AN EVENING WITH CHAMPIONS WELCOMES THE USAF HERITAGE FLIGHT
Sunday, July 19 | 7–9 PM CDT
Theater in the WoodsSupported by M&M’S (Grid Location K-15) Oshkosh, WI
Kick off the 2026 Theater in the Woods evening program honoring the USAF Heritage Flight. A historic evening featuring powerful stories, video highlights, and live performance of “We Remember” by Dwayne O’Brien.
This July, the Air Force Heritage Flight is being honored at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, the world’s largest aviation gathering. A moving tribute remembering those who flew and served before, now, and always. Your United States Air Force.
Peter (Pete) Bunce learned to fly at an early age in southern Wisconsin before attending the USAF Academy. After graduating in 1979, he was commissioned into the USAF, where he flew F-15s and A-10s, commanded several fighter units, and retired as a Colonel after 26 years of service. Pete went on to serve for 20 years as President and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. He is an active pilot with more than 7,500 hours in military, training, piston, turboprop, and business jet aircraft.
John Cudahy joined the The International Council of Air Shows as president in June 1997 and has served as CEO for nearly 30 years. In this role, he has fortified the visibility, influence, and professionalism of the air show community while working closely with military leaders, elected officials, and federal regulators. A licensed pilot and graduate of the University of Virginia, John has spent his career in association management and lives in Herndon, VA with his wife Laura.
Dave graduated with honors from the USAF Academy in 1976 and went on to serve as a career fighter and instructor pilot, holding command and senior staff roles before retiring from the Air Force in 2008. A recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross, he later served as a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Captain, Check Airman, and Chief Pilot, and is now a member of the USAF Thunderbirds Strategic Advisory Group with his wife, retired four-star General Lori Robinson.
Tommy Williams started flying when he was 16 years old in Houston, Texas before attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. While at Embry-Riddle, he participated in Air Force ROTC and after graduation was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. While in the Air Force, Tommy flew multiple fighter aircraft, including the F-15C, F-5E, F-4E and F-16 and acquired over 3,800 hours of fighter time.
Jim Beasley, Jr. is a founding member of the Air Force Heritage Flight program, having performed the first dissimilar formation with the West Coast F-15 Eagle demonstration team at Shaw AFB in 1996. Since then, Jim has flown in hundreds of Heritage Flights across the United States, Canada and the U.K. In 2006, Jim was voted “Civilian Heritage Flight Pilot of the Year” and flies his P-51D Mustang “Bald Eagle” in Heritage Flights in the Northeast United States.
Colonel John “Screech” York (Ret.) flew the F-15 as the USAF’s West Coast Demonstration Pilot and was among the early generation of Heritage Flight pilots in the late 1990s. Over his career, he has flown the F-15, F-22, F-86, and P-51. He now flies a Legend Cub, sharing his passion for aviation through backcountry and expedition flying.
Melanie Kluesner is an F-35A Lightning II pilot assigned to the 421st Fighter Squadron and commander of the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team. Commissioned in 2014 after graduating from USC, she has logged more than 1,000 flight hours across aircraft including the T-6A, T-38, F-16, F-35B, and F-35A, and now leads the demo team in showcasing the F-35’s capabilities while inspiring the next generation.
Born in San Antonio, TX, Bruce Winter knew from a young age that he wanted to become a fighter pilot and serve his country in the U.S. Military. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1988 as an Aviation Officer Candidate and completed flight training in 1992. Flying the F/A – 18A, B, C, D Winter accumulated over 1,300 hours of flight time and 211 carrier-arrested landings at sea, plus 25 OSW combat missions during a WestPac Cruise to the Persian Gulf. Bruce also served as an F/A -18 Hornet Exchange instructor pilot for the Marine Corps in El Toro, CA followed by Miramar, CA.
James G. “Jim” Kidrick is President and CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum and President of the San Diego Air & Space Technology Center. A retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot, he logged more than 4,250 accident-free military flight hours from Navy aircraft carriers and is also an FAA-rated commercial, instrument, and multi-engine pilot. Jim has more than 25 years of nonprofit and event leadership experience and is a strong advocate for inspiring youth to pursue aviation and STEM careers.
Maj. Taylor Hiester is the United States Air Force F-16 Demonstration Team Commander and Pilot. Maj. Hiester leads a team of highly specialized Airmen who are responsible for representing the total capability of the F-16 to America and her partners around the world. He has served as the team’s demonstration pilot since 2024, performing over 200 aerial displays in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
Dwayne O’Brien is a founding member of the multiplatinum group Little Texas, triple Grammy-nominated, CMA and ACM Award-winning recording artist, songwriter, and educator. A sport and aerobatic pilot and devoted military aviation enthusiast, Dwayne has pursued a lifelong passion for flight alongside his music career, earning the nickname “Song Pilot.” These two passions intersect in “We Remember,” his musical tribute to military aviation. Through performance and storytelling, he celebrates the people, history, and legacy of flight.
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