. A300 is the only shot with any sort of cloud cover.

TL;DR, light is better on KY for most of the day, but with the tradeoffs of almost entirely belly shots. Suncalc.org is a great website that will show sun postition for any time of day, any day of the year, in any location.

Where is the show center?

A boat in the middle of the river near the galt house.