Airmen used airbags, forklifts, and cranes to invert an aircraft that flipped during a thunderstorm with wind gusts of up to 54 mph.
US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gavin Hameed
A big military airshow was cut short after storms struck just over 2 miles from the flight line.
Storm winds of up to 54 mph tossed tents and damaged aircraft at the event.
The Frontiers in Flight Airshow had a record-high attendance Saturday before it was canceled Sunday.
A big and popular military airshow in Kansas was cut short over the weekend after unexpected storms forced base officials to close down the flight line.
The storms swept tents, damaged aircraft, and even flipped a plane upside down at the Frontiers in Flight Airshow near Wichita, Kansas.
10 people injuredThe US Navy Blue Angels fly in formation at the Frontiers in Flight Air Show.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gavin Hameed
At least 10 people — six military personnel and four civilian vendors at the airshow — sustained injuries as a wet microburst, or a strong downdraft in the middle of a thunderstorm, on Sunday morning brought wind gusts of up to 54 mph.
Two people were transported to a nearby hospital.
'Right on our doorstep'A P-51 Mustang Swamp Fox sits on the flight line as explosions ahead of the Frontiers in Flight Air Show.
US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gavin Hameed
Senior Master Sgt. Melissa Healy, a US Air Force flight chief, described the sudden storm in a statement as "dumping a bucket of water," sending "a strong down rush of wind to the ground and spread out in all directions."
Healy said the microburst "occurred right on our doorstep, just 2.5 miles away from the flight line."
"Science and technology have come a long way in advancing forecasting capabilities and increasing forecast accuracy," she said. "Every now and then, though, Mother Nature likes to remind us of who is in control."
Packed schedule of aerial performancesTwo aircraft flown by members of the US Navy Blue Angels pass by each other during the Frontiers in Flight Air Show.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gavin Hameed
The airshow included performances from the US Navy Blue Angels, the US Air Force F-35A Lightning II demo team, the A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, and Tora Tora Tora, a commemorative aerial demo team that recreated the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Strong winds flipped a planeAirmen hoist a flipped aircraft with a crane lift at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.
US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gavin Hameed
Officials at McConnell Air Force Base, where the show was held, said most of the visiting aircraft received "minimal to no damage," but smaller aircraft that were more heavily damaged were kept at a base hangar for repair.
The strong winds flipped a privately owned Cessna 150, which had been brought out that morning before the start of the storm.
A Cessna UC-78 Bobcat, which is a commemorative Air Force aircraft, also sustained damage to its tail assembly after it was pushed into a parked vehicle, a base spokesperson said.
Clearing the debrisTwo A-10C Thunderbolt fly over a crowd during the Frontiers in Flight Air Show.
US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gavin Hamee
After the storm subsided, the flight line was reopened as base personnel worked to clear the debris, including temporary fencing, porta-potties, and downed tents.
Disposing of unused pyrotechnicsA Tora Tora Tora warbird performer flies over the crowd during the Airshow.
US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gavin Hameed
An explosive ordnance disposal team at the base also helped discard the unused pyrotechnics that were intended for the canceled Tora Tora Tora performance and were unsafe to transport. The explosives were detonated safely at a range away from the air base.
Record-high attendanceA pilot flies upside down in a Zivko Edge 540 during the Frontiers in Flight Air Show.
US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gavin Hameed
Before its unexpected cancellation on Sunday, the military air show attracted more than 65,000 visitors, a record-high in the history of the Air Force base.
