Fans, Staff, and Pilots All Win at Warbird Roundup

A treat at Warbird Roundup is the presence of Steve Coutches with the only P-51H version of the Mustang currently flying. (Photos by Frederick A. Johnsen)

Warbird Roundup, an annual event bringing flying warbirds to the Warhawk Air Museum at Nampa Municipal Airport (KMAN) in Idaho, has an upbeat vibe nurtured over years. It’s Idaho Nice to experience and hard to figure out who’s having more fun: The attendees, the museum staff and volunteers, or the warbird pilots. That says a lot.

Glimpses of Mitchell, Texan, Thunderbolt, Lightning, and Warhawk sparkle in the early morning sun at the 2026 Warbird Roundup in Nampa, Idaho.

The 2026 Roundup, held Aug. 29-30, featured a familiar showline of more than 20 favorite and famous warbirds punctuated by the first public demonstration flights of the Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat rebuilt by Mike Breshears’ Vintage Airframes team in nearby Caldwell, Idaho.

Getting their ringside seats early in the morning, just behind the yellow rope and in clear view of the P-47D nicknamed Dottie Mae, attendees at Warbird Roundup were treated to the spectacle of warbirds starting up and taxiing to the runway all day.

This Hellcat’s history includes World War II service aboard the aircraft carrier USS Sangamon, and ownership in the late 1960s and early 1970s by Charles F. Willis, Jr., then-president of Alaska Airlines. Willis had his Hellcat painted white with gold trim matching the colors of Alaska Airlines airliners of the period.

The spotless F6F-3 Hellcat rebuilt by Mike Breshears’ team at Vintage Airframes made its highly anticipated public debut at Warbird Roundup.

The next owner was Bill Compton of Canby, Oregon, who returned this fighter to a World War II color scheme and flew it to air shows in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia in the 1970s. Bill survived a 1977 crash in the Hellcat, and spent the rest of his life securing parts to rebuild it.

That work came to Vintage Airframes in Caldwell where Mike and his team have shown the skill, knowledge, and patience to bring a variety of World War II warbirds back to life, with details of reconstruction that set a tone of excellence and authenticity.

A B-25J Mitchell took off beyond the Nampa Fire Department truck stationed at mid-field during Warbird Roundup.

Warbird Roundup has developed an air show flying pattern that provides attendees with various views of the aircraft over the airport. And the crowd line next to warbird parking provides good sights and sounds as the various machines start, taxi, and shut down after their flights.

This year’s Warbird Roundup accommodated increased hangar construction that limits available overflow parking for events by handling all general admission parking offsite, using a shuttle to bring people to and from the airport.

One of two signature Warhawks in the Warhawk Air Museum collection, this P-40N nicknamed Parrot Head was flown by the museum’s director of aviation, Brand Lindsey.

“The offsite parking from CWI Ford Idaho Center went beautifully and we heard nothing but positive comments from our guests who used the new system,” said Carson Spear, Warhawk Air Museum’s executive director. “It was organized, fast, safe, and very comfortable and a great solution to growth and new hangar builds and reduced parking available on the airport field.”