To our dedicated Battle Creek Field of Flight family,
We pride ourselves on being completely honest and transparent with you. Before we move forward with promoting the event further, we have some tough news to share. We just received word that, despite being selected as a showsite and officially approved by the DoD for a performance in Battle Creek this 4th of July, the US Navy F/A-18F Rhino Demo Team will no longer be able to join us.
All Navy Demo Teams, including the Blue Angels, have received new orders for that weekend. They are being pulled from all previously scheduled appearances nationwide to support the Great American Air Show in Washington, D.C., as well as a major flyover for America’s 250th celebrations in New York City.
This will be the first time in five years that the Rhino Demo Team will not be roaring through the skies above Battle Creek on Independence Day. While this is disappointing for us all, we want you to know how tirelessly we’ve been working behind the scenes.
Securing military aerial assets this year has been uniquely challenging. For America’s 250th, Washington, D.C., is going beyond their usual large fireworks display and introducing a massive aerial event. The Battle Creek Field of Flight has always been a 4th of July event, and celebrating over the holiday is a deeply rooted tradition for our area. Therefore, we will not move off of our dates to secure additional assets. We have always been a 4th of July show, and we will not be changing that anytime soon. As a result of staying true to our dates, we are competing directly with those unprecedented celebrations on the East Coast. We have reached out to multiple squadrons and operators of incredibly rare warbirds (including a very rare jet warbird), but all are already committed to the large-scale events in D.C. and NYC.
But we are absolutely not slowing down! We are incredibly thankful and proud to still have the immense support of the US Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demo Team, who will be bringing the noise to Battle Creek!
Despite these challenges, we are incredibly confident in the incredible lineup we have built. We are ready to celebrate America’s 250th, Battle Creek style! Get ready for an amazing five days of family entertainment, thrilling displays in the air, and massive fun on the ground. We will miss hosting the Rhino Demo Team but are hopeful that they can return to be with us in 2027.
Thank you for your continued support, understanding, and loyalty to this event. We can’t wait to celebrate with you all! We will see you July 1st through the 5th!
